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Illinois Coalition For Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Quick Hit
by Ashlee Rezin
7:11pm
Thu May 16

Pressure Against Joliet's Proposed For-Profit Immigrant Detention Center Escalates (VIDEO)

Pressure is mounting against a proposal to open a for-profit immigrant detention center in Joliet. Activists submitted 4,000 petitions against the facility to the Joliet City Council Thursday, just one day after four Illinois congressional delegates sent a letter asking the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Janet Napolitano, to reject the prison’s proposal.

U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D, IL-5), Tammy Duckworth (D, IL-8), Brad Schneider (D, IL-10) and Bill Foster (D, IL-11) were behind the letter sent to Napolitano on Wednesday.

“Bringing an immigrant detention center to Joliet would mean overwhelming fear for this city’s immigrant community,” said Jesse Hoyt, an organizer with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). “The pressure that’s on the city and the county to do something to stop this is getting much more intense.”

Read more »

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
4:27pm
Wed May 15

Immigrant Communities Face Major Barriers In Navigating Affordable Care Act Eligibility, Report Finds

Health Care

Nearly 260,000 uninsured immigrants in Illinois will be eligible for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when open enrollment begins in October. But a plethora of barriers, including language, literacy and culture, may stand in the way, according to a recent report by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
6:22pm
Fri May 10

Women Speak Out On CPS School Closings & Immigration Reform As Mother's Day Weekend Begins (VIDEO)

Politics

Including the voice of women, and particularly mothers, in pending issues across the city, state, and country is increasingly important, according to several organizations which saw the start of Mother’s Day weekend as an opportunity to advocate for their causes.

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
10:17pm
Wed May 1
1 comment

Thousands Attend Chicago May Day Rally, Push For Comprehensive Immigration Reform (VIDEO)

Labor

Thousands of protesters took part in Chicago's May Day events Wednesday to stand for workers’ rights, demand a simplified pathway to citizenship and call for the end of deportations while a new immigration law is being hashed out in Congress. Progress Illinois was there for the day's events.

Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
10:31am
Wed May 1

Workers, Immigrant Rights Advocates Prepare For May Day Rally In Chicago (VIDEO)

Immigrant rights advocates, workers and other activists will march and rally in the city today in support of workers' rights and comprehensive immigration reform that provides a fair pathway to citizenship and stops deportations until a new law is passed.

Members of SEIU* Local 1 and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) prepared for the May Day event yesterday by making signs and hashing out final details for the rallies. 

"Having immigration reform is going to help a lot of families fix their status and come out of the shadows and stop living in fear," said Graciela Vergara, chair of the SEIU Central Region Latino Caucus, at the sign making event. "A lot of our people in our community live in fear, because they’re not here legally ... and we know that a lot of companies, a lot of employers have been doing E-Verify. A lot of families have been affected." Read more »

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
3:32pm
Mon Apr 8
1 comment

Hundreds Protest Potential Immigrant Detention Center In Joliet (VIDEO)

Immigration

Hundreds of protesters took the streets of Joliet Saturday to voice their opposition to a for-profit immigrant detention center in their town.

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
12:17pm
Wed Mar 27

Children Of Undocumented Parents Call For Comprehensive Immigration Reform (VIDEO)

Immigration

Hundreds of children with undocumented parents marched to the Kluczynski Federal Building yesterday, along with their families, demanding that U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk use their political power to help pass comprehensive immigration reform.

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
4:59pm
Thu Jan 17

Chicago Parent Mentor Program Expands Across The State (VIDEO)

Education

Logan Square Neighborhood Association’s Parent Mentor Program is expanding to 45 low-income schools across Illinois this spring, thanks to a $1 million grant from the Illinois State Board of Education and a partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other state-wide community organizations. Progress Illinois was there for the kick off the program's expansion.