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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
5:01pm
Mon Sep 19, 2016
3 comments

Refugee Resettlement Surges In Chicago, Local Experts Say

The number of people seeking sanctuary in the Chicago area is growing significantly, according to a local agency that helps refugees resettle in the city.

"Right now, we are experiencing a really crazy surge in arrivals," Lea Tienou told an audience of college students as well as immigrant and refugee service providers and advocates.

Tienou is associate director of refugee family adjustment and employment services at the Heartland Alliance. She spoke Monday afternoon at DePaul University's Loop campus as part of a panel discussion about the global refugee crisis. 

The Heartland Alliance typically sees about 20 refugees per month, Tienou explained. Just in the last month, however, 100 refugees came to the agency, and 90 more are expected to seek assistance from the Heartland Alliance in September.

"It's been a really busy time, and this is throughout the country that we're seeing a really large influx of arrivals," she said. 

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
5:13pm
Fri Nov 20, 2015

Advocates Meet With Rauner's Office, Call For Acceptance Of Syrian Refugees

State of Illinois

Refugee advocates met with Rauner administration officials Friday, calling on the governor to reverse his position on refugee policy.

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
5:21pm
Wed Nov 18, 2015
6 comments

Chicago City Council Roundup: 'Sanctuary City' Resolution, Privatization Safeguards & Drone Regulations

City of Chicago

Progress Illinois recaps Wednesday's Chicago City Council meeting, during which aldermen reaffirmed Chicago's status as a "sanctuary city" and approved new drone regulations and a Privatization Transparency and Accountability Ordinance.

Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
3:52pm
Thu Nov 20, 2014

Poll: American Views On Immigration Trend In Positive Direction

Americans today are far less worried about the "threat" posed by large numbers of immigrants and refugees coming into the country than they were two decades ago, according to a new Chicago Council on Global Affairs public opinion survey, which highlights a long-term trend of decreasing public concern over immigration.

For its recent report, the council gauged the public's "threat perception" concerning immigration in both May and October, conducting surveys during and after the national spotlight was on the surge of unaccompanied children from Central American countries crossing the Mexican border into the United States.

Just 39 percent of Americans polled this May said they considered large numbers of immigrants and refugees entering the United States to be a "critical threat," the lowest recorded percentage since 1994, when the Chicago Council on Global Affairs conducted its first survey on the topic. The October poll showed 43 percent of Americans viewed immigration as a critical threat, which is not statistically different than the all-time low in May, according to the council.

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