Posts About Immigrant Integration

Introduction

Through advocacy and analysis, the Latino Policy Forum builds a foundation for equity, justice, and economic prosperity for the Latino community. By catalyzing policy change, the Forum works to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies, and strengthen community leadership.

Latinos in Illinois do not have equity. Investments in our community have always been woefully inadequate. After Whites, Latinos are the largest racial group in the state, and from 2010 to 2020, our numbers in Illinois grew from 16% to 18% of the total population, thus widening the gap between present resources and the resources required, even further. And as essential drivers of economic growth and stability in our state, our... Continue Reading

Posted In: Education, Infant & Toddler Services , Preschool, K-3, Families & Communities, Housing, Homelessness, Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, State Investment, Access & Resources, Educators, Representation in Government, Immigrant Integration

The Forum advocated for Chicago’s “Welcoming Cities Ordinance,” intended to strengthen protections for undocumented immigrants from harassment by city employees, particularly police. The Forum will continue to work with all organizations interested in ensuring that immigrants in Illinois, regardless of their country of origin are recognized as valuable and contributing members of society with equal access to equity and prosperity.

In addition, Forum leaders were part of numerous discussions with lawmakers at the local and federal level to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, including a recent meeting with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who has co-authored the BRIDGE Act, legislation intended to save DACA. The Forum asks Latinos in Illinois to contact... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration

By Virginia Martinez, Attorney, Volunteer and Longtime Supporter of the Latino Policy Forum

I recently volunteered with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) in Dilley, Texas. CARA provides much needed services and representation to women, and their children, who are seeking asylum in the United States. CARA volunteers serve weeklong commitments to provide services to those being detained and awaiting their first interview with an asylum officer.

It was an eye-opening, tiring and heartbreaking experience. The federal government opened STFRC in 2014 in response to a surge in asylum seekers (especially women and children) fleeing extremely violent situations in Honduras, El... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration, Leadership

This op-ed was originally published in Crain's Chicago Business. See full article here

After Donald Trump's much touted immigration speech last month—the one many anticipated would signal a softening of his immigration stances in order to attract Latino voters—I was left even more puzzled than before about his true intentions. 

Trump's rhetoric was softened from prior to his visit to Mexico, but the underly
ing racism was still dripping from his speech. As his followers chanted their support, the Republican nominee went down a list of victims of violent crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants from south of our border. While these were terrible crimes, he chose not... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration, Leadership

Summer 2016 Newsletter

  ·  Sylvia Puente

Dear Friends,

Despite the festivities and warmth that make this time of the year special for everyone, there’s a cloud hanging over the state brought on by the failure of government officials to pass an operating budget at the end of the state legislature’s spring session for the second straight year. 

While much of state government continues to function through court orders and consent decrees, children and families are unnecessarily suffering due to the lack of state funding for human services and higher education.  According to a recent survey conducted by the United Way of Illinois, nearly 1 million people are without services because... Continue Reading

Posted In: Infant & Toddler Services , K-3, Parent Engagement, Preschool, Families & Communities, Housing, Foreclosure, Housing Education, Affordable Housing, Homelessness, Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration, Leadership, Strengthening Leadership, Representation in Government, State Investment, Access & Resources, Educators

Here are the latest immigration updates from the Forum.

Navigating DACA and Other Forms of Relief

The Forum continues to conduct DACA informational sessions with educational stakeholders and community members in suburban Cook County and DuPage County. The workshop is available in English, Spanish or Bilingual languages. For more information on the workshops, click here or review the Forum’s DACA Resource Packet.  To learn more about navigating DACA and other relief, contact Immigration Education Associate Qoc’avib Revolorio.

DACA/DAPA Update

The Latino Policy Forum is outraged at the Supreme Court’s inability to reach a decision on the immigration executive actions announced by the Obama Administration on November 20, 2014... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration

Wednesday, June 15 marked the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program four year anniversary. Since, over 728,285 initial DACA applications have been approved nationally. Of that, Illinois accounted for 40,162 according to the most recent data from the United States Immigration and Customs Services (USCIS). It is third most of any state in the country, behind Texas (117,025) and California (210,712).

DACA provides a two-year, renewable period of protection from deportation for eligible individuals based on criteria such as age, educational achievement level, physical presence in the country, good legal standing and when a person arrives in the country. DACA... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration
This blog post was originally published by Hoy on April 6, 2016. The article includes an infographic detailing the tax contribution from undocumented immigrants. To read the original article, click here.  

CHICAGO — Los indocumentados no pagan impuestos y suponen una sangría para la economía de Estados Unidos. Estos prejuicios carecen de datos que los avalen, pero están en la calle. Lo cierto es que los números contradicen estas afirmaciones. Según un informe del Instituto de Tasación y Polítca Económica (ITEP), los indocumentados contribuyen 11,600 millones de dólares anualmente. Sólo en Illinois, estos ciudadanos aportan más de 743 millones de dólares en impuestos locales y estatales, sólo por detrás... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigrant Integration, Immigration Reform & Policy

Here are the latest immigration updates from the Forum.

DACA/DAPA: The court case that has stalled the President’s executive actions to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA+) and launch the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program (DAPA) will be heard by the Supreme Court later this month. Oral arguments are set to begin April 18. Though the executive orders were issued in November 2014, the case has been in legal limbo since February 2015 when a Texas Circuit Court judge placed an injunction on them, preventing their implementation.

The case has only grown in notoriety with the recent unexpected death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, which was followed... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigrant Integration, Leadership

An April 16 Reuters headline heralded what many immigrants and immigrant advocates had been anticipating for weeks, months, lifetimes: “Senators unveil immigration reform bill.”

The story devoted nearly 1,000 words to the particulars of the “Gang of 8” Senate proposal and included quotes from an Iowa Senator and unnamed “immigration expert.” Conspicuously absent from the piece, however, were the voices of those poised to be most affected by eventual reform legislation: immigrants themselves. But this troubling reporting dynamic isn’t unique to Reuters: Far too many of the thousands of stories written about immigration reform in past weeks have woefully omitted immigrant perspectives, for reasons ranging from a lack of time to a lack of will to seek out grassroots... Continue Reading

Posted In: Immigrant Integration, Immigration Reform & Policy, Immigration
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