Home » Blog » Families Belong Together: Letter From the Executive Director

Families Belong Together: Letter From the Executive Director

Dear Friends,

I am outraged by the assault on Latino immigrants and families. Our humanity as a nation is in turmoil. Infants being ripped out of their mother’s arms, in some reported cases while their mothers were nursing them! An NBC reporter described the deplorable conditions at an old Walmart now substituting as a child immigrant detention center in Brownsville, Texas, where children wear bar-coded bracelets and see the sunlight just two hours per day. A detention bus specially outfitted with child seats to transport babies. Babies! My heart aches. My tears flow. I put the responsibility for this fully on the shoulders of the current presidential administration. This assault must stop.  

Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t like to use fighting words, but I’m running out of alternatives. I believe we’re in a fight for our humanity. Nationwide and locally, Latinos are under attack by this administration and attempts at resolving issues at the national level have not been as encouraging as in Illinois. Let me also add that the assaults are on almost every other sector of society, including public education, human services and environmental protections. Let me share some other challenges as well as some encouraging examples with you:

Public Charge:  Currently, immigrants seeking legal U.S. residency are considered a “public charge” when they receive welfare payments. The current administration wants to broaden this definition as follows – any immigrant who accepts almost any form of welfare or public benefit, including tax deductions, could be denied legal residency. This proposal isn’t just aimed at undocumented immigrants, it targets families who have immigrated lawfully, as well as other U.S. citizens.

These proposed changes would force families, including citizen children, to choose between (1) reuniting with loved ones or even keeping their families together and (2) getting the help they need – like the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly, “Food Stamps”) and “WIC” nutrition assistance for babies and moms, medical care, and housing assistance.

Please take a moment to learn more about the impact of these Public Charge rules changes, and what the Forum and other organizations are doing to combat these modifications by clicking here

ICE:  The current president has given unfettered latitude to ICE, which continues its campaign of intimidation against immigrants and is now embarking on a policy of shamelessly ripping immigrant children from their families. With the power of the UN and the many nations it includes stated that separating children from their parents is illegal and “is a serious violation of the rights of the child.”

In Chicago and throughout Illinois, we have seen widespread ICE raids in recent weeks causing fear and uncertainty for immigrant families as well as many of us.

Nationally, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that at least 2,000 children have been separated from their parents at the border since October 2017.

This is inhumane and wrong.

I join with the growing number of Americans who believe ICE has committed widespread inhumane acts and call on this president to abolish ICE altogether.

We cannot continue to tolerate his attempts at disassociating himself from the abhorrent policies that have been put in place under his watch. It is in the best interests of our country and its residents to maintain rules that allow immigrants to make a strong, positive impact on this country. I believe that as a nation we must respond. I urge you to write a letter to the secretary of Homeland Security at 3801 Nebraska Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20016, or your legislators and demand that this inhumane policy using children as pawns to discourage immigration from south of the border end immediately.

In light of all these challenges, we appreciate the efforts of our US Illinois Senators to introduce the Keep Families Together Act. We urge you to thank them and express your support.

2020 Census:  Earlier this year, the U.S. Census Bureau announced its plans to include a citizenship question in the next decennial Census. This, by the very act of asking the question, will discourage Latinos (and other immigrant communities as well) from being counted. Community service organizations that rely on federal funding to support Latinos will suffer. Illinois will likely lose one seat of representation in Congress and may lose a second with an undercount.

I hope you will take the time to learn more about the 2020 census, how it will affect our community, and what the Forum and other organizations are doing to help this issue by clicking here.

Puerto Rico: A recent Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the death toll due to Hurricane Maria has risen to an estimated 4,600 people. That’s a far cry from the early account the current president reported when he boasted that there were only 64 casualties from the devastating storm. When will we receive an accounting for the large gap in numbers? I have asked myself many times what he expected the impact of his tossing packages of paper towels to suffering Puerto Ricans would be. Our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters deserve the same respect and assistance from the government as all other US citizens.

While the current state of affairs look grim, we have to look to the victories we have achieved to bolster our resolve and make sure our values are not lost to those who give the appearance of having none.

Civic Engagement:  There is strong, continued growth in civic engagement at the community level. Latinos and the Forum remain resolute in standing for just and equitable treatment by all levels of government.

Unity Day: The Forum was a proud co-convener of the 7th Annual Latino Unity Day, which brought community leaders, elected officials and organizations together for a day of advocacy in Springfield.

I’m pleased to also report that the Latino Policy Forum and its partners were successful in getting the Legislature’s approval for the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act. This legislation gives tenants protections from being denied, harassed or evicted based on their immigration or citizenship status. In addition, the recent FY19 budget passage included increase funding for early childhood education, returned funding for Illinois Welcoming Centers and the Latino Family Commission. The Forum had several other gains in this recently legislative session, click here to learn more.

I’ve also been encouraged to see growing participation in the Forum’s pláticas, as we reach out to various Latino communities in Illinois to get a snapshot of how we’ve made progress and where we should move forward as a society.

And we had several other gains in this recently ended legislative session

In closing, let’s not forget that now, more than ever, it is imperative to stay informed and up-to-date with what’s going on in Washington as well as in our own backyards. The Forum will continue to find avenues to provide critical information and guidance to civic leaders and activists. For updates, please visit our Impacto page.

Adelante!

SHARE