Refugees to America often find themselves starting from scratch, but a new program is offering everyday Americans a way to give refugees a softer landing.
Immigration
The former Wadsworth Elementary School had been set to open as a shelter in early January, but an uproar forced Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to delay her plans for nearly a month as she and other city officials sought to address concerns from residents.
The new policy allows undocumented workers to make complaints about labor violations and to participate in investigations without fear of immigration-related retaliation.
Chicago's history as a self-proclaimed sanctuary city dates back to 1985, when then Mayor Harold Washington issued an executive order prohibiting city employees from enforcing federal immigration laws.
After earlier announcing that Colorado would help asylum-seeking migrants leave the state for their intended destinations, Gov. Jared Polis said the state would not be sending additional buses of migrants to New York City and Chicago following “a very productive conversation” with the mayors of both cities, according to a press release from his office.
Mayors Lori Lightfoot and Eric Adams are urging Colorado's governor to instead partner with Chicago and New York City to advocate for federal solutions to the nation’s ongoing challenges surrounding asylum seekers.
President Joe Biden said the U.S. would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border from Mexico illegally, his boldest move yet to confront the arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office.
The mayor’s office told WTTW News that officials “have not determined a firm date on when this space will open for shelter” but remains “committed to carefully balancing the needs of both our residents and new arrivals.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her decision to transform a shuttered school in Woodlawn into a shelter for immigrants bused to Chicago as part of an “all hands on deck” response to what she called a crisis manufactured by the Republican governor of Texas during an interview on Tuesday with “Chicago Tonight.”
As constant and controversial as conversations around immigration in Washington have become, many lawmakers weighing in don’t have direct personal connections to the issues they’re debating. Delia Ramirez, 39, has lived them her entire life.
An Afghan Interpreter Risked His Life for US Marines. Now, They’re Fighting So He Can Stay In the US
An Afghan interpreter who served alongside U.S. Marines fled the country with his family over safety concerns. Now, his Special Immigrant Visa was denied for the last time.
Title 42 has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020, although that number includes people who repeatedly attempted to cross the border. The case will be argued in February, and the stay will be maintained until the Supreme Court decides.
In a ruling Tuesday, the Supreme Court extended a temporary stay that Chief Justice John Roberts issued last week. Under the court’s order, the case will be argued in February and the stay will be maintained until the justices decide the case.
A recent investigation by Injustice Watch found that the Chicago Police Department has prevented undocumented immigrants who are victims of crimes from qualifying to apply for temporary status.
Migrants arriving to Chicago from the Texas border say they are looking to build a better lives for themselves and want to provide support to their families back home.
One of the priorities is a bill to protect more than 600,000 so-called Dreamers under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin aims to work with Republican senators.
