CIRR October Newsletter

It's been quite a year for our city, and for the Committee team. We've seen our city overtaken by federal agents conducting a brutal campaign of racial profiling, terrorizing neighborhoods and separating families. 

But through it all, Chicago has stood together. We've seen entire neighborhoods out on the streets, armed only with whistles, standing together to protect their neighbors. We've seen immigration attorneys working overtime to defend their clients from the violation of their rights. We've seen organizations working together to create defense networks connecting neighborhoods across Chicago. We're so grateful for each and every single person who has stepped up this year.

It has truly been an honor to be a part of this work. I am so proud of the work our Committee team has done to stand up for the rights of immigrants and refugees in our community: from hosting 30+ Know Your Rights trainings from neighbors across 16 communities and 9 languages, to drafting legislation to ensure that the City holds itself accountable to upholding the Welcoming City Ordinance, to creating resources on effective ICE response for other elected officials and cities, to sharing briefings with crucial information as immigrants in our city were under attack.

You can find out more about what we accomplished this year below, or by reading our annual report. For the next two weeks, we will be on break as we prepare for next year. We know it will likely be another challenging one. But we feel bolstered going into it by the strength of our community, and I hope you do, too. We are deeply grateful to be in this work with you, and we look forward to continuing it next year.
 

Committee News

2025 Annual Report

It's been a busy year for the Committee! Here is some of what we worked on this year:

• Introducing legislation to require weekly reporting from city agencies on requests from immigration enforcement agents
• Creating a tracking mechanism for residents to report immigration enforcement-related violations;
• Holding 30+ events to reach 3,000 people about their rights, resources, and crucial information on changing immigration policies
• Canvassing street peddlers to connect them with resources and social services
• Developing training materials for Chicagoland elected officials and other cities across the U.S. on effective ICE response
• Launching a campaign to support local businesses impacted by immigration raids

Check out the full report on our website!
 

Chicago Loves Local

Last month, we launched Chicago Loves Local: a campaign to promote local businesses, many of which have been impacted by immigration enforcement. The initiative is a partnership between the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Is With You Task Force, Rogers Park Business Alliance, and the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Check out the full report on our website!

December Immigration Briefing

Missed our December Immigration Briefing? Check out our website for a summary on our learnings from the first year under the Trump administration, and updates on federal litigation and USCIS policy changes.

As always, none of the below should be considered legal advice! The federal policy and legal landscape around immigration is changing rapidly, so any of the information below may soon be out of date. If you’re concerned that any of these updates may impact you, we recommend getting an immigration screening from an attorney. Visit Illinoisimmigrationinfo.org to get connected with legal support.

Better Streets for Busses Online Survey

• Bus Priority Corridor Study: English
• Estudio del Corredor Prioritario de Autobuses: Español

Calls to Action

• This month, the Trump Administration proposed a new public charge rule that would allow immigration officers to have almost unlimited discretion in determining who is a public charge—in other words, who is likely to be dependent on the government for their livelihood and well-being, which can impact whether their immigration applications are approved. You can oppose this proposed rule by filing a comment in the Federal Register before the comment period closes on 12/19/25 at 11pm CST. 
  • Comments can be filed here! Please use this comment template toolkit from Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) to write and submit a unique comment on behalf of your organization. 

• SEND A LETTER: Demand Your Senators Co-Sponsor the DREAM Act!

• Share know-your rights information and other resources with your community
  • ICIRR KYR Training Request Form.
  • Sign-up to become a trainer
  • Share resources for parents who are undocumented with your schools
  • Share Know Your Rights Resources with the unhoused
  • Share mental health support resources with affected communities

Visit the CIRR Protecting Immigrant Rights page and Illinois Immigration Info to find out how you can get more involved.

Upcoming Events

Know Your Rights Training

On Saturday, January 10th from 11am-2pm, join the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, along with the 9th and 7th District Councils, for a Know Your Rights training at Back of the Yards High School (2111 W 47th Street). Learn about your rights, connect with neighbors, and get resources! Register at tinyurl.com/CCPSA-KYR-09.

Committee Snapshot

Our Team

• Andre Vasquez, Committee Chair and 40th Ward Alderperson
• Pooja Ravindran, Chief of Staff
• Alison Murphy, Director of Policy and Communications
• Diana Perez, Director of Community Engagement