February 20, 2024

The Resurrection Project concluded the first phase of the centralized immigration application workshops for new arrivals in late January.  

During the past three months, legal representatives screened 3,704 people to determine eligibility for temporary protective status (TPS) or an employment authorization document (EAD) through parole.

Since November 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has processed 3,428 applications through our workshops. As of this posting, nearly 40% of applicants, 1,362, have received a work permit.

On February 20, TRP will begin the second phase of centralized immigration workshops for new arrivals who have received city or state-funded rental assistance (ASERAP) or have previously resided in a city shelter. We have scaled our efforts thanks to our network of partner organizations and associations. We continue to collaborate with workforce partners who facilitate workforce training and placement in the future.  

TRP is proud to have had all eligible new arrivals who live in a city-operated shelter and qualify for work authorization attend our centralized workshop and process their application during the first phase of our program.

Unfortunately, only a quarter of the fourteen thousand individuals currently sheltered by the City of Chicago qualify to receive an employment authorization document. The reality is that most recent arrivals do not qualify. Long-term undocumented individuals who have worked and lived in Illinois for decades also do not qualify.

Since August 2022, when the first bus arrived at Union Station from Texas, TRP has been at the forefront of welcoming new arrivals. We have partnered with community organizations and have worked alongside the White House, the state of Illinois, and the city of Chicago to provide legal support. We continue to advocate for work permits for long-term undocumented immigrants through our Work Permits for All campaign.

How to get involved:

Interested volunteers for upcoming workshops can sign up here: https://welcometoil.org/tps-ead-volunteers/

Click here to read how “Chicago’s migrant crisis raises questions of equity,” a feature article by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Photo Credit: Geoffrey Black

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About The Resurrection Project

The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds trusting relationships to educate and propel individuals, immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. TRP is a leading provider of affordable housing, financial education, and immigration services on Chicago’s Southwest side.

During the past three decades TRP has worked to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating wealth, building assets, and engaging residents to be catalysts for change. Rooted in the Pilsen community, TRP’s impact now extends across the City of Chicago and through the State of Illinois; we are making steady progress towards leveraging and preserving more than $1 billion in community wealth by 2025. To learn more about our programs and services visit us at www.resurrectionproject.org.