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Extended Protections for Immigrant Families and DACA Recipients Starts Today
Advocates and elected officials meet with individuals and families who hope to benefit from the new Biden-Harris Parole in Place and D3 Waiver Policies.
CHICAGO – August 19, 2024 – Today, the Work Permits for All coalition, including elected officials, immigration advocates, and impacted community members, marked the beginning of the application period for the new Biden-Harris immigration program. The administration announced the program on June 17, following the passage of a joint resolution by the IL General Assembly calling on the White House to issue work permits for all long-term undocumented immigrants.
The Biden-Harris immigration program will protect individuals from deportation for three years and allow them to apply for a work permit. Importantly, PIP recipients can apply for permanent residence without leaving the U.S. The Biden-Harris administration has projected that the new protections will benefit over half-a-million long-term immigrants and mixed-status families.
To maximize the number of people who experience relief under the new program, the Work Permits for All coalition worked with partners across the country to organize screening and registration events to help community members navigate the new process.
Community members can check for updates and register for an upcoming registration session at www.workpermits4all.org.
It is important to be cautious of immigration scams, including government impersonators, unreliable websites, individuals asking for payment over the phone or email, or notary publics and unauthorized practitioners of immigration law. If you require legal advice or assistance with an application, ensure that the attorney is a licensed immigration attorney or accredited representative, or seek help from a reputable organization such as The Resurrection Project, the Chicago Workers Collaborative, the National Immigrant Justice Center, or a federal agency.
“The Administration’s immigration action is a step in the right direction. As the only Member of Congress in a mixed-status family, I know just how important it is that we give families like mine peace of mind. Many people don’t know that when you marry a U.S. citizen, citizenship is not automatic. The threat of family separation persists,” said U.S. Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL). “That threat is only amplified by Project 2025 and its extremist architects who seek to tear our families apart. That is why it is critical the new process brings relief to as many of the 550,000 immigrants and their families living in fear of deportation as possible. We have so much more work to do, and I will continue to fight for relief and comprehensive immigration reform, as I have since I came to Congress. Let’s keep working together to realize a pathway to legal status for all.”
“We are pleased and proud that the Biden-Harris administration has prioritized using its authority to grant work permits and protection to mixed-status families and open up visas for Dreamers,” said Eréndira Rendón, vice president of Immigrant Justice at The Resurrection Project. “Immigrants contribute so much to this country and we have been fighting for so long to just ensure that we can enjoy the full protections of the law and a path to legal citizenship like every wave of immigrants who have come before. The Resurrection Project and our partners will continue to advocate for an expansion of protections for immigrant families through executive and legislative action. We will also be using all the resources at our disposal to help community members apply for available relief.”
“Today is a good day, a very good day. While there is a lot of work left to do, we expect that the Biden-Harris immigration program which went into effect today, will change the lives of 20 to 30,000 families across just the state of Illinois,” said Jose Frausto, Executive Director of the Chicago Workers Collaborative. “Our job now is to collectively ensure that every single eligible individual across the state has the information and support they need to take advantage of the opportunity before us. We are feeling energized by this victory and committed to continuing the fight until every immigrant to this country has a meaningful pathway to citizenship.
“We know there’s still a lot of work left to ensure that our undocumented neighbors and mixed- family statuses are fully integrated and that they and their families are no longer forgotten, said Dulce Quintero, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). “The work is ongoing, and the future is uncertain, but we know this for sure: the support network you’ve created throughout the years of grassroots advocacy is here to stay. El pueblo unido jamás será vencido (united people will never be defeated.)”
26th Ward Alderperson Jessie Fuentes said, “Today is an important day because we are going to ensure that families who have been in the United States for 10 or more years and who have a partner who was born here receive their work permits. But tomorrow, we will continue our unwavering fight for immigrants who cannot go through this process. The struggle is ongoing, and we are committed to ensuring that more than 11 million immigrants receive everything they deserve.”
“At the Mexican-Consulate of Chicago we are committed to ensuring that everyone in our community is equipped to benefit from this new program which will help tens of thousands of Illinoisans secure new protections,” said Ambassador Reyna Torres-Mendivil, the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago. “We urge everyone to stay vigilant against fraudsters and scammers who charge you for immigration services that you can readily access through dedicated non-profits or other official sources.”
“I am proud to serve many immigrant families in my community, and proud to live in a state that believes in sanctuary and human rights for all,” said Illinois State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). “I want everyone who struggles with our unfair and dehumanizing immigration system, and all those who are working to move this issue forward, to know that Illinois is with you. We are all together in this fight for justice and liberation. We will struggle together for our shared humanity, and we will continue until we have a pathway to citizenship for everyone.”
Alma Anaya, 7th District Cook County Board Commissioner said, “Growing up as an undocumented individual, we have an expression, ‘aquí estamos y no nos vamos’, which translates to, ‘we are here and we’re not going anywhere’. We aren’t going anywhere and that means we have no choice but to keep on fighting until every immigrant family has a real pathway to citizenship.”
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULLRECORDING HERE and PHOTOS OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE.
Resources
- What you Need to Know – Video Biden’s Immigration Executive Actions:
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Statement of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Actions to Keep American Families Together – June 18, 2024
- Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families Together – June 18, 2024
- Fact Sheet: DHS Announces New Process to Promote the Unity and Stability of Families – June 18, 2024
- Legal Service Providers:
BACKGROUND
TRP: Illinois Advocates and Elected Officials Celebrate New Executive Order on Work Permits as Welcome, Partial, Victory. Pledge Continued Organizing and Advocacy. (June 18, 2024)
TRP: Illinois General Assembly Approves Work Permits for All Resolution (May 28, 2024)
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RESOURCES
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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 throughout 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 resurrectionproject.org.
About the Latino Policy Forum
The Latino Policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. The Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence and lead. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies and engage diverse sectors of the community, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future. For more information, visit latinopolicyforum.org.
American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) is a bipartisan coalition of 1,400+ CEOs, business owners, and trade associations across the country. ABIC promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens.