Chicago City Council Latino Caucus condemns the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ruling made on July 16, 2021 and demands it be appealed immediately

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2021

CHICAGO, IL - Last week a federal judge in Texas ruled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an imperative program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of undocumented young adults from deportation, as unlawful. This throws into question yet again the fate of immigrants known as Dreamers.

On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus introduced a resolution in support of immigration demands being lifted up by Chicago immigrant rights advocates. These demands include Congress passing a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, TPS holders, and essential workers passed in budget reconciliation; and new Department of Homeland Security guidance on enforcement priorities that will reduce deportations.

“The latest DACA ruling only increases urgency for Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship now, through budget reconciliation. The Illinois delegation, particularly Senators Durbin and Duckworth, must be leaders in ensuring that this happens,” said Chairwoman of the Immigration Rights Subcommittee of the Latino Caucus, Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33), “Passing a pathway to citizenship must happen alongside suspended ICE enforcement. Even as we separate ICE from local police in Chicago and across the state, our communities will not be protected from deportation without the President and the Department of Homeland Security enacting new internal policies to protect immigrant families.”

The U.S. is currently home to eleven million undocumented immigrants, including half a million who reside in Illinois, of which approximately 300,000 live in Chicago. The City of Chicago and the United States were founded by immigrants, who have traveled from around the world seeking a better life. Our nation’s immigration system should uphold our basic values of family, economic opportunity, and fairness.

“There are 300,000 undocumented immigrants in the city of Chicago, and even more who are children or partners of immigrants,” said Alderman Carlos Rosa (35), Secretary of the Latino Caucus, “This is a moment for us on the City Council to show our support of the organizations in our wards and across the city who are part of the movement for immigrant rights and to win citizenship for all right now.”

The Chicago City Council Latino Caucus was created to fight for the well-being and betterment of all Latino residents of Chicago. The Caucus includes 13 members from across the city. They represent wards as diverse as Chicago itself. In addition to Chairman Gilbert Villegas (36) and Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33), the Caucus membership includes: Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1), Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), Ald. George Cardenas (12), Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22), Ald. Silvana Tabares (23), Ald. Bryon Sigcho-Lopez (25), Ald. Robert Maldonado (26), Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30), Ald. Felix Cardona (31), Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), and Ald. Andres Vazquez (40). Chicago’s Clerk Anna Valencia is an ex-officio member of the Latino Caucus.