This is a call to action.
In 1969, our organization (
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights ) was founded in order to give voice to the core ideals of justice and equality: That all people deserve an equal chance at work, housing, education, and a chance to shape their own futures, regardless of what they look like or where they were born.
Last week, the Trump administration announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals, or DACA program. DACA allowed almost 80,000 people who came to the US as children, to live here, to go to school, and to work without fear of deportation. Ending DACA is another move away from inclusivity and pluralism, another cynical dismantling of civil rights and equal justice for all.
Among the more than 42,000 DACA recipients in Illinois are our coalition partners, our volunteers, our donors, our neighbors and our friends. Although we do not have an immigration project, we draw no distinction between DACAmented clients and citizens when we fight for racial equity and justice in education, housing, and other rights. We must all fight back together in order to preserve our future.
Here is a list of local volunteer opportunities for those who want to get involved, and resources for those directly affected by DACA:
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GET INVOLVED LAWYERS
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September 23: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) DACA Renewal Workshop [Link]
September 23: Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) DACA Renewal Workshop [Link]
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GET INVOLVED (OTHERS)
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September 19: Fundraiser for DACA - Emergency Renewal Funds Happy Hour [Link]
September 23: Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) DACA Renewal Workshop [Link]
Protection for All Movement DACA Renewal Emergency Fundraising Page [Link]
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GET HELP
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September 8 - 26: Eerie Neighborhood House DACA Renewal Clinics and Workshops [Link]
September 11 - October 5: The Resurrection Project DACA Renewal Clinics [Link]
September 12-October 2: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) DACA Renewal Workshops, Information Sessions, and Know Your Rights Trainings [Link]
September 13 - 27: SWOP DACA Renewal Workshops [Link]
September 16 - 23: Mano a Mano DACA Renewal Workshops [Link]
September 18: Enlace DACA Renewal Workshop [Link]
September 21 - 28: National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) DACA Renewal Workshops [Link]
Highland Park-Highwood Legal Aid Clinic DACA Renewal Appointments [Link]
What You Need to Know After DACA (English version) & Qué necesita saber si DACA Finaliza (Spanish version)
ICIRR Family Support Network Hotline [Link]
The Kennedy Forum Illinois Mental Health Resources for Youth [Link]
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) DACA Renewal Infographic [Link]
Self Help Federal Credit Union DACA Loan [Link]
Here to Stay Mental Health Toolkit
There are many extraordinary organizations helping people and families impacted by the recission of DACA. Among them are Community Activism Law Alliance (CALA), Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Illinois Immigration Legal Services Directory, National Immigrant Justice Center, The Resurrection Project, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, United We Dream, Movimiento Cosecha, American Immigration Lawyers Association, West Suburban Action Project, DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving, Here to Stay,Immigrant Defense Project, and Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
Please share these resources widely with your networks, and encourage your friends and neighbors to support this work.
Together, we can take a stand to protect our vulnerable communities.
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