Resources for the Immigrant Community
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCAD
https://www.organizedcommunities.org
Palenque LSNA
City of Chicago Immigrant Resources Reference Page
HOUSING RESOURCES
HEALTH
Community Health //provides medical services in English, Spanish and Polish to low-income Chicago residents who are uninsured. You may call 773-395-9900 or log on to their website.
Cook County Health (CCH) // Treats undocumented people living within Cook county. CCH is a public health system with a program called CareLink, for people who are uninsured or undersinsured, including undocumented immigrants. Many CareLink recipients are undocumented. CareLink is accepted in all health clinics and hospitals within CCH. Individuals receiving CareLink do not have to worry about any medical bills.
Planned Parenthood // delivers reproductive health care even if you are uninsured, underinsured or undocumented. To learn more you may call 1-800-230-7526 or log on their website.
Free Clinics Near You
Heartland Health Center – Albany Park // 3737 W. Lawrence Avenue // (773) 366-7777
Erie Foster Avenue Health Center// 5215 N California Ave, 7 Fl // (312) 666-3494
Erie Helping Hands Health Center // 4747 N Kedzie Ave // (312) 666-3494
INFORMATION ON BENEFITS FOR IMMIGRANTS
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
Review this guide to answer questions regarding federal, state and other benefits and how they apply to immigrants. English / Español
Protecting Immigrant Workers
If you have DACA and you are out of a job due to COVID-19, you are entitled to apply for unemployment insurance. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights created this infographic for workers with DACA.
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Link
ICIRR is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. In partnership with member organizations, the Coalition educates and organizes immigrant and refugee communities to assert their rights; promotes citizenship and civic participation; monitors, analyzes, and advocates on immigrant-related issues; and, informs the general public about the contributions of immigrants and refugees.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez’s Office
UN35 organizing for immigrants
After the election of [the worst president in United States history] Donald Trump, many neighbors in our communities were under imminent threat of deportation. From the moment he was elected, we began organizing ourselves to protect our undocumented and documented immigrant neighbors from persecution deportation. United Neighbors of the 35th Ward showed up in many ways to help out.
Community Defense Committee
Many of our volunteers participated in 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez Rosa’s office’s Community Defense Committee (CDC). The CDC was organized by neighbors that had committed to defending against deportations at all costs. We organized a series of trainings including Know Your Rights trainings that were held in the community, at our office, and at local schools. We also went door to door with printed handouts for neighbors to leave in their front windows. These handouts were designed to show solidarity as a symbol visible from the street, but also to inform the Chicago Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers (ICE), that people in that house knew their constitutional rights and could not be coerced or intimidated.
We also created Direct Action trainings that equipped volunteers with the knowledge to disrupt a deportation in progress. These trainings were tailored toward people in our communities that wanted to go further in preventing deportations by blocking or encircling ICE vans so that people could not be taken into custody. These trainings consisted of de-escalation skills, knowing the logistics of an ICE raid, and how to protect yourself and others in the event that you or they are being arrested. We also trained volunteers on how to document a scene, including what things are important to record and say to law enforcement.
There was also a rapid response network created. The rapid response team included two efforts. The first was a listing a safe houses around the neighborhood. Our volunteers provided their phone numbers and addresses so that if the network was notified of a deportation raid people could find a place to shelter while plans for their safety were created. The second function of the rapid response teams was to scout the neighborhood. We trained volunteers for signs of a raid, and encouraged people to pay attention to law enforcement, in particular unmarked vehicles. If something suspicious was noticed, we alerted the network so that people were ready to either provide shelter or show up to stop the active deportation.
There was one weekend in particular where UN35 joined with other Northwest Side organizations, including 33rd Ward Working Families, which hosted over 100 volunteers to actively patrol Albany Park for an entire day in response to then-president Trump’s threat of “the most deportations this country has seen.”
Welcoming City Ordinance
United Neighbors also organized alongside Alderman Carlos Ramirez Rosa to help remove carveouts from the Welcoming City Ordinance, also known as the Sanctuary City Ordinance. This ordinance was intended to reduce the number of deportations from Chicago, by creating a commitment by city government and Chicago police to protect our neighbors. When it was originally written, the CPD found a loop hole and was known to actively collaborate with ICE to assist in deportations by sharing data. Through our organizing efforts, that loophole was removed so that CPD and ICE can no longer collaborate by sharing information or working together on a deportation raid.
Protest
Volunteers with United Neighbors of the 35th Ward also joined marches and rallies across the city in support of many immigration-related issues. In our own neighborhood, Jonathan Nagy and Anthony Quezada organized a public art demonstration outside of the Logan Square Arts Festival at the Paseo Prairie Garden. The demonstration, called “Smash ICE” presented passers by with large blocks of ice and a hammer and invited them to break the ice apart. By the end of the morning, the ice was shattered and melted.
Full Zine English
Full Zine Spanish
image carousel of pictures of un35 doing organizing work
