On Tuesday, May 20th, the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights hosted a virtual Immigration Briefing! If you missed the briefing, you can find a summary of some of what was covered below, as well as ways you can get involved.
First off: IllinoisImmigrationInfo.org, a free tool to empower immigrants, advocates, and allies with information and resources, launched this month! The website includes up-to-date information on immigration and labor rights, how to access free and low-cost legal services, and resources on housing, discrimination, public benefits, and how to get an ID. The goal is to help new and established immigrant families easily access crucial information, and provide support for anyone facing immigration challenges.
We want to thank the Resurrection Project (TRP), the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the City of Chicago’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights (IMRR), for partnering to launch this tool!
Supreme Court Updates
Removal of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans
The Supreme Court issued a decision to allow the administration to continue with their plan to strip Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans who arrived in 2023.
This decision only impacts Venezuelans who were granted TPS under the 2023 designation. TPS for Haitians is not impacted (though it is still under review), and Venezuelans granted TPS status under the 2021 designation are not affected, and will continue to have status until September.
The ruling is causing uncertainty among Venezuelans impacted by this rule, including an estimated 50,000 who have arrived in Chicago in the last two years, roughly 9,000 of which are estimated to have TPS. Chicago organizations like the Chicago Venezuelan Alliance, the Resurrection Project, and the National Immigrant Justice Center are working with Venezuelans in Chicago as we wait for clarity on what will happen as a result of the ruling.
Birthright Citizenship
The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments on the administration’s appeal of the nationwide injunction on their executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and those on temporary visas.
For background: the President issued an executive order aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship for people who entered the US unlawfully or under temporary visas/protected status. Birthright citizenship has been law for 150 years, and the Supreme Court upheld it in their decision 125 years ago. Three federal judges issued nationwide injunctions to stay the executive order.
The case currently in front of the Supreme Court is not on the merits of the lawsuits filed against the executive order; it is instead on whether they will grant the administration’s request for a stay on the nationwide injunction that district federal judges have put into place to block the executive order, and also on whether to end nationwide injunctions as a practice.
Federal Policy and Enforcement Updates
Enforcement Efforts
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the country to avoid deportation (a campaign they are calling “self-deportation,” though deportation is a legal process and only federal judges may order deportation), and offering financial and travel assistance to do so. They are also offering stipends of $1,000 to be paid if people return to their home country; however, there are no details of how these stipends will be paid out.
There have been reports of individuals receiving letters or emails notifying them that there parole has been terminated and directing them to “self-deport” to avoid being deported, and advising them to use the CBP Home application to notify the U.S. Government of their intent to depart.
Legal Immigration
In addition to the administration’s efforts to encourage self-expulsion, they are also taking action to slow lawful immigration.
The United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) is proposing a major expansion of the information they collect on immigration applications. Some of the information they propose to collect would include:
- Much more information about family history and background
- Information about any interactions with law enforcement
- Social media accounts and history
This policy has not been enacted yet, and members of the community can submit public comment!
To learn more on how to submit public comment, see this guide from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
IRS Information Sharing
Earlier this year, the IRS refused to share undocumented taxpayers’ information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), because the IRS mandates that taxpayer information is protected.
Last month, the IRS reached a deal with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to share undocumented data. This month, the court ruled that the information sharing agreement does not violate the Internal Revenue Code. ICE can now submit a request for addresses of anyone subject to criminal investigations.
Know Your Rights While Traveling
There has been some misinformation about the impact of REAL ID on travel requirements. REAL ID was implemented April 7th, which means that anyone traveling without REAL ID compliant identification may be directed to a separate area for additional screening. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for REAL ID, but passports are REAL ID compliant.
Advocacy Opportunities
While there is a lot happening on the federal front, there is also a lot happening on the advocacy front!
- Due to legal and public pressure, the Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program was reinstated. Last month, the administration terminated SEVIS, leaving students in the difficult position of having to voluntarily depart the country, or stay and fight in court
- Federal judge struck down key parts of a rule that severely restricted access to asylum.
- Students Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi were released from ICE custody
To learn more about legal advocacy efforts, follow the Just Security Litigation Tracker!
See below for advocacy opportunities:
- Submit public comment about the USCIS expansion: See this guide from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for how to submit public comment.
- Build relationships with your federal, state, and local reps! Find Your Representative and check out the Immigration Messaging Guide for Illinois Advocates from the Latino Policy Forum.
- Oppose federal legislation that defund necessary services: Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF-IL) has an organizational sign on letter to send to the Illinois Congressional delegation. You can sign on through this form!.
- Oppose ICE detention expansion: Stop ICE detention expansion! – Action Network
- Oppose the DHS/IRS agreement: DHS/IRS Data Sharing Case: Sign On Letter, UnidosUS
- Support Legal Representation & Due Process: Appropriations Legal Representation Request for FY26 (Sign-On Letter), (Letter Text), NPNA & Vera Institute
- Advocate for restoring legal services for unaccompanied children: Restore Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children – Action Network, Acacia Center for Justice
The next immigration briefing is on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 at 1pm and you can register at bit.ly/CIRRBriefing! In the meantime, you can check the Immigration Policy Tracking tool for updates on specific policies, and the Just Security Litigation Tracker for updates on legal challenges to the Trump administration.