On Tuesday, June 17th, the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights hosted a virtual Immigration Briefing. See a summary of key takeaways from the briefing below!
As always, none of the below should be considered legal advice! Additionally, information on immigration is changing at a rapid pace, so please be aware that anything you read below may soon be out of date.
ICE Enforcement
It has been a difficult few weeks in Chicago and nationwide as we’ve seen ICE enforcement increase dramatically. Two weeks ago, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they have increased ICE arrest quotas from 1,800 to 3,000 arrests per day. The focus of their enforcement seems to be particularly targeting large sanctuary cities, like Los Angeles and Chicago.
The administration has claimed that their enforcement is focused on reducing violent crime (despite the fact that we know that immigration not only doesn’t increase crime, but can actually increase public safety) as justification for its extreme tactics. But instead, we are increasingly seeing people with no criminal records or charges jailed by masked ICE officers. They are interrupting and undermining the lawful immigration process by arresting members of our community while they attend their court dates and check-ins for their open immigration cases. This is happening to our neighbors, parents at our schools, and our colleagues.
And when people protest these actions, the administration turns its forces against its own citizens, by unlawfully deploying the National Guard, and now the Marines, on cities where people are peacefully protesting.
None of this is normal. The tactics we are witnessing are unprecedented, and are often being conducted in ways that violate the constitution.
Every one in America, regardless of their immigration status, has the right to due process, the right to free speech, and the right to assemble. We must continue to stand up for those rights, and educate ourselves and each other on what our rights are. We encourage you to use and share ICIRR’s Know Your Rights tool, and attend Know Your Rights trainings in your community.
Detention Expansion
We also urge you to speak up to your lawmakers and urge them to oppose more funding for ICE detention and enforcement.
Currently, there is not enough detention space or personnel to meet the quotas that the administration has implemented, which has resulted in many people being released, to make room for more detentions. But the administration is counting on the passage of the budget reconciliation spending bill, which the Congressional Budget Office (or CBO) estimates will direct $168 billion to immigration enforcement. If this proposed spending bill passes, we will see more raids, and more people detained indefinitely.
This is especially true thanks to a recent decision from the Board of Immigration appeals in the case Matter of Q Li. As a result of this decision, many immigrants being held in detention are no longer eligible for release on bond––which means that they will only be released if ICE chooses to do so. In the last few years, there has already been a drastic expansion of the government’s civil immigration detention power. This new detention expansion allows the Trump Administration to engage in mass detention of migrants––depriving people of their freedom without a judge having to decide whether that detention is justified.
This should be concerning to anyone who values our civil rights and freedoms, and we encourage you to call your Congressional Representatives and urge them not to give ICE even more power by increasing their budget (especially because that increase would come at the cost of crucial social safety nets like Medicaid and SNAP).
Arrests at Immigration Courts and Check-ins
In the past few weeks, there has been a significant uptick in court arrests. The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), which are the attorneys that prosecute on behalf of the DHS, have been seeking to dismiss removal proceedings for individual cases, so that ICE can then detain people as they exit the courtroom or the courthouse.
There have also been upticks in arrests of people on ICE’s Alternatives To Detention (ATD) program, as happened on June 4th. Those with active immigration cases have been informed of a newly scheduled check-in, only to arrive and be detained and separated from their attorneys.
If you believe you may be at risk of deportation and have an upcoming hearing, speak to your attorney about alternate options. If you have an upcoming hearing, you may be able to shift your hearing to a virtual hearing instead of in-person; or, in the event of a dismissal, you may be able to refuse your dismissal at the time of your hearing, or ask for a credible fear interview if you fear returning to your country of origin.
What to do if Someone You Know is Detained
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights has prepared a guide for what to do if someone you know has been detained, which you can view here, or view a brief summary below.
If someone you know has been detained, take the following steps:
- Make note of their first and last name (as appears in government documents), date of birth, country of origin, and Alien Registration Number (A-Number) of the person that was detained. The A-number is usually 9 digits, and DHS gives this to someone when they’ve been processed while entering the US. If the person filed any previous immigration applications or was arrested at the border and allowed to enter, their A# will likely be on their immigration documents.
- DHS/ICE may detain anyone––citizen or non-citizen––who is in/around an active immigration enforcement operation. If a citizen is detained, collect all information above minus the A-number.
- Determine who is the primary contact for the person who is detained. This should be either a trusted family member or a friend who will be regularly in contact with the detained constituent, or their attorney or legal representative.
- Find out whether they have legal assistance: if they don’t already have legal support, you can refer them to one of the organizations listed in the Legal Support Options section of the guide.
- Use the ICE locator: if you have their A number, you should be able to locate them using the ICE online locator. If you don’t have their A number, you can use their full name, country of birth, and date of birth to find their location.
- Please note that in the event of increased enforcement like we saw in Los Angeles, the ICE online locator will likely not provide accurate information!
- Report to ICIRR: if it has not already been reported, call ICIRR’s hotline to notify them of the enforcement action at 1-855-435-7693, or encourage the primary contact to do so.
- Reach out to the appropriate Congressional offices. More on this in the Congressional (US Senate and House) Inquiries section below!
- Share information on their and their loved one’s rights in detention. You can share this Know Your Rights resource from the National Immigrant Justice Center:
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security requires that the detained person fill out a Privacy Waiver Authorizing Disclosure to a Third Party (DHS Form 60-001) before they will share any information. The form must be completed for each office inquiring and must have a witness signature and date before submission to DHS. We recommend that those at risk for detention partially complete this form ahead of time and give it to their primary contact and/or attorney in case they are detained. See more details and examples of partially completed forms in the guide above.
Federal Policy Updates
Travel Ban
The administration issued a travel ban through a presidential proclamation on June 4th. The ban suspends travel FULLY from the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The ban also imposes a partial travel ban for 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. For these countries, the ban suspends entry for immigrant, B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visa holders, and reduces the validity of other nonimmigrant visas for the nationals of these countries.
There are some exceptions, and the ban only applies to those outside the US on June 9, 2025 at midnight and those who are not in possession of a valid immigrant or nonimmigrant visas as of that date. Exceptions also include:
- Legal permanent residents
- Immediate relatives
- Adoptions
- Certain dual nationals traveling on the non-banned country’s passport
- Athletes and coaches in the World Cup, Olympics, or major sporting events,
- People granted asylum
The administration is also reportedly weighing adding an additional 36 countries to the travel ban.
“Self-Deportation”
There has been an increase in individuals choosing to voluntarily leave the U.S. instead of risking apprehension and detention by ICE, many after receiving letters or emails from the Department of Homeland Security directing them to “self-deport.” This messaging fails to take into account whether someone has a pending immigration case, or whether they may be eligible for immigration relief, like asylum.
As a reminder, individuals cannot self-deport: deportation is a formal process that must happen before an immigration court, and only immigration judges can issue orders of deportation. The administration is promising that those who voluntarily depart the U.S. may have an opportunity to return in the future. However, leaving the US voluntarily can trigger consequences––most undocumented people who leave after being in the U.S. unlawfully may face a bar against re-entering; if someone has stayed in the U.S. without status for over a year, they are subject to a bar of ten years. Bars can be waived under a process called “voluntary departure,” but this can only be granted by an immigration judge. It is hugely important not to confuse “Voluntary Departure” (which is a legal process) with the current messaging around self-deportation (which is not).
Illinois State Updates
Legislative Updates
- Defenders for All (HB 2436): The Cook County Public Defender’s office will now be able to represent Cook County residents in deportation proceedings, regardless of where they are detained.
- Safe Schools for All (HB 3247): Protects access to an education for all students, regardless of immigration status.
Budget Updates
Illinois increased investments to immigrant integration and legal services programs. However, in the FY26 budget, they also completely eliminated the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) Program.
The HBIA program serves around 32,000 people, and is now set to end on June 30th, leaving many without healthcare access. A small subset of HBIA enrollees have an immigration status that is designated as Lawfully Present and may be eligible for the ACA Marketplace––see this presentation for more information.
ICIRR and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law are also hosting a webinar on health services for those who are undocumented on Wednesday, June 25th, 11-12pm. Register here!
Calls to Action
If you would like to get involved, you can take the following actions:
- Call your Congressional Representatives:
- Urge your Senators to oppose cuts to safety net programs and support immigrant families’ access to these programs.
- Urge your Senators to oppose the travel ban and pass the NO BAN Act.
- Advocacy organizations can sign onto a letter using this sign-on form. Deadline to sign on: Wednesday, June 18 at 5pm ET.
- Volunteer for ICIRR’s Court Watch Program: Court Watch is a volunteer program founded in 2007 to observe and bear witness at detained immigrants’ hearings in Chicago. Court Watch volunteers attend hearings and partner with legal organizations and pro bono attorneys to highlight problems they observe and cases where unrepresented detainees are in need of legal help. If you would like to volunteer, you can email icirrcourtwatch@gmail.com.
- Donate to immigration organizations. Many organizations offering pro-bono legal services are at capacity, and need support. You can donate below:
- Other Advocacy Opportunities:
- Oppose DHS Clearance DHS’s Generic Clearance, ILRC
- Stop ICE detention expansion! – Action Network, Detention Watch Network
- Support Legal Representation & Due Process, Appropriations Legal Representation Request for FY26 (Sign-On Letter), (Letter Text), NPNA & Vera Institute
Visit Illinois Immigration Info for more volunteer opportunities!
The next immigration briefing is on Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 at 1pm and you can register at bit.ly/CIRRBriefing!