CHICAGO, IL - On Thursday, April 4th, practically one year since being elected as mayor, Brandon Johnson publicly urged Joe Biden and his administration to allow work permits for all undocumented immigrants, including illegal immigrants who have unlawfully entered the United States.
According to CBS News, Johnson hosted a roundtable discussion with business and community leaders from across the city. Mayor Johnson and several other local activists are pushing the federal government to extend legal permits to undocumented immigrants, regardless of their current status, who have worked and paid taxes in the United States for decades as well as newly arrived "asylum seekers."
He said in a statement, "We need the president to extend the same economic opportunities to our long-term undocumented brothers and sisters."
Other local leaders said that the work permits would ensure that these illegal immigrants are provided with "fair wages and other benefits, and allow those workers the dignity they deserve."
According to ABC7, the letter sent to President Biden is from Mayor Johnson and other mayors from American cities, and is going with "support from some" local organizations that want to see legal work options for illegal immigrants who are new to the country as well who have been in the Chicago area for a long time.
The campaign that has been launched is called "Cities for Action." Mayor Johnson said in a statement, "People should not have to duck and hide to contribute to our society." In a separate statement, Dorri McWhorter, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago said, "Let's not put these groups against one another but instead let's commit to providing all these groups with meaningful pathways to economic mobility and security."
Lou Weeks, executive vice president of Unite Here Local 1 added, "We will never stop fighting for every worker to be covered by union contract and we will never stop fighting for immigration reform because immigrant rights are workers' rights, immigrant rights are human rights." Advocates said Illinois is home to some 480,000 long-term illegal immigrants.
Johnson has also been urging the president to speed up work permits for the thousands of "asylum seekers" who have come to Chicago over the past two years. Advocates claim that by getting them these work permits they will then be able to find permanent housing and move out of city-run shelters.
City Clerk Anna Valencia said in a statement, "I don't think people realize that people can't even get a bank account, can't have a savings account, a checking account because they are undocumented. So work permits for all is an opportunity to right that wrong, to have an equitable approach as we decide who is worthy and who is not."
The city of Chicago reports indicate that more than 38,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the last two years, on top of the estimated hundreds of thousands undocumented residents in the greater Chicago area who are still awaiting the legal ability to work.
During the roundtable discussion, 22-year-old Mariana Gutierrez shared her experience, saying that her citizenship status keeps her from getting jobs and scholarships. She is in college majoring in accounting and is a DACA applicant. She said that she was brought to the United States when she was seven months old.
According to CBS News, Johnson hosted a roundtable discussion with business and community leaders from across the city. Mayor Johnson and several other local activists are pushing the federal government to extend legal permits to undocumented immigrants, regardless of their current status, who have worked and paid taxes in the United States for decades as well as newly arrived "asylum seekers."
He said in a statement, "We need the president to extend the same economic opportunities to our long-term undocumented brothers and sisters."
Other local leaders said that the work permits would ensure that these illegal immigrants are provided with "fair wages and other benefits, and allow those workers the dignity they deserve."
According to ABC7, the letter sent to President Biden is from Mayor Johnson and other mayors from American cities, and is going with "support from some" local organizations that want to see legal work options for illegal immigrants who are new to the country as well who have been in the Chicago area for a long time.
The campaign that has been launched is called "Cities for Action." Mayor Johnson said in a statement, "People should not have to duck and hide to contribute to our society." In a separate statement, Dorri McWhorter, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago said, "Let's not put these groups against one another but instead let's commit to providing all these groups with meaningful pathways to economic mobility and security."
Lou Weeks, executive vice president of Unite Here Local 1 added, "We will never stop fighting for every worker to be covered by union contract and we will never stop fighting for immigration reform because immigrant rights are workers' rights, immigrant rights are human rights." Advocates said Illinois is home to some 480,000 long-term illegal immigrants.
Johnson has also been urging the president to speed up work permits for the thousands of "asylum seekers" who have come to Chicago over the past two years. Advocates claim that by getting them these work permits they will then be able to find permanent housing and move out of city-run shelters.
City Clerk Anna Valencia said in a statement, "I don't think people realize that people can't even get a bank account, can't have a savings account, a checking account because they are undocumented. So work permits for all is an opportunity to right that wrong, to have an equitable approach as we decide who is worthy and who is not."
The city of Chicago reports indicate that more than 38,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the last two years, on top of the estimated hundreds of thousands undocumented residents in the greater Chicago area who are still awaiting the legal ability to work.
During the roundtable discussion, 22-year-old Mariana Gutierrez shared her experience, saying that her citizenship status keeps her from getting jobs and scholarships. She is in college majoring in accounting and is a DACA applicant. She said that she was brought to the United States when she was seven months old.
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Comments
2024-04-10T18:55-0400 | Comment by: Clifford
Of course he wants them to get any kind of government document so as to later work at getting them registered as voters. Typical of those large lib cities. The majority of those "asylum seekers" are liars about needing asylum, & are illegally in the country, so really just more criminals for LE to deal with, & our tax dollars to get spent on.
2024-04-10T22:48-0400 | Comment by: Javier
Its a federal crime to aid criminal aliens or employ them. Deporting them all costs way less than replacing Chicago voters.
2024-04-10T22:48-0400 | Comment by: Javier
Its a federal crime to aid criminal aliens or employ them. Deporting them all costs way less than replacing Chicago voters.
2024-04-10T23:58-0400 | Comment by: Stan
Let them apply legally before giving them work permits. Why reward those who have broken our immigration & border security laws.
2024-04-11T11:34-0400 | Comment by: Tim
Pack them up and send them all back to where they came from. By the way if they need something to be able to open an account, then EVERYONE can show ID to Vote as well!!!
2024-04-13T13:07-0400 | Comment by: Angie
Brandon and Brandon- sounds about right. I have a niece in Chicago struggling to get a job or qualify financially for an apartment- she was born and raised in the United States. Why in the world other than buying votes would anyone even suggest this??? Follow the law!!