Work permits for undocumented immigrants are overdue
Protestors rally in Congress Plaza in support of legalization of undocumented immigrants in October 2021.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
As the co-chair of The Illinois Latino Agenda, a coalition that is leading with a bold commitment to advocate for the needs of our people, a child of an immigrant, and someone who leads a nonprofit organization serving Latino communities, I felt compelled to respond to your recent editorial, which suggests that asking President Joe Biden to extend work permits through parole is an excessive demand.
A majority of Illinois undocumented workers are Latino and 30% of them have called Illinois their home for decades. While an ideal solution would involve Congress passing transformative immigration legislation, as your editorial points out, political realities, influenced heavily by recent directives from former president Donald Trump, have stalled such progress.
The urgency of now cannot be overstated. Suppose Biden does not act to secure these work permits and subsequently loses the upcoming election. In that case, we risk a return to policies championed by Trump, who has openly advocated for deporting millions of immigrants. The implications of inaction are dire and could irreversibly harm our community and the economy.
I don’t want to see U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles driving through our communities and people having to fear stepping outside their houses or children fearing they’ll be separated from their parents. It’s not just for our community to live under that heightened fear, which far extends the uncertainty they face now with a lack of work permits.
Given these stakes, it is not just reasonable but imperative for the Biden administration to act swiftly. We must safeguard the futures of those who have already given so much to our state and ensure their ability to live and work without fear.
Jose Muñoz, Illinois Latino Agenda co-chair, and CEO, La Casa Norte
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Work permits would be life-changing
Your recent editorial on the issue of extending work permits to all undocumented workers is a perspective that unfortunately overlooks their profound contributions, the real challenges faced by countless families, including my own, and the legal precedence that does exist for expanding work permits.
My parents are undocumented workers who have lived in Illinois for decades. They have exemplified a relentless work ethic in difficult conditions in factories and slaughterhouses. Despite many hardships, my parents managed to purchase a home and send their two children to college, all without ever having a work permit. They will be ineligible for any retirement benefit.
The notion that advocating for universal work permits is excessive fundamentally dismisses the legitimate contributions and needs of undocumented workers who have significantly enriched our communities through our economic contributions and culture. We are asking for a chance to live free from the constant fear of being deported or exploited at work. A chance to finally be treated with dignity for our labor.
We have been advocating for legalization for decades. Each denial is a missed opportunity to protect and empower those who have already proven their dedication to our nation’s growth and prosperity.
Your editorial was right in pointing out that there is growing resentment from some immigrant communities that see work permits through "parole" and TPS being extended to new arrivals. The resentment is not directed to new immigrants. It is directed to those who have had the power to grant work permits to the undocumented but have chosen not to and to the narrative that new immigrants cannot work without work permits despite hundreds of thousands Illinoisans already doing so for decades. Twelve years ago, President Barack Obama repeatedly said he could do nothing for Dreamers, and on June 15, 2012, when he announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, he changed my life with a work permit.
Biden has the power to change the lives of all workers and enable them to live securely. He should act now.
Eréndira “Ere” Rendón, vice president, immigrant justice, The Resurrection Project
Close ‘zombie’ schools
I see the General Assembly is considering a further moratorium on school closures in Chicago for another two years after 2025. But what about zombie schools? These are schools that have enrollments of 100 to 150 students in facilities intended for 500 or more students. If a school has persistently enrolled less than 25% of its capacity, the time has come to consider closing that school or consolidating school districts.
I can understand that people want a local school that parents can walk to, to accompany their children. I also understand that gangs and so-called gang territories are a problem. But those problems cannot be solved by arbitrarily deciding that no schools can be closed. It’s time to reconsider our approach to school closings.
Frank L. Schneider, Lakeview East
John Prine was Chicago’s greatest country star
I really enjoyed Neil Steinberg's write-up on Chicago’s place in the history of country music, but it missed possibly the most important of all Windy City honkey-tonkers. The late, great John Prine was born and raised in Maywood, learned to play the guitar at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and got his start playing bars and open-mics in Chicago in the late ‘60s. His first exposure came from a review by the Sun-Times’ own Roger Ebert.
I’m here for any and all positive press for “hillbilly” music, but I couldn’t let this omission slide. Prine is the greatest American songwriter.
Will Styron, Ravenswood