Immigration activists in Chicago are turning up the heat on President Biden, demanding he uses his executive power to grant work permits to not just new Venezuelan migrants who've scored a reprieve, but the entire undocumented population that's been toiling in the shadows for decades. According to a WGN-TV report, over a hundred protesters linked arms at the Chicago Federal Plaza, chanting for change.
The calls for action follow the administration's announcement granting nearly half a million Venezuelan migrants temporary protective status, a provisional win that allows them to work legally in the U.S. for up to 18 months. As lauded by Illinois officials, this move by President Biden was designed to alleviate the burden on city resources. However, this has prompted local advocates and city leaders to say it's not enough. "It is time we deserve work permits too," Ere Rendon of the Resurrection Project told CBS Chicago.
Giselle Rodriguez, Executive Director of Illinois Workers in Action, rejected the piecemeal approach. "The narrative is not to take resources from one another... putting us against one another," Rodriguez said. "We just feel it’s time and the president has executive power," she underscored during the rally, signaling a new phase of urgency among Chicago's immigrant rights organizations.
In an ambitious call to action, former congressman Luis Gutierrez announced plans for a coalition to descend on Washington D.C. on Nov. 14, aiming to move the president to issue permanent work permits for millions of undocumented immigrants. "They've been here 35, 40 years. We didn't do anything about it so now it's not their fault anymore," Gutierrez told CBS Chicago, adding a historical dimension to the persisting immigration impasse.
Yet, despite the fresh authorization for Venezuelan migrants, the plight of long-standing undocumented workers remains unaddressed. Unite Here Local 1 President Karen Kent said, "The immigration system is broken, there is no doubt, and we need comprehensive reform to fix it," a statement obtained by WGN-TV. With the wind of recent victories at their backs, Chicago's aldermen have also taken a stand, with Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez's warning, "Don’t count for votes if you don’t deliver on work permits." With an election year on the horizon, advocates and elected officials are clear in their message: the time for action is now.
