Immigration Advocacy
Belmont Cragin is the fastest-growing Latine neighborhood in Illinois. Many of our community members are immigrants who have been disproportionately affected by racialized capitalism, limiting their access to safe and affordable housing, basic social supports, legal resources, and more.
As partners of Chicago’s Legal Protection Fund and Illinois Access to Justice, and members of Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, our immigration work focuses on developing and training leaders with the goal of strengthening community connection, providing education around immigrant rights and resources, and growing the power of immigrants and allies to advocate for immigrant justice.
Welcome new arrivals!
Our staff and team of community navigators have been a part of efforts to welcome and support asylum seekers arriving from the border. In October of 2022, the Biden administration announced the expansion of Title 42 and a concurrent parole program for Venezuelans, effectively banning asylum at the border and excluding many from the parole program due to its narrow window of eligibility.
If you recently arrived in Chicago, welcome! We’re happy to have you here. Below are some resources that might be helpful to you.
National Immigrant Justice Center Welcome Packet
How to change your address with the immigration court
If you’re interested in offering support to new arrivals, explore the many donation options. The Resurrection Project, in partnership with the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and a number of law firms and nonprofit organizations, is coordinating immigration application workshops for recent immigrant arrivals. If you are interested in volunteering you can sign up here for an upcoming workshop shift.
Know Your Rights
Knowing and defending our rights is key to protecting and strengthening our communities and building our power. Our navigators are in the community providing Know Your Rights and other immigrant education workshops. For more information, or to request a workshop, please fill out the contact form below.
Immigration Legal Services
Due to high demand, direct referrals to legal services are temporarily limited, but we highly encourage you to reach out for more information. Your safety and privacy is extremely important to us, and any information you share will remain confidential.
For more information please fill out the contact form below.
For detention emergencies please contact the deportation support hotline at +1 855 435 7693.
Through our partnerships with National Immigrant Justice Center, North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, and other legal aid organizations, we have referred over 450 community members to free and confidential immigration legal consultations for the following cases:
Deportation
Family immigration
DACA Renewal
Humanitarian protections (U visa, T visa, VAWA)
Naturalization/Citizenship
Renewal of resident cards
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Resources
Immigration Resources
Asylum Connect - Resources for LGBTQ Immigrants
Low-Cost Criminal Case Representation
Meet our Community Navigators
Our immigration work is possible thanks to our dedicated community navigators. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Immigration@northwestcenterchicago.org.
ESTHER MARTINEZ | she, her
MARIA AZUCENA LEON GARCIA | she, her
ROSA LOYA FLORES| she, her
ADELA HERNANDEZ LOPEZ | she, her
CHRISTINA GUZMAN| she, her
CELESTE ADAME | she, her
DIANA LUCIA PADILLA | she, her
ANGELA MARIA ALARCON CORDOBA | she, her
LETICIA OJEDA GALENO| she, her
ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ ROSAS | she, her
MELISSA QUINTANA | she, her
GLORIA JIMENEZ | she, her