# Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights meeting, March 18, 2025 - When: Tue, Mar 18, 2025, 10:00 AM (Chicago time) - Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602 - Status: Scheduled & Published - Committee: [Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/committee/immigrant-and-refugee-rights) - Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8928487/video/1065248740 - Transcript: [full text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/1065248740.txt) (18,261 words, official captions) ## Meeting notes > AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time. The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, chaired by Alderperson Andre Vasquez Jr., held a subject matter hearing with no votes on committee updates and federal immigration activity in the Chicago area. The chair reported that the mayor's office, CPD and other departments declined to testify due to ongoing federal litigation and instead sent a memo, and the committee presented figures from the city's new arrivals cost dashboard ($638 million cumulative), CPD's quarterly welcoming city compliance reports, its 2023-2024 hearings and engagement events, 2025 plans including street vendor and language access legislation, and a 10.3 percent budget cut to the committee. A managing attorney from the National Immigrant Justice Center described increased ICE arrests, alleged violations of a 2019 settlement limiting warrantless ICE arrests, the Laken Riley Act, the Alien Enemies Act deportations, and the end of parole and TPS programs. Alderpersons Dowell, Rodriguez, Fuentes and Taylor asked questions and commented, including concerns about two committee meetings being scheduled at the same time; four people spoke during public comment. Topics: federal immigration enforcement, new arrivals mission costs, welcoming city ordinance, Laken Riley Act, TPS and parole, know your rights trainings, committee budget cuts, public comment ### Agenda items discussed - [43:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=2584) Subject matter hearing on committee updates, including federal immigration activity in the Chicago area: discussed ### Alderpersons who spoke - [Andre Vasquez Jr.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/40) (chair): Reviewed the committee's work since the arrival of more than 50,000 new arrivals and criticized recent federal actions on deportations, due process and the Alien Enemies Act. ([43:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=2594)); Said the mayor's office, CPD and other departments declined to testify on the Law Department's recommendation due to federal litigation and read their memo. ([48:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=2916)); Presented dashboard figures showing $638 million in cumulative new arrivals spending, including $268 million from the city's corporate fund. ([49:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=2989)) - [Pat Dowell](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/3) (alderperson): Questioned the month-by-month listing of committee activity and asked that the African Diaspora Advisory Council be included and invited to present. ([1:11:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4314)); Asked that the committee budget cut chart be verified before release, saying her committee's figure was listed incorrectly. ([1:20:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4845)); Asked how NIJC is thinking about a reported travel ban affecting many countries and whether Haitian TPS termination remains in place. ([1:57:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=7061)) - [Michael D. Rodriguez](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/22) (alderperson): Commended committee staff and the four mayors who testified before Congress, saying sanctuary cities are safer and citing polling that most Chicagoans oppose coordinating with federal agents. ([1:13:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4419)); Said comprehensive immigration reform is the real answer but the federal government is unlikely to act under the current administration. ([1:15:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4558)) - [Jessica L. Fuentes](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/26) (alderperson): Said ICE had been in her ward weekly for four weeks taking people without criminal records, including visa and green card holders, and asked about a hearing cadence to track federal impacts. ([1:17:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4630)); Asked when Ukrainian and Haitian TPS designations expire. ([2:00:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=7231)) - [Jeanette B. Taylor](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/ward/20) (alderperson): Objected to the committee meeting at the same time as another committee, saying members and the public miss information, and asked that the presentation be made public. ([1:21:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4917)) ### Exchanges between members - [1:12:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4324) The chair explained to Alderperson Pat Dowell that the activity report was presented because the administration did not appear and agreed to include the African Diaspora Advisory Council. - [1:14:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4490) Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez credited Alderperson Pat Dowell for pressing on behalf of Haitian and other African diaspora immigrants. - [1:18:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4728) The chair responded to Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes that briefings, quarterly hearings and on-the-ground efforts are meant to keep pace with federal changes. - [1:22:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=4943) The chair agreed with Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor about the scheduling conflict and apologized. - [2:00:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238?t=7231) Alderperson Jessica L. Fuentes added to Alderperson Pat Dowell point about TPS terminations. ## Documents - [Notice](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/48344ee7-84ee-4664-80db-1c43474b701e.pdf) - [Agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/adc28246-99cd-4b71-b2e4-cf0db49f1754.pdf) - [Agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/3b4ec024-8ea7-484d-81bd-160d2d4b9be5.pdf) --- Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/59321CAC-C9FD-EF11-9340-001DD804A238 ยท Chicago Politics, an independent, nonpartisan tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt