Know Your Rights

Resources for our immigrant neighbors

Dear friend,

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Graciela Guzmán, and I am your new State Senator of the 20th District. I officially became your new Senator on Jan. 8. I apologize for not beginning my tenure with a formal introduction and a summary of my legislative agenda, but unfortunately, current events take precedence and demand my immediate action so we can keep our community safe.

Chicago is a sanctuary city–which means immigrants, documented and undocumented, are protected and welcomed here. I am proud of the commitment of the city and state to maintaining our status as a welcoming, safe space for our immigrant and undocumented neighbors, despite recent efforts to change this. However, it is still important to be aware of the rights you are afforded, and how you can protect yourself from detainment.

To be frank, it is an unbelievably scary time for our city. Now more than ever, we need to come together in solidarity with each other, because an attack on our immigrant neighbors is an attack on all of us. Know that I will do all I can to protect my immigrant neighbors, and take solace in the knowledge that the rest of your community is with you, too.

On that note, I would like to dedicate this special newsletter to sharing information from yesterday’s Know Your Rights and ICE Watch Training hosted by the Northwest Side Progressives where I joined Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, State Senators Karina Villa and Omar Aquino, State Representatives Will Guzzardi and Lilian Jímenez, Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada, and Alderpeople Carlos Rosa, Jessie Fuentes, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, and Ruth Cruz.

At a Northwest Side Debrief event on November 16, 2024, over 400 neighbors committed to defending our communities from attacks on our neighbors, and we have since established a Deportation Defense Working Group that began meeting in December to organize and plan in preparation for the incoming administration’s plans to begin deportations in our communities possibly as soon as next week.

• Immigration
• Newsletter
• Know Your Rights

Read more: Resources for our immigrant neighbors

Guzmán afirma el voto del Concilio Municipal de Chicago para proteger la ordenanza de ciudad santuario, aplaude el apoyo de la comunidad a los vecinos inmigrantes

CHICAGO — Luego de los recientes esfuerzos por disminuir las protecciones de Chicago para los vecinos inmigrantes e indocumentados, la Senadora Estatal Graciela Guzmán emitió la siguiente declaración en apoyo a la decisión de mantener a Chicago como ciudad santuario y dejar la Ordenanza de Ciudad Santuario de Chicago sin alteraciones:

"Durante la semana pasada, muchos en nuestra comunidad han estado estresados y confundidos por los concejales que pusieron en disputa la ordenanza de ciudad santuario de Chicago. Mi corazón está con todos los que se han visto personalmente afectados por esta decisión y por el debate odioso y antiinmigrante que ha rodeado la reciente propuesta del Concilio Municipal. Estoy agradecida de que el Concilio de la Ciudad de Chicago decidiera mantener firmemente el estatus de nuestra ciudad como ciudad santuario - reafirmando nuestro compromiso de ser un espacio seguro y acogedor para todos los residentes, documentados o indocumentados - y asegurar que no se permita a las fuerzas del orden de Chicago trabajar con agentes federales de inmigración en casos.

"Mientras estoy agradecida por los funcionarios electos que reafirmaron su compromiso de representar el espíritu acogedor e inclusivo de Chicago con su voto sobre esta propuesta, estoy aún más asombrada por cómo nuestra comunidad se unió en apoyo de nuestros vecinos indocumentados en los días previos a esta decisión. Estoy orgullosa de nuestra comunidad y de cientos de personas y organizaciones comunitarias que se manifestaron en contra de esta odiosa iniciativa. Demuestran un punto importante: si se ataca a la comunidad inmigrante, se nos ataca a todos. Seguiremos avanzando sobre la inspiración de las victorias de esta semana para garantizar que la protección de nuestras comunidades de inmigrantes se mantenga como ley. Lo haremos juntos, concentrando el poder que tenemos como grupo. Pueden contar con mi compromiso de luchar por los derechos de los inmigrantes en nuestro estado con todo lo que tengo.”

• Immigration
• Spanish press release

Guzmán affirms Chicago City Council’s vote to protect welcoming city ordinance, applauds community’s support for immigrant neighbors

CHICAGO — Following the recent efforts to weaken Chicago’s protections for immigrant and undocumented neighbors, State Senator Graciela Guzmán issued the following statement in support of the decision to keep Chicago a sanctuary city and leave the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance intact:

“Over the past week, many in our community have been stressed and confused by alder people who brought Chicago’s welcoming city ordinance into contention. My heart goes out to everyone who was personally affected by this decision and the hateful, anti-immigrant discussion surrounding the recent city council proposal. I am grateful that Chicago’s City Council decided to firmly maintain our city’s status as a sanctuary city—reaffirming our commitment to be a welcome, safe space for all residents, documented or undocumented—and ensure that Chicago law enforcement will not be allowed to work with federal immigration agents on cases.

“While I am thankful for the elected officials that doubled down on their commitment to representing the welcoming, inclusive spirit of Chicago with their vote on this proposal, I am even more awestruck by how our community rallied in support of our undocumented neighbors in the days leading up to this decision. I am proud of our community and for the hundreds of people and community organizations who showed out in opposition of this hateful initiative. They demonstrate an important tenet: if there is an attack on the immigrant community, it is an attack on all of us. We will continue to build on the wins of this week moving forward to ensure the protections for our immigrant communities continue to be the law of the land. We will do it together by centering the power we have as a collective. You can count on my commitment to fight for immigrant rights in our state with everything I have.”

• Immigration