Dear Friend,

Earlier this month, I was honored to be sworn in as your state senator. I was humbled to take up the role as I am surrounded by so many intelligent, passionate community members who I hope to make proud in my service. However, it has been a difficult time to take office, given the recent attacks on our community from the newly inaugurated federal administration that has wasted no time enacting hateful initiatives targeting our immigrant and LGBTQIA+ neighbors. These attempts have only fueled my drive to advocate for my neighbors in the Illinois statehouse and fight for protections we should all be afforded as human beings. I plan to elevate our collective vision of economic justice for everyday people and self-determination for the working class with my position in the statehouse, as well as defend the protections for immigrants, LGBTQIA+ people, and reproductive health care.

In my new tenure as state senator, I also intend to address the root causes of homelessness and the housing crisis, inhumane immigration policies, unfair labor practices, and more. I am also eager to bring my experience advocating for affordable, comprehensive healthcare to create legislation establishing healthcare as a human right. This cause is also deeply personal to me, having lost my grandfather, Elias, at a young age due to an inability to pay. In my previous work, I advocated for protecting coverage from repeal to a groundbreaking program for immigrant adults to community outreach around the Affordable Care Act. I am confident that I can utilize what I learned in these negotiations to create progressive policy that prioritizes patients over profits.

I am also eager to hear what issues are most important to you and will start Policy Roundtables in the near future. Stay tuned for information on how to register by following my social media on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. I will also host a District Office Open House on Feb. 13th with more information below. I can’t wait to meet you and discuss our plans for change for our community and state!

In addition to invites to upcoming events, I’ve listed some helpful resources below, including utility bill assistance, housing grant and rental assistance, tips for cold weather safety, and more. There will also be links to my Know Your Rights newsletter and a helpful infographic to share with your neighbors to keep our immigrant friends and family safe in this stressful time.
Now, let’s get to work on making positive change for Illinois!

In solidarity,
 

Senator Graciela Guzmán

she/her/ella

20th District

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.

CHICAGO — Following several U.S. Supreme Court rulings on June 27, which expose a concerning shift toward authoritarianism, State Senator Graciela Guzmán is speaking out against the decisions and raising alarm around their restrictions of civil rights.

“I am horrified the Supreme Court has emboldened the federal administration’s efforts to further undermine and dehumanize immigrant families in our country through their most recent ruling on Trump v. CASA,” said Guzmán  (D-Chicago). “America is a melting pot of so many diverse, beautiful cultures. It goes against our history, our fundamental values and long standing statutes to withhold the right to citizenship — which is guaranteed in our Constitution — simply because of the identity of a child’s parents.”

Despite being an established right in the U.S. for centuries under the 14th Amendment,  the Supreme Court upheld the executive order withholding the right of birthright citizenship from children born in the U.S. to individuals on short-term visas or without legal status in the case of Trump v. CASA. 

“The Court’s refusal to take a stand against the federal administration leaves the future of birthright citizenship up in the air and opens the doors to different interpretations among states. Not only is it heartbreaking to imagine a reality in which immigrant families could have fewer civil rights depending on which state’s borders they reside in, it is nonsensical,” said  Guzmán. “Maintaining a state-by-state approach to citizenship would cause significant bureaucratic issues that would make navigating everyday systems like health care and license registration a nightmare for all involved. It would also mark one of the largest rollbacks in civil rights protections in our country’s history — a detrimental outcome for both the people it will impact and the morality of this nation.”

Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled that schools must give children the chance to leave the room if their teacher plans to read books out loud that feature gay and transgender characters in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor. As an  outspoken leader for LGBTQIA+ rights in Illinois, Guzmán is deeply saddened by this decision, and concerned for what it means for LGBTQIA+ youth around the country.

“Under the guise of protecting children, LGBTQIA+ youth will be even more at risk for bullying, which can lead to mental health struggles, and even suicide if they are able to be barred from hearing stories about LGBTQIA+ people in their developmental years because of their family’s prejudice,” said Guzmán. “My heart breaks for the children around our country who will find their light stifled by this ruling. To all the LGBTIQA+ youth in my community, my district, my state, and this nation–your identity is nothing to be ashamed of or censored, and I will continue to fight for more protections for you in the face of these attacks.”