September 3, 2024
Spotlight: Illinois Immigration Funder Collaborative
Since the fall of 2022, more than 46,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago, most of them arriving with very few possessions. While most of them want to work to support themselves and their families, they are not legally allowed to do so for some time. Until they can gain employment, they need housing and supportive services to help them settle in Chicago. When asylum seekers started arriving in large numbers, the city and state were not prepared to support such a rapid influx of people, leading to challenges in coordinating shelter and services. As a result, asylees were housed in police stations, university campuses, and other temporary shelters. Since then, the City of Chicago, in partnership with the state and county, has established a stronger partnership and ecosystem for support.
While there are improvements, the situation for asylum-seekers in the city remains dynamic. On the positive side, police stations are no longer temporary shelters for new arrivals, and Chicago now has increased the number of shelter beds available for asylum seekers. However, in 2024, the City of Chicago set time limits on shelter residency. Approximately 55% of the migrants evicted from city shelters had nowhere else to go and applied to return to shelters. Optimistic assessments about the number of shelter residents eligible for employment authorization have not been met, with only 10 to 20 percent being eligible. Some arrivals won’t ever receive permission to work without changes to immigration policy. Without clear pathways to employment and housing, individuals and families continue to experience challenges.
It is also uncertain how the recent Executive Order restricting new asylum arrivals in the US will affect the number of new arrivals in Chicago. In June, the US Border Patrol reported the lowest number of individuals crossing the border since 2021. The number of asylum seekers arriving by bus to Chicago has significantly decreased in the last month, but it is unclear if this trend will continue.
In response to this influx of asylum seekers, the Illinois Immigration Funders Collaborative (IFC) established a Special Initiatives Fund to assist community-based organizations serving newly arrived asylum seekers. In fiscal year 2024, the Fry Foundation along with 16 other local funders contributed a total of $2,855,000 to the Fund. IFC awarded $2,544,400 to 64 nonprofits across the state, with the majority located in Chicago, to provide the rapid response needed to support the large influx of asylum seekers. These nonprofits have offered direct assistance, including case management, material aid, physical and mental health, legal, and housing support.
In the year ahead, the IFC will continue the Special Initiatives Fund which will to support community-based organizations that offer direct services to asylum seekers.