Podcasts about illinois coalition

President Trump signed an executive order barring birthright citizenship for children whose parents lack legal status in the U.S. and for some visa holders. Three judges have filed national injunctions to block this order, and the Supreme Court is deliberating the case. If the court sides with the Trump administration, automatic citizenship could be denied to kids in 28 states. Reset learns what's at stake for Illinoisans from UIC law professor Steve Schwinn, Dulce Ortiz of the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center and Ana Gil Garcia the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

THE TIM JONES AND CHRIS ARPS SHOW 0:00 SEG 1 The Speaker's Stump Speech is brought to you by https://www.hansenstree.com/ and features Congressman Eric Burlison | Tariffs | Trump withdraws Elise Stefanik's nomination to be UN ambassador | Getting that one big beautiful bill down the road | Anna Paulina Luna | Medicaid spending | Paycheck Protection Act https://burlison.house.gov/ 19:11 SEG 2 Katie Reilly, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Legal Reform | TOPIC: Foster care reform | SB1696 and HB3138 were introduced to eliminate barriers for foster care providers to obtain insurance or maintain their current coverage. Without sufficient and affordable legal liability insurance, private, not-for-profit agencies caring for the majority of children in Illinois’ foster system cannot continue providing care. As a result, the state would have to take on the care of additional foster children, a task it does not have the capacity to do. This would disrupt the lives of thousands of children by displacing them from their homes and create a devastating foster care crisis, all to continue to allow frivolous lawsuits. https://icflr.org/ 34:19 SEG 3 Popeye and Steamboat Willie entered the public domain this year and there are already horror films out to capitalize https://newstalkstl.com/ FOLLOW TIM - https://twitter.com/SpeakerTimJones FOLLOW CHRIS - https://twitter.com/chris_arps 24/7 LIVESTREAM - http://bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMS RUMBLE - https://rumble.com/NewsTalkSTL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE TIM JONES AND CHRIS ARPS SHOW 0:00 SEG 1 The Speaker's Stump Speech is brought to you by https://www.hansenstree.com/ and features Congressman Eric Burlison | Tariffs | Trump withdraws Elise Stefanik's nomination to be UN ambassador | Getting that one big beautiful bill down the road | Anna Paulina Luna | Medicaid spending | Paycheck Protection Act https://burlison.house.gov/ 19:11 SEG 2 Katie Reilly, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Legal Reform | TOPIC: Foster care reform | SB1696 and HB3138 were introduced to eliminate barriers for foster care providers to obtain insurance or maintain their current coverage. Without sufficient and affordable legal liability insurance, private, not-for-profit agencies caring for the majority of children in Illinois’ foster system cannot continue providing care. As a result, the state would have to take on the care of additional foster children, a task it does not have the capacity to do. This would disrupt the lives of thousands of children by displacing them from their homes and create a devastating foster care crisis, all to continue to allow frivolous lawsuits. https://icflr.org/ 34:19 SEG 3 Popeye and Steamboat Willie entered the public domain this year and there are already horror films out to capitalize https://newstalkstl.com/ FOLLOW TIM - https://twitter.com/SpeakerTimJones FOLLOW CHRIS - https://twitter.com/chris_arps 24/7 LIVESTREAM - http://bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMS RUMBLE - https://rumble.com/NewsTalkSTL See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is our final episode. The demands of creating the show are much greater than its reach, so we are focusing our energies to do good in other ways and leaving the podcast behind.  We are grateful to all our listeners, and to all the people who commented and contacted us. We thank you for letting us be part of your lives for the last year. Carry on and fight the good fight.  Here are the shownotes to this week's episode: SHOW NOTES States of Washington, Illinois, Arizona, and Oregon's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, January 21, 2025:  https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/10_TROMot.pdf?VersionId=eWXZfvZtw60HmNTPOMluCKS_Li3n1Tu8  David Guttman, “Judge in Seattle blocks Trump order on birthright citizenship nationwide,” January 23, 2025, The Seattle Times, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/judge-in-seattle-blocks-trump-order-on-birthright-citizenship-nationwide/ Matthew J. Vaeth, Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget, “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs” January 27, 2025: https://blog.researchadmin.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/omb-memo-1-27.pdf   National Immigration Project, Community Explainer: Laken Riley Act, January 27, 2025: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources/community-explainer-laken-riley-act  Martin Niemöller: "First they came for..." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists Merriam-Webster Dictionary online page for "mandate": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandate Thomas Friedman, “Trump is Going Woke,”  New York Times, January 29, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/opinion/deepseek-ai-trump.html?searchResultPosition=3  Craig's article on the benefits of DEIB for an institution, “Facilitating Belonging: Ombuds as the Helpful Stranger,” January, 2025, Journal of the International Ombuds Association, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5101487    REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Craig has worked with The Marjorie Kovler Center four decades and serves on its Leadership Council.  The Marjorie Kovler Center is one of the world's preeminent programs for specialized services for survivors of torture and severe trauma, including mental health care, medical care, and case management. Since its founding in 1987, the Kovler Center has served thousands of survivors, along with families and children experiencing forced migration. Today, the Kovler Center is facing an unprecedented emergency due to funding freezes from the Trump administration at a time when survivors need us more than ever before. We need your help to keep our doors open. Link: https://heartlandallianceinternational.org/donate/ (select Marjorie Kovler Center in the "I want to support" drop-down menu) INFORMATION ON IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS National Immigration Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/  Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:  https://www.icirr.org/  American Immigration Council: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/  Center for Migration Studies: https://cmsny.org/?s=Kerwin&view=list&perpage=6&sort=desc  National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources     

Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman is joined by Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago's Deputy Mayor for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and Lawrence Benito, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, about the impact of President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts on Chicago's immigrant community. They discuss the community's response, the city's legal stance, and ongoing initiatives to educate and protect immigrants. The episode also covers the psychological and economic effects on immigrant families and businesses, emphasizing the importance of community support and the need for more resources.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, joins Megan Lynch as the incoming Trump administration promises to start mass deportations in Chicago. Tsao explains what it means to be a 'sanctuary city.' Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Immigrant advocacy groups in Chicago are preparing for mass deportations under a potential Trump presidency and a tighter border regardless of who wins. From know-your-rights training, reengaging rapid response teams and preparing legal clinics, advocates say they're leaning into lessons learned during the first Trump presidency. Reset speaks with Erendira Rendon, vice president of immigrant justice, The Resurrection Project; Lawrence Benito, executive director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; and Antonio Gutierrez, strategic coordinator with Organized Communities Against Deportations to hear more. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

Stateville Correctional Center must relocate the majority of its population by the end of September due to health and security concerns, and that's a problem for prison education programs. Reset learns more with the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison's Flor Esquivel, Alice Kim of the University of Chicago and Phyllis West from the Social Justice Initiative at Governors State University. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore welcomes Fred Tsao, the Senior Policy Counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, to discuss President Biden's recent order that could temporarily halt new arrivals at the border. 

Did you know that unpaid doctor and hospital bills can lower your credit score? The Biden administration is taking steps to stop that from happening. Reset checks in with Edith Avila Olea from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Carrie Chapman from the Legal Council for Health Justice. If you like this podcast, you may be interested in our interview on why more adults over 65 are giving cannabis a try. You can also check out our full catalog at wbez.org/reset.

This Sunday we welcome Tony Pizarro to the Grace pulpit. Tony is a friend of Grace who attends when his schedule permits and often supports out volunteer efforts with Breakthrough Urban Ministries. Tony works at North Park University as Assistant Director of the Writing Center and Lecturer. He also serves as a steering committee member for the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison. Tony is a person with great humility who loves to serve others.

Today's guests: - Juan Jhong-Chung, Climate Justice Director at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. - Fred Tsao, Policy Director at Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights. - Michael Hawthorne, Environmental reporter for the Chicago Tribune. - Imani Wilson-Shabazz, Partnerships and Engagement Manager at Plan C.

A new report details the financial and emotional toll medical debt is having on Illinois families. Meanwhile, a proposed state law could be a win-win for both debt-burdened patients and the hospitals that treat them. Reset digs into the problem and possible solution with two authors of the report: Luvia Quiñones from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and Carrie Chapman from Legal Council For Health Justice.

Access to higher education courses in prison is about to get a lot better in Illinois. Sharon Varallo is the director of the Augustana Prison Education Program. Carl Williams, a tutor and advocate with the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, was incarcerated, and tells Craig Dellimore that the education he received turned his life around.

Undocumented individuals often can't or are afraid to seek health care due to a lack of insurance or fears that services could interfere with their immigration status. Luvia Quiñones, senior director of health policy at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and Mervin Dino, who runs a safety net health care program at Advocate Aurora Health in Chicago, talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about advocacy efforts to expand health care access to undocumented immigrants, how providers should consider making services more welcoming for this population, and how COVID-19 became a case study in the importance of extending care to all. 

Each week Khadijah Adams hosts cannabis industry operators, advocates, and allies to discuss issues related to social equity and highlight their experiences, challenges and success stories as people of color in the cannabis industry. This episode, Mike Lomuto guest hosts for Khadijah and is joined by Doug Kelly and Peter Contos of Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition. Follow CEIC on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. #BlackLivesMatter #StopAsianHate #CannabisIsEssential #PRIDE © 2022 National Cannabis Industry Association and NCIA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee

Earlier this year, Congress passed the No Surprise Act, that looked to cap big bills from private medical companies and independent physicians. Yet, uninsured patients are still being blind-sided in tens of thousands of dollars in bills. Reset examines the inaccessible healthcare here in Chicago. GUESTS: Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ's public health and politics reporter Carrie Chapman, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Legal Council for Health Justice in Chicago Edith Avila Olea, policy manager with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Hog CAFOs in Illinois and other states continue to be a threat not only to the animals confined in them, but to the well-being of rural communities. In Illinois, one proposed factory farm could threaten Mahomet Aquifer, which provides water for at least 500,000 citizens in the center of the state. Members of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project and Illinois Coalition for Clean Air & Water talk about the dangers of CAFOs and whether citizen action can stop them in their tracks.

Also in the news this morning: the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and other advocacy groups, are launching what they're calling a first-in-the-nation program designed to improve healthcare access for immigrants; Nicor is donating five-million dollars in "hardship grants" to help people deal with soaring heating bills this winter; Cook County has won a major claim against a national retailer; other City of Chicago workers are joining members of the police department in challenging a COVID vaccine mandate; and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Also in the news this morning: the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and other advocacy groups, are launching what they're calling a first-in-the-nation program designed to improve healthcare access for immigrants; Nicor is donating five-million dollars in "hardship grants" to help people deal with soaring heating bills this winter; Cook County has won a major claim against a national retailer; other City of Chicago workers are joining members of the police department in challenging a COVID vaccine mandate; and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Also in the news this morning: the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and other advocacy groups, are launching what they're calling a first-in-the-nation program designed to improve healthcare access for immigrants; Nicor is donating five-million dollars in "hardship grants" to help people deal with soaring heating bills this winter; Cook County has won a major claim against a national retailer; other City of Chicago workers are joining members of the police department in challenging a COVID vaccine mandate; and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion boards and committees are vital for all school districts to hear and respond to marginalized voices within their communities. DEI structures play a central role in adjusting or fine-tuning protocols and practices for all students. Latonya Simelton joins the show today to share her wisdom, experience and knowledge in this domain. Latonya Simelton is a life long advocate of educational equity and student success. For 17 years she has been an equity and inclusion practitioner, at the leadership level, in the educational and corporate arenas. She is a systems change agent identifying policies and practices that result in inequities and works to transform systems. Her advocacy for equitable schools shows up in her service as a CUSD 308 board member. 6:37- Why is DEI important? 13:05- Misconceptions around DEI 15:40- How to Begin 21:10- Basic Functions of DEI Bodies 27:30- How All Educators can Help Resources mentioned: -Illinois Coalition of Educational Equity Leaders- https://www.iledequity.org/aboutilee- Coaching for Equity -Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center-https://greatlakesequity.org/map-eac

On a Tuesday in May, several dozen people gathered in front of an administrative building in Woodstock, Illinois, a town of about 25,000 people, 54 miles northwest of Chicago. Organizers held up signs that read: “Community not cages,” and “Cancel the ICE contract.”The McHenry County Board would meet inside that building later that evening. On their voting agenda was a resolution to phase out the county jail's contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement — also known as ICE — and stop detaining undocumented immigrants.Immigration advocates around the county, like those in Woodstock, have waited since January for President Joe Biden to address immigration detention after he announced changes to contracts between the Department of Justice and private prisons. Biden said his goal is to end racial disparities and pave the way for fair sentencing. Related: Immigration rights activists call on Biden to end private detentionMost recently, the administration terminated its contracts with two county jails, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office in Massachusetts and the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia — both under federal investigation for allegations of abuse against immigrants in their custody. Many advocates applauded the move as a first step.But without any federal mandate to end immigration detention in county jails and private detention centers, advocates will continue to look to local and state lawmakers to act, said Silky Shah, executive director at Detention Watch Network, an advocacy group against immigration detention. “It's so important whenever you have these fights at the local level to show the impact of detention in your community, to signal to the federal government, ‘Hey, actually this is not OK and this shouldn't be happening.'”Silky Shah, executive director, Detention Watch NetworkPublic pressure is increasing, she said.“It's so important whenever you have these fights at the local level to show the impact of detention in your community, to signal to the federal government, ‘Hey, actually this is not OK, and this shouldn't be happening,'” she said. Related: Biden's day one promise to end 'Remain in Mexico' may go unfilledPushing for statewide measuresIn April, Essex County in New Jersey canceled its ICE contract. Other states, including California, Maryland and New York are pushing for statewide measures to prevent counties from entering contracts with ICE.Canceling existing contracts can be a tough sell, especially when these communities have depended on those federal dollars and the jobs that come with running detention centers, Shah said. But the pandemic did decrease the number of immigrants being detained nationwide, Shah said. That has left people wondering whether the same amount of detention centers are necessary.“With COVID, there was a reduction in the number of people detained for a bunch of reasons because the border was closed because a lot of people were continuing to be deported, and [there were] less enforcement operations,” she said. Related: A therapists' network supports immigrants, advocates during pandemicStill, In Illinois, the McHenry County Board voted to keep their county jail's partnership with ICE. The jail has beds for 250 immigrants. The county receives $95 a day from the federal government for each detainee in custody. But during the pandemic, many of those went unused. According to county data, for the fiscal year 2020, the jail's average daily number of undocumented immigrant detainees was 189, compared to 279 and 275, for 2019 and 2018, respectively. It was a contentious debate. The majority of board members weren't convinced that ending the ICE contract would make a difference. Instead, they'd prefer to wait for the federal government to issue a mandate. “This county board does not have the ability to solve the immigration problem in this country, and that's why I'm not voting to eliminate the contract that we have with ICE."Joseph Gottemoller, board member, McHenry County“This county board does not have the ability to solve the immigration problem in this country, and that's why I'm not voting to eliminate the contract that we have with ICE,” said county board member Joseph Gottemoller.Others were concerned about where the detainees would go if the contract ends, and if moving detainees across state lines to other states would be an inconvenience for their families. “To send people someplace else — I will be voting no on this for that fact alone. The money is not the issue to me, I believe we can cut budgets,” said Jim Kearns, another board member. Immigration advocates gather outside the county building in McHenry County, Woodstock, Illinois on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Credit: Courtesy of David Volden Related: ICE gets sued to release immigrant detainees amid COVID-19A moral issueUndocumented immigrants like Johannes Favi said this is a moral issue, and that more board members should have voted to end the contract. Favi is an immigrant from Benin who spent close to a year detained at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee, another Illinois county jail that contracts with ICE. He also wants to see ICE contracts end — and detention altogether. He drove to Woodstock from his home in Indiana to speak at the meeting.   "I know [migrant detention] is wrong. And if nobody stands to do something against it, well, it'll keep happening."Johannes Favi, immigrant from Benin now living in Indiana“I do that because for me, it's just common sense to fight for what is right. And I've lived it. So I know this is wrong. And if nobody stands to do something against it, well, it'll keep happening,” Favi said. Amanda Hall, co-founder of the Coalition to Cancel the ICE Contract in McHenry County, and who lives in Woodstock, said many community members also supported ending the contract. Those community members want everyone to be respected and recognized, she said. “Having ICE in our community causes fear and causes trauma ... it's not something that should be allowed."Amanda Hall, co-founder, Coalition to Cancel the ICE Contract in McHenry County“Having ICE in our community causes fear and causes trauma ... it's not something that should be allowed,” Hall said.The outcome was disappointing, said Maria Valdez, a volunteer with the Elgin Coalition for Immigrant Rights, a member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. But it's important to keep the momentum going, she said. The movement in Woodstock captivated community members who had never been involved in organizing before. “So, I think that a silver lining of this is that it mobilizes people, right? It makes people feel angry, more passionate and engaged to be able to push for something.”Valdez is hopeful change will come. She and other organizers want more counties and states to join the movement and show the federal government this is necessary. "It is always a good time to do the right thing."Maria Valdez, volunteer, Elgin Coalition for Immigrant Rights“So is it a good time? It is always a good time to do the right thing. And are we going to win? I think we have a good chance,” she said. 

This is a special episode based on a webinar that we first presented on September 7th on the Fathering Together Facebook Page for another conversation on the ways fathers can empower and encourage their daughters to be community leaders! We had 3 amazing panelists doing great things in their community to forge a more equitable future. Barbara Barreno-Paschall is a Commissioner with the State of Illinois Human Rights Commission following her appointment by Governor JB Pritzker in 2019. Prior to her appointment, Barbara was a Senior Staff Attorney with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. She also was an Associate at Sidley Austin LLP. At Sidley, Barbara twice received the firm’s Thomas H. Morsch Award for Pro Bono Achievement for her successful representation of immigrants seeking asylum. Barbara is a Board member of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment and is a member of the Harris Alumni Council. In 2018, Barbara was elected as a Community Representative on the Kenwood Academy High School Local School Council and is an Emerging Leader with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Barbara is a graduate of Harvard College, Vanderbilt Law School, and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Ruth Lopez-McCarthy is a managing attorney with the Legal Protection Fund Project. Ruth holds over 17 years of experience in the immigration movement both locally and nationally. After working as an organizer in Chicago, Ruth obtained her J.D. from Chicago- Kent College of Law. Ruth served as the deputy field director with the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign, the coalition coordinator for the Northern Borders Coalition, and as the deputy legislative associate/legislative liaison for Field for the Alliance for Citizenship campaign in Washington, D.C. She joined the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights as the comprehensive immigration reform implementation director in 2013 where she built the IL is READY Campaign in preparation for administrative relief. Ruth worked as a consultant for immigration advocacy organizations coordinating immigrant focused programs across the United States and Mexico. At NIJC, Ruth leads the City of Chicago funded initiative, the Legal Protection Fund, aimed at educating community and providing immediate legal information, screenings, consultations, and representation to individuals who may be at risk for deportation or in need of trustworthy immigration representation. Ruth speaks Spanish and is licensed to practice law in Illinois. Kady McFadden is Deputy Director of the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter. In this role, Kady manages organizing and conservation staff in order to build strong advocacy campaigns for clean energy, clean water, and open space protection. Kady also runs the Sierra Club Illinois PAC to elect environmental champions to state, local and federal office. She is an alumna of Washington University in St Louis and University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. If you've enjoyed today's episode of the Dads With Daughters podcast we invite you to check out the Fatherhood Insider. The Fatherhood Insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most are figuring it out as they go along. The Fatherhood Insider is full of valuable resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, interactive forum, step-by-step roadmaps and more you will engage and learn with experts but more importantly with dads like you. So check it out today!

This week we share two stories from people whose understanding of the use of memory was challenged. Part 1: Padraic Stanley gets a fresh start when his abusive father gets diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia. Part 2: After meeting a man with a rare memory disorder, Paul Aflalo reconsiders his own memories. Padraic Stanley is a social worker living in Chicago, IL. He currently works as a program coordinator for health promotion programs in the Rush University Medical Center Department of Social Work & Community Health. He is also the chair of Rush’s Immigrant Health Working Group, which oversees Rush’s immigrant health and welcoming healthcare initiatives. Up until recently, Padraic was also a registry inpatient case manager at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center on the weekends. He is a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, where he completed the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and completed a clinical practicum at Heartland Human Care Services and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Currently, he is on the associate board for Erie Neighborhood House, a member of the National Schweitzer Fellowship Alumni Leadership Committee, and is on the executive board of the International Association of Social Work with Groups. Paul Aflalo is a storyteller and documentary producer. He creates narrative-driven pieces for film, radio and podcasts. His work has been featured on CBC Radio, SiriusXM, and presented at film festivals around the world, including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Paul has shared stories across Canada, in Europe and the UK. Paul is the Artistic Director of Replay Storytelling, an all-true storytelling show in Canada, and is also the Creative Director of the Aphantasia Network. In 2020 in response to the global pandemic, he founded the world’s first 24-hour True Storytelling Festival, bringing people together from all corners of the globe, to share personal true stories from lived experience. His focus is to help others share the stories that need to be told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GUESTSFernanda Castellanos is a community organizer with Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD). She started organizing when her mom Genoveva got stopped by police and then transferred to ICE. Her passion is to work with the undocumented folks and communities of color to fight deportations and criminalization. She leads the Community Asambleas for OCAD.Brandon Lee is leading communications with the 2020 Census team at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). He’s a lifelong Uptown resident who previously worked with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago. His first job out of college was doing community outreach for the Census in 2010.OVERVIEWBrownTown dives into this year's U.S. Census and all the reasons everyone (yes, everyone) should do it. Fernanda and Brandon inform about their work with OCAD and ICIRR as well as what census outreach looks like for immigrant, undocumented, and non-English speaking communities. They continue to explain why trust and relationship-building is crucial to grassroots organizing, especially in direct-service work. What if Trump's citizenship question was not struck down by the Supreme Court? Fernanda and Brandon explain the ramifications of this scary alternate reality as well as the differences (and similarities) between his administration and Obama's regarding deportations and immigrant's rights. With a state-wide and local scope, BrownTown and guests also talk funding and logistics within census outreach, the Chicago gang database, "sanctuary cities" and their loopholes, the paradoxical nature of Illinois politics, and personal experiences with all of the above.--
This episode is part of a multimedia project commissioned by Chicago Reader's Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA). More to come!Follow Fernanda on Instagram and OCAD on their site, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Follow Brandon on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and ICIRR on their site, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.GET COUNTED FOR THE CENSUS AT my2020census.gov.--CREDITS: Intro song Contejo by Don Omar. Outro song Mijente by Bad Bunny. Audio engineering by Genta Tamashiro. Recording session photos by Andrew Merz.--Bourbon ’n BrownTownSite | Become a Patron on Patreon!SoapBox Productions and Organizing, 501(c)3Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Site | Support

This month, we're talking to two Latinx Chicago women fighting hard for progressive values in Springfield — and already seeing results from some groundbreaking legislation and widely earning the respect of their colleagues. State Reps. Delia Ramirez and Celina Villanueva have been showing up in a big way downstate, fighting for education equity, immigrant rights, voting access and empowering young people of color. Both women started off as organizers so we are putting them on stage together to learn from their experience and help us understand their work on a deeper level.--- OUR GUESTS ---DELIA RAMIERZ Delia Ramirez is an accomplished social service director, community leader, and coalition builder who has dedicated much of her life and career to the Humboldt Park and Logan Square communities. On March 2018, as a first-time candidate, Delia was elected the Democratic nominee of Illinois' 4th house district and is the first Guatemalan American in the state legislature. A daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Delia resides on the same block where she grew up. As a graduate of Sabin Magnet Elementary school in the eastern part of the 4th district and Northeastern University, Delia recognizes the importance of public education and is committed to fighting for high quality, equitable education for all our children. In 2004, at only 21 years old, Delia became the Executive Director of Humboldt Park Social Services, now the Center for Changing Lives. During Delia's tenure, the agency served more than 4,500 households and quadrupled the budget expanding its supportive services to become a city-wide organization nationally recognized for its innovative work on housing and financial stability programs. Delia has served as the Board president of Logan Square Neighborhood Association, District Advisory Chair of the 14th District Police Department, Co-founder of the Chicago Justice for our Neighbors Free Immigration Clinic, and currently serves as the President of LUCHA, a community development and affordable housing organization in the district. Delia has been a leader in neighborhood and city-wide coalitions for balanced neighborhood development, an elected school board, the Fight for 15, and Automatic Voter Registration. Her work has been recognized through several awards including the 2007 Community Renewal Society 35 under 35 leadership award, The National Hispanic Plan's 2011 Leader for Change Award, an Emerging Fellow of The Chicago Community Trust in 2013, and La Raza's Community Leader award in 2013. Up until December 2017, Delia served as Deputy Director of the Community Renewal Society, Chicago's oldest faith-based social justice organization, where she oversaw the development, organizing and policy units. Under her leadership, CRS helped pass several bills that remove barriers to employment for people with records. Additionally, she led a process that culminated in a three-year strategic plan for the Chicago area faith-based organization. In her first year as a state legislator she passed seven pieces of legislation ranging from expansion of homeless prevention to legislation reforming the department of children and family services and removing barriers to licensing for immigrant communities. As a leader in the progressive caucus in the House of Representatives, she is leading the housing taskforce looking at comprehensive state policy to housing stability. Delia has demonstrated throughout her life both personally and professionally, the ability to build relationships across broad demographics and unite diverse stakeholders for a common good. She is a proven leader with deep roots in her community. CELINA VILLANUEVABorn in Chicago and raised in Little Village, Celina Villanueva is currently the State Representative of the 21st district. Formerly Civic and Youth Engagement Manager at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. With a focus on building immigrant power, developing leaders and expanding voting rights, Celina tied in her background in organizing, civic engagement and youth development to engage immigrant communities and allies throughout Illinois into the various campaigns at ICIRR. With various wins under her belt, Celina has helped to expand voting rights through her efforts on Online Voter Registration, Election Day Registration, and most recently Automatic Voter Registration, all of which are now the law in the land of Lincoln. Additionally, Celina lead the largest immigrant civic engagement program in Illinois that has registered over 200,000 new American voters and mobilized hundreds of thousands more to get out to vote. Prior to joining ICIRR, Celina served as the Director of Organizing at Chicago Votes, as well as working on various issue-based campaigns including the fight for Marriage Equality in Illinois. She also previously served as Outreach Coordinator for Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a role that superseded her work on various state and local electoral campaigns.When she's not busy trying to change the world into a place where we can all live openly and safely, Celina is an avid reader, lover of musicals, shopping, dancing and a great brunch. Celina a born and bred Chicago girl, graduated with a B.A in Latina/Latino Studies with minors in African-American Studies and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Two former students, Colin McCormick and Itzel Garcia, were visiting just before classes started up again in August. I hustled them into a recording studio and made Colin tell me about his incredible experiences this summer. While Colin studies international relations at DePaul University in Chicago during the school year, he makes a compelling case in this conversation that to REALLY understand what's happening somewhere in the world, you really need to go there and meet the people. Colin mentioned reporting in August about Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar having been denied entry into Israel. Here's a link to remind yourself what happened: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rashida-tlaib-ilhan-omar-israel-bars-entry-to-outspoken-us-congresswomen-netanyahu-says/ We also discussed a book called "The Lemon Tree," by Sandy Tolvar. You can get a copy here: https://amzn.to/2LG7wit Read the author's reflection on the process of writing the book here: https://sandytolan.com/the-lemon-tree And listen to the audio documentary that preceded publication of the book, produced (and told) by Sandy Tovar: https://beta.prx.org/stories/25320 If you'd like to donate to the umbrella organization that supports Colin's volunteer work at the Chicago Greyhound Bus Station (assisting refugees and immigrants with their immediate needs while in transit), you can do so here: https://www.icirr.org/ (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights)

Luba Andrus speaks about the powerful movement taking over health and wellness. Her years of experience educating the educators and healers all over the world on the medicinal benefits of cannabinoid supplementation are an inspiration to us all. She gives us simple advice on how to move the needle every single day to teach the world and our healthcare providers in particular about how this miraculous plant can change our lives. A leading and barrier breaking pioneer in pharmacological, educational, and women in cannabis, Luba is tirelessly working to change the world on our behalf. Luba T. Andrus, RPh., B.S., M.J., Patient Advocate, Clinical Educational Coordinator and Pharmacist in the state of Illinois. Founder of Mature Approaches to Cannabis, Illinois Coalition. Co-founding member and principal of MedMar, Inc.,Principal and Founder of StellarMed Group medication therapy management consulting.Experienced medical cannabis consultant designed to facilitate the healthcare team to promote safe and effective medication use and achieve optimal patient outcomes with focus on patient safety & efficacy.Patient medication continuum of care, quality of care, efficacy, safety and compliance of medications with focus on marijuana as medicine.Earned my pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, and Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. A skilled communicator, having participated in numerous advisory boards and speaker bureaus for national pharmaceutical companies. Current member of prestigious professional societies, including theAmerican Society of Consultant Pharmacists,(ASCP), American Society of Cannabis Pharmacists (ASCPh), Illinois Women in Cannabis (IWC), Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and WeWillWomen.orgReceived international cannabis certification as auditor in Barcelona, Spain.Business expertise includes owning medical cannabis dispensary, owning and operating a compounding Pharmacy.Member of Advisory boards:AvanirDey PharmaceuticalBoehringer-IngelheimRoche DaiichiWyethForestSpeaker Bureaus:Avanir DSIUCB BI Sanofi-Aventis Eisai Forest Merck NovoNordisk Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/freshemp)

While the implications aren’t all immediately clear, our conversation with a public health sector leader will breakdown some of the key elements and outline ongoing advocacy and education campaigns that seek to support affected immigrant families and the organizations and institutions that provide direct services to those communities. In this episode, I’m talking with Luvia Quinones, Health Policy Director with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, or ICIRR. ICIRR, located in Chicago, Illinois, is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political life of our diverse society, and works with many member organizations on various programs and campaigns to empower the immigrant community in Illinois.

This week, the Indivisible Chicago Podcast examines the crisis on the border with a number of guests including Mony Ruiz Velasco, Executive Director of PASO Western Suburban Action Project, Congressman Mike Quigley, and Senator Dick Durbin. Subscribe to the Indivisible Chicago Podcast wherever you find your podcasts, or listen online at indivisiblechicago.com/podcast. Get involved with PASO at www.pasoaction.org or the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights at http://www.icirr.org.

In this episode we spoke with Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) about the future of immigration legislation; the current mood of the immigrants and refugees ICIRR serves; and the misconception of immigrants in the United States and their options for pursuing citizenship. Guest: Fred Tsao Host: Tariq I. El-Amin Producer/Engineer- Ibrahim Baig Executive Producer- Abdul Malik Mujahid Music: Ant the Symbol - Browns Island - http://bit.ly/2vJuzSs Beat.dowsing - bones - http://bit.ly/2x2GdIe Image: Fibonacci Blue Call for immigration policy changes at May Day march https://flic.kr/p/bDvM8C

Celina Villanueva is an organizer to the core. She currently works with the New Americans Democracy Project and Youth Engagement Manager at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Brought to you by ubackforgood.com Today we speak with Maricela Garcia, Chief Executive Officer of Gads Hill Center - an organization that since 1898 has created opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources and community engagement. Mariciela came to the United States in the early 1980s as a result of the war in Guatemala. After her arrival she founded Casa Guatemala to assist newly arriving refugees and later co-founded Women for Guatemala. She also served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, was the founding Executive Director of the Latino Policy Forum. Prior to Gads Hill Center, she was the Director of Capacity Building and Juvenile Justice Policy at the National Council of La Raza. In the episode, we learn about: Gads Hill’s legacy of services to every immigrant group that has come to Chicago, including their current work in early childhood education and youth development; Maricela reflects on her career in human rights advocacy and policy, along with her transition to direct services; and How income inequality impacts the educational and social-emotional goals of Latino families across the city.

Today we’re speaking with Kirstin Chernawsky, Executive Director of Erie Neighborhood House, an organization with a history of serving immigrant families since 1870. That’s right, 1870! Kirstin began her tenure at Erie in 2013 as Senior Director of Development & Communications. In March of 2016, Erie’s board of directors named her executive director, making her just the ninth individual - and fourth woman - to serve in this capacity. In August 2016 Kirstin was named to the Crain's Leadership Academy, a cohort comprised of rising leaders in the nonprofit and business sectors. She also sits on the Board of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Chicago Women in Philanthropy.

Celina Villanueva, from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, will discuss immigration issues in the Chicago region and across Illinois.

Celina Villanueva, from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, will discuss immigration issues in the Chicago region and across Illinois.