April 7 Updates
National
Senate Republicans passed an amended FY2025 Budget Resolution in the early hours of Saturday morning after an all-night session with a 51-48 final vote (every Dem Senator voted against it and only two R’s voted against)
Read more from the Bipartisan Policy Center
Read the breakdown from the National Immigration Law Center
On March 31, 2025, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans. The ruling prevents the termination that was set to take effect on April 7, allowing TPS holders to maintain their legal status and work authorization while the case proceeds through the courts.
Please see the guidelines around this here
The March 31 ruling does not address the administration’s separate March 25 announcement terminating humanitarian parole for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (the CHNV program), which is set to expire on April 24, 2025.
Sanctuary Jurisdictions: Magnet for Migrants, Cover for Criminals – Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement will meet about Sanctuary Jurisdictions. No word yet on who their witnesses will be at this time.
USCIS has updated their policy to only recognize two sexes in keeping with Trump’s anti-trans executive order made on January 20th. See more information from USCIS here
The Church World Service has sent out an updated Pledge for Accompaniment and Sanctuary.
“We, people of faith and conscience, pledge to stand in solidarity with all, regardless of someone’s immigration status. We will continue to make our houses of worship welcoming places for all people. We will feed, clothe, and provide shelter to our neighbors, regardless of immigration status. We will open our houses of worship as sanctuary spaces of refuge and support in organizing, accompanying, responding, and demonstrating our solidarity with immigrants in opposition to mass deportation before, during, or after raids or enforcement actions.
In the face of mass deportations and policies of discrimination, we commit our houses of worship to the work of hope — sheltering those targeted by hate and working alongside communities, friends, families, and neighbors, to uphold the dignity and human rights of all.”Update from Sharon Hunter-Smith on the lawsuit brought by 27 denominations against the rescission of the "sensitive locations" directive for ICE.
As a reminder, see the factsheet here from National Immigration Law Center about the original rescission of the sensitive locations directive.
Illinois
Find your representatives in IL here
Read more about how to file a Witness Slip for IL State Legislature HERE from the ACLU of IL
Messaging guide from Latino Policy Forum is still being updated
Bills coming up in the state legislature need our support:
SB1857 / HB3400 - restoration of the VTTC program to its original eligibility criteria, once again allowing survivors:
who are preparing to apply to file an application for immigration status, to receive funds to pay for food and essential items during this vulnerable time period.
who fled to the U.S. alone (i.e.., the vast majority of human trafficking survivors were forced to flee their country without their family) to be eligible for the program again.
See fact sheet here
Please email andreakovach@povertylaw.org to have your organization sign on to a letter of support for the bill organized by the Poverty Law Center, or to get more information.
This bill passed out of the Education Policy Committee this past Wednesday! Thank you to all who submitted witness slips.
SB 2033 - Immigration Safe Zones Act
Presented by State Senator Villanueva (of Little Village) and Cristina Castro (of Elgin). Graciela Guzmán (of Chicago) has been officially added as a co-sponsor.
Chicago
José Gregorio Gonzalez was released from ICE detention in order to donate a kidney for his brother who is in 100% kidney failure. Tenoch from TRP said at the press conference upon his release: “we know that there are thousands of immigrant families facing similar difficult injustices. But for now, today, we celebrate”. Thank you to everyone who supported by signing petitions and showing up!