The Immigration Forum is an (almost) all volunteer organization and as such, people concentrate on what tasks interest the individual.
Projects move when it has actual legs of people to do the work.
The IF has several working groups working on many aspects of immigration. Join one today and enjoy the fact that others cover their side of the issue and you help on your end.
Our regular meeting for everyone that wishes to coordinate with the larger group is the second Tuesday of the month, at 5 PM at the University Y. The meeting has an agenda of one and a half hours and all voices are welcomed
As of November 2016, new volunteers are constituting new working groups. Sign up here to see and join.
Our standing groups, usually led by a Steering Committee member:
Working Group: Comprehensive Immigration Reform
This group meets Tuesdays at noon at the Y. It is a subgroup of the Policy/Elected Officials Working Group
Materials on hand at meetingsOur standing groups, usually led by a Steering Committee member:
Working Group: Comprehensive Immigration Reform
This group meets Tuesdays at noon at the Y. It is a subgroup of the Policy/Elected Officials Working Group
- The Senate Plan
- The White House Plan
- The House Plan
- The DREAMers plan
- DACA
- DAPA
- IF positions
- Postcards to our representatives
Working Group: Immigrant Friendly Communities
This group meets at various times but you can usually find us Mondays at 5PM at the Channing-Murray Foundation.
Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
Materials on hand at meetings
- Documents and links of model cities
- Dr. Hardwood's research class and their findings on video
- Economic contributions of immigrants in Illinois
Working Group: Allies of Faith
This group no longer meets regularly
Email vicepresident@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting. It holds Immigration Justice month every October since 2012. Look for us at the Market at the Square on Saturdays during the Summer in Urbana.
Email vicepresident@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting. It holds Immigration Justice month every October since 2012. Look for us at the Market at the Square on Saturdays during the Summer in Urbana.
It meets under the following guidance:
We join in solidarity with women and men who call upon the United States government for a fair and compassionate immigration policy, and we urge lawmakers to address the root causes of migration and poverty.---CU Faith Allies Interfaith Litany Prayer – October 2012
Working Group: Outreach to Immigrants.
This group meets at various times. Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
Activities include:
Working Group: Driver’s Licenses for ALL Illinois Motorists:
This group does not meet independently anymore. meets at various times and has merged with Outreach to Immigrants WG. Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
- Supporting the Mexican and Guatemalan consulates when in the area
- Providing training, guidance, and paperwork support for Deferral of Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
- Providing coordination for classes and paperwork support for those wishing to naturalize through the New American Initiative (the Y and the Refugee Center have grants through it)
- Providing help and orientation for the Illinois temporary driver license
Working Group: Driver’s Licenses for ALL Illinois Motorists:
This group does not meet independently anymore. meets at various times and has merged with Outreach to Immigrants WG. Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
- On January 8th, 2013 the bill passed the General Assembly, here is it will mean once it gets signed by the governor.
- On January 7, 2013 the SB957 finally passes the Assembly's transportation committee
- On November 27th 2012 sponsored a bus from C-U to Springfield to advocate
- On December 5th 2012 repeated the visit
- See See the reasons why Driver’s Licenses for ALL makes sense
- Keep in touch by following on Twitter
- This WG has now fulfilled its purpose and folded into the Outreach to Immigrants WG
Working Group: Still Secure Communities/Scomm
This group has begun meeting again as of November 2015. It has merged with the law enforcement group. Email info@cuimmigrationforum.org for the next meeting.
- The December 2016 announcement of forthcoming raids by the Department of Homeland Security has reinvigorated this group.
- ACLU blog content on Secure Communities
- "Secure Communities" and Racial Profiling
- "Secure Communities" Statistics
- Immigration and Crime in Communities
- Detention of Immigrants and Enforcement
- American Immigration Council: Research and info related to immigration
- "How an Immigration Enforcement Program encourages battered women to stay silent"
- This group filed a new FOIA in December 2014 is currently drafting an update on the arrests of immigrants since the policy change of Scomm.
The CU Immigration Forum held their first community meeting about "Secure Communities" on place on December 1st, 2011. At this meeting, speakers provided information about Secure Communities and requests for policy changes and transparency were made to local law enforcement.
On May 3rd, 2012 a second community meeting was held in celebration with the announcement that the Champaign County Sheriff agreed to Suspend ICE ‘Holds’ of Immigrants unless a warrant was issued for the individual. Next steps, including interactions with law enforcement and Driver's License legislation, were discussed. Both actions have made our communities safer and more peaceful. Subsequent yearly visits to the county jail have verified that the agreement continues to be practiced.
