Undocumented immigrants want the ability to work legally in Illinois, and they say work permits would give their families stability they don't currently have. Supporters hope an effort at the state level calling for "work permits for all" might be the push the Biden administration needs to make that happen.
"Long-term immigrant workers have waited long enough. The time for executive action is now," said state Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero).
During a news conference Friday, a group of pro-immigrant organizations said across Illinois, more than 400,000 immigrants have worked for decades without work permits.
"We know they pay taxes. We know they abide by the laws. We know that they create prosperity, and they ought to have the opportunity to live to work and to be a part of our community," said U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.
State lawmakers are limited in what they can do because work permits are, in essence, a federal issue. In the last week of the legislative session in Springfield, both chambers passed a resolution calling on President Joe Biden to issue work permits to long-term immigrants.
"We've done a really good thing in providing DACA for a lot of the students, but then, they come out of college and they're underemployed," said Lou Sandoval from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
That worry is personal for Simone Peña, a college student who is currently interning for the American Business Immigration Coalition. She came to Chicago in 2014 from Mexico.
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"I'll be graduating from Harvard in less than two years, and I'm deeply concerned I won't be able to work in my desired field legally," Peña said.
Peña, who is sharing her story publicly for the first time, describes a constant fear of deportation and unemployment while also hoping to continue her studies at Harvard with a master’s or law degree.
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"I apply to internships, and I get rejected multiple times because of my status. … I have to email people separately disclosing my status asking like, 'Can you take an undocumented student?" and they’re like, 'No, sorry. Our human resources department – they don’t work with that,'" Peña said.
The resolution also urges Gov. JB Pritzker to work with federal agencies to establish a work authorization program for undocumented workers in Illinois. The governor's office said he supports work permits for all and has urged the White House to take action.
