Schools urged to push back against new immigration policies

by Judith Ruiz-Branch
Illinois News Connection

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Stacy Davis Gates, CTU president, reaffirmed the state's sanctuary status and the union's fight to uphold it.

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CHICAGO - As Illinois parents and children continue to be on high alert amid fears of school immigration raids, school officials are publicly advocating for the rights and safety of students. Circulating reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showing up to some schools across the state continue. School attendance is dropping in some areas. This week, the Chicago Teachers Union staged walk-ins at several schools and teachers at more than a hundred others joined them as part of a national day of action against the Trump administration's deportation sweeps.

Photo: Erik Mclean/Unsplash

Stacy Davis Gates, CTU president, reaffirmed the state's sanctuary status and the union's fight to uphold it.

"We are the only school district in the state that has any policy protocol regarding sanctuary to date," she said.

Last month, State Superintendent of Schools Tony Sanders issued a directive to schools across the state reminding them of their obligation to protect students' rights within their buildings. It outlined protections of students regardless of their immigration status and how to prepare if ICE agents show up.

During a recent school visit, Governor J.B. Pritzker called the increase in empty desks a big concern.

Gaby Pacheco, CEO of Dream.US, a national scholarship fund for undocumented students, says the policies and statements coming from the Trump administration are inciting ongoing trauma with dire consequences.

"The stress that these children are facing is unimaginable. With the constant threat of raids and the cruel scare tactics being used, their young lives are being consumed by fear. We've heard horrifying words from the Trump administration, words that claim there is no mercy for them," she said.

U.S. border czar Tom Homan accused Pritzker of scaring children after misinformation circulated about ICE showing up at a predominantly Latino elementary school in Chicago. Residents, however, continue to push back against the Trump administration's immigration policy changes. On Monday, some businesses and restaurants across Chicago closed, and some students stayed home from school as part of a nationwide boycott known as "A Day Without Immigrants."

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Other interesting articles:

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• Staying berry healthy; FDA steps up with strategy to address contaminated food imports
• Illinois lawmakers seek full decriminalization of sex work
• Illinois farmers await proposed Trump tariffs, questioning how they will affect their agribusiness operations

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What the ...??? Accessibility barriers still exist for veterans, people with disabilities

Photo: Ahmet Arslan/Unsplash

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NewsUSA - Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act being the law of the land for nearly 35 years, a startling new survey from Paralyzed Veterans of America shows accessibility remains an unfilled promise for millions of Americans.

According to the survey, over 80% of people using a mobility device faced an accessibility barrier in the past 6 months. PVA members (Veterans with spinal cord injuries or diseases, like MS and ALS) cite sidewalks, restaurants, and retailers as common places with restricted access for wheelchair users and others with mobility devices.

Meanwhile, one third of respondents missed appointments and important events because of barriers, and one quarter leave and never return to inaccessible establishments.

These barriers take a devastating emotional toll on disabled Veterans and people with mobility disabilities. When asked how barriers made them feel, respondents reported feeling subhuman and demeaned, and some reported lowered self-esteem.

PVA’s survey, conducted in April 2024, asked 1,644 individuals, including PVA members, adults with mobility disabilities, mothers with children aged 5 years and younger, and individuals age 65 and older, about their accessibility experiences.

In response to the survey, PVA is launching a new campaign, “Barriers Still Exist,” to draw attention to the accessibility challenges faced by Veterans and others with disabilities. It includes a PVA petition calling for improved ADA compliance across the country.

The campaign also features a series of public service announcements highlighting the everyday obstacles of inaccessibility. In the newest PSA, Barriers Still Exist – RJ’s Everyday Fight, we follow U.S. Army Veteran and PVA member RJ Anderson, as he encounters endless accessibility barriers on his way to a job interview.

“As a paralyzed veteran, I know firsthand how drastically inaccessibility can alter the course of any given day,” said Anderson. “Anything from a crack in a sidewalk to a revolving door cannot only derail my plans but also be extremely dangerous for people with mobility disabilities, like me. When public paths and buildings are inaccessible, it communicates a lot – it says my plans don’t matter, my needs don’t matter, and I don’t matter. No one deserves that.”

PVA is leading the fight to build a world where accessibility for all is the norm, not the exception. Everyone can become part of the solution.

Visit PVA.org/BarriersStillExist to watch the “Barriers Still Exist” PSAs, share them on social media, and sign the Accessibility for All petition.

When our communities are accessible, everyone wins.

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