Immigration
Immigration courts are a federal civil court system under the U.S. Department of Justice. We cover immigration detention, deportation, and other intersections between immigrants and the Cook County courts.
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Valentina Galvis’ detention at a hotel raises questions about the types of facilities being turned into de facto detention centers as the Trump administration ramps up immigration detention.
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ICE deported them. Cook County prosecutors still want them arrested for missing court.
DHS placed a comedian on law enforcement’s radar. Illinois spread the word.
Why is the Cook County State’s Attorney prosecuting nonviolent ICE protesters?
fEATURED PROJECTs
The Chicago Police Department denied hundreds of immigrant crime victims a path to citizenship through the U visa program, sometimes in ways that appeared to contradict state and federal law. Two sergeants with checkered histories in the department were responsible for most of the denials.
The population of older undocumented immigrants in Illinois is growing exponentially, but public policy has left these seniors behind. A collaboration with the Chicago Tribune, this project explored the challenges facing the older undocumented immigrants and the ways individuals, families, and communities are resilient in the face of barriers to accessing social services.
More Immigration
Chicago immigration court: A guide to removal hearings
Leer en español. Last updated May 26, 2026 Chicago’s immigration court is one of the busiest in the country, with more than 200,000 pending cases as of March 2026. It’s an uphill battle for noncitizens who must go before an immigration judge to prove why they should be allowed to stay in the United States.…
Life in legal limbo: navigating Chicago’s immigration court alone
Fighting for a chance to stay, many immigrants wade alone through backlogs and attorney shortages that plague the immigration court system.
Lawsuit: Indiana jail neglects immigrants while using ICE funds as ‘cash cow’
A lawsuit alleges that detained immigrants are being held in inhumane conditions, while Clay County misuses the money it receives from ICE to house detainees.
Injustice Watch and Chicago Tribune host Facebook Live discussion on undocumented seniors
In a Facebook Live event Wed., April 20, reporters Carlos Ballesteros and Laura Rodríguez Presa will talk with experts about their series on the challenges facing undocumented seniors.
With Congress gridlocked, advocates say it’s up to state and local lawmakers to protect the undocumented elderly
Advocates say Illinois lawmakers should build welfare programs that mirror those for citizens, like food stamps and unemployment insurance.
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