The Immigrants’ Rights Clinic Releases Report Finding That Illinois Fails to Protect Immigrant Victims of Crime

Illinois fails to protect immigrant victims of crime, report finds

Illinois is failing to protect immigrant victims of crime or trafficking, according to a new report from the University of Chicago. Those who work with migrants say the crimes against immigrants range from labor trafficking to forced sex acts.

The report released Thursday reveals widespread violations by the state’s law enforcement agencies of an act that attempts to provide greater access to protections for immigrants who are victims of crime or human trafficking.

Amid a migrant crisis in Chicago in which over 42,000 people have arrived in the city in nearly two years sent on buses from the southern border, the report shines a light on an intractable problem: that some will inevitably be victims of crime but won’t rely on police or law enforcement agencies for support because they’re worried they will face trouble with the law for their immigration status.

“They don’t know anything about the U.S. legal system. They don’t know anything about the immigration system. They may come from countries where they can’t trust the police,” said Nicole Hallett, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, who authored the report.

Read more at Chicago Tribune

Immigration