⚖️ ICYMI: In 'Mullin v. Al Otro Lado', the Supreme Court ruled that the gov. may turn back, or "meter," asylum seekers. In an op-ed in @time.com, Elizabeth Holtzman (co-author of the Refugee Act of 1980) offers a vital historical perspective. 📖 Read more:

Some new furry friends recently stopped by our office! 🐶 Thank you to our wellness committee and Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry for helping our staff members take a well-deserved moment to recharge. We look forward to the next visit!

NIJC joined 120 organizations to call on states to uphold their obligations under the Convention Against Torture, protect survivors, and end torture across the world. We thank Center for Victims of Torture, @amnesty-usa.bsky.social and others for their advocacy. Read more:

Mark Your Calendars 📆: NIJC is hosting a free DACA renewal clinic in downtown Chicago on July 16! If you or anyone you know needs to get their latest renewal, our team of experts will guide them every step of the way. RSVP by July 9 to secure your spot: immigrantjustice.org/dacaclinics

The Chicago Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights approved a resolution calling for stronger protections for DACA recipients. “Many of our...clients’ benefits are lapsing & we are seeing them lose their jobs and access to employer-sponsored healthcare,” NIJC's Cecilia Mendoza told the committee.

NIJC welcomes today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling declining to uphold President Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to undo birthright citizenship. We must continue fighting to uphold our nation’s promise of equal justice for all.

A single death in immigrant detention is unacceptable. Mamuka Artmeladze was the 50th person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump administration, according to ABC News. ACT: Join NIJC's action list to help us stop future funding for ICE and CBP: immigrantjustice.org/subscribe

Mamuka Artmeladze was the 50th person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump admin, making the past 14 months the deadliest period in ICE detention centers since the pandemic, according to ABC News. Join our list and help us stop future ICE funding: https://immigrantjustice.org/subscribe

NIJC joined 120 domestic and global organizations to call on states to uphold their obligations under the Convention Against Torture, protect survivors, and end torture worldwide. We thank our coalition partners Center for Victims of Torture and @amnesty-usa.bsky.social for their advocacy. Read:

Today, the Supreme Court issued two disastrous rulings, joining the Trump admin. in dismantling U.S. laws that have been in place for generations to offer refuge to people fleeing violence, persecution and natural disasters. Read NIJC's response here:

We are grateful for every family who has been able to reunite thanks to rulings from a federal judge that their arrest violated the Castañon Nava consent decree. More coverage by @chicagotribune.com:

🏛️ Courthouses must be spaces for fair hearings, not traps. Despite state efforts like Gov. JB Pritzker's signing of CASPA, arrests keep happening bc of federal pushback. 📖 Read @blockclubchi.bsky.social's coverage on how ppl are affected and how our community is responding:

NIJC celebrates Juneteenth, honoring the end of U.S. slavery, while recognizing that freedom and rights protections require vigilant advocacy. Learn more about Juneteenth at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth

Congress passed a new law giving the Trump administration’s mass deportation agencies another $70 billion. This windfall for ICE and CBP comes at the expense of health care and community needs and enables widespread assault on rights. Read more: https://immigrantjustice.org/StopICEfunding

The Palatine Police Department hosted staff from NIJC and Life Span to train various law enforcement agencies on the requirements for U Visa certifications under the law, helping to ensure equal access to immigration remedies for crime victims in the state of Illinois!

ICYMI: Congress passed a new law giving mass deportation agencies $70 billion in additional funding. Read our new blog explaining: 💵 where taxpayer funds have gone, ⚖️ why Congress must divest from ICE & Border Patrol, and ✅ what Congress can do now to help communities

DACA turns 14 as it faces the biggest threats in its history. WATCH NIJC's Cecilia Mendoza explain why legal services matter more than ever:

Thank you for making the 27th Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards such an incredible event. ✨ Nearly 1,000 people joined to support NIJC's work to defend due process & expand access to counsel! Congrats to awardees @ilattygeneral.bsky.social Viator House of Hospitality, ITW, & Jenner & Block!

This month, pro bono attorneys and summer associates from Kirkland & Ellis LLP participated in a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) predicate order clinic. After learning the nuts and bolts of the SIJS process, pro bono teams assisted 6 families with 10 petitions benefitting 12 children.

Even though 50 people have died in ICE detention since 2025, Congress STILL passed a $70 billion funding bill for ICE and CBP. NIJC decries this funding amidst major concerns about detention conditions, rights violations, & rampant abuse. Read NIJC's full statement:

The Senate voted to give an extra $70 BILLION to ICE & CBP but the House still has to vote on the reconciliation bill, which may be TOMORROW. USE YOUR VOICE: Urge your Reps to invest in families & the wellbeing of our communities, not in ICE & Border Patrol's violence: immigrantjustice.org/stopice

WATCH: In this special video debuted at NIJC's Human Rights Awards, staff leading our fight for justice share the most powerful stories and legal victories that defined the past year. We make real change when we persevere together.

Our NIJC summer picnic was another reminder of how special our team is! ☀️ Staff & family gathered at a Chicago park on a beautiful day to enjoy great food, friendly competition, and quality time together. Click through for some of our favorite moments from the day!

Months after Congress touted funding cuts, the Senate passed a $70 billion funding bill for ICE and CBP. Now, lawmakers are pursuing another $30 billion for ICE. In response, NIJC joined more than 100 organizations to urge Congress to reset its priorities. Read NIJC's statement w/ our partners 👇:

SUCCESS: Earlier this week, a big step was taken to protect unaccompanied children. @govpritzker.illinois.gov signed HB4890 (aka Ashley's Law) into law, creating a path for neglected immigrant children to begin seeking permanent legal status. Read NIJC's statement about this monumental decision:

URGENT 🚨: TONIGHT or TOMORROW Congress may vote on the reconciliation package, incl. up to $70 billion for ICE & CBP. More money with no restrictions means more violence. TAKE ACTION | Tell Congress to reject any new funds for ICE and CBP's violence: immigrantjustice.org/stopice

The big day has finally arrived! As we kick off the 27th Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards, we’re proud to recognize our sponsors, whose extraordinary commitment to justice and human dignity helps make this celebration, and NIJC’s work all year long, possible. Thank you all for your support!

Via pro bono service with NIJC, ITW attorneys have represented asylees and refugees seeking green cards. Thx to their service, ppl now thrive in the U.S. At the 27th Annual Human Rights Awards, NIJC will honor them with the Human Rights Corporate Award! More: immigrantjustice.org/HumanRightsAwards

Jenner & Block has supported NIJC for decades via its pro bono service representing clients seeking asylum and other forms of legal relief. NIJC is proud to honor them w/ the Human Rights Practitioner Award at the 27th Annual Human Rights Awards! Learn more: immigrantjustice.org/HumanRightsAwards

🛑 “Mega master” immigration hearings are putting due process rights & lives at risk as groups of ppl are being rushed through court w/o lawyers. Read more: https://immigrantjustice.org/press-release/trump-administration-short-circuits-due-process-with-new-mass-hearings-for-unrepresented-immigrants/

Secretary Mullin said I shouldn't have been at Delaney Hall, but I disagree.   This isn't about me. This is about the detainees and their families, the lawlessness we're seeing from ICE.   I was willing to take a risk and I'd do it all over again to keep people safe.

We are standing united and in solidarity to demand oversight and due process at Delaney Hall. Trump's ICE is rogue and out of control. The inhumane treatment and conditions the detainees are faced with are intolerable and unacceptable.

Today, I visited the Delaney Hall Detention Facility for congressional oversight. Detainees have been on strike since last Friday, demanding humane conditions after reports of spoiled foods, freezing temperatures, and inadequate medical care. Every person deserved safety and basic human rights.

Congrats to the 2026 Rising Star Award recipients! These early-career attorneys have shown commitment by devoting time to pro bono work or representing people w/ complex cases. Join us at the Human Rights Awards on 6/2: https://immigrantjustice.org/blog/meet-the-2026-rising-star-award-recipients/

Families need healthcare, good schools, stable housing, food assistance, childcare, and community support - not detention centers. TAKE ACTION | Join us & @acaciajustice.org in telling your reps to vote NO on the reconciliation bill and to fund care, not cages: tinyurl.com/no2budget

Being prepared ahead of time can make a hard situation more manageable. NIJC's Laura Cholula Chang shares advice for people preparing for an ICE check-in, including family preparedness planning, steps to take if detention happens, and more in this new video. Learn more: immigrantjustice.org/kyr

Earlier this month, pro bono volunteers from Skadden and Nuveen joined NIJC to help 9 DACA recipients renew their status. We are lucky to have pro bono partners who dedicate their time and expertise to supporting our immigrant neighbors as they continue building their lives here in Chicago.

The countdown is on: the 27th Annual NIJC Human Rights Awards is less than two weeks away! Join us in Chicago on June 2 as we come together to recognize human rights champions and corporate, civic, and community leaders. Get tickets before they sell out 👇🎫: immigrantjustice.org/HumanRightsAwards

El Congreso se prepara para votar ESTA SEMANA para darle MILES DE MILLONES a ICE y CBP, y nuestra comunidad se está movilizando para detenerlo. Desde D.C., NIJC's Andrea Carcamo explica lo que está en juego. Dígale al Congreso que priorice a las familias, no a ICE: immigrantjustice.org/stopice

Congress is preparing to vote THIS WEEK to give BILLIONS to ICE & CBP and our community is mobilizing to stop it. From a rally in DC, NIJC Policy Director Azadeh Erfani explains what's at stake & why we need to act now. Tell Congress to put families over ICE: https://immigrantjustice.org/stopice

We're excited to honor Viator House of Hospitality with the Community Change Award at NIJC's 27th Annual Human Rights Awards! Their services allow young men who have fled violence & persecution to build lives & skills while focusing on their immigration cases immigrantjustice.org/HumanRightsAwards

Our community made history by spurring Congress to end the partial govt shutdown without more money for ICE & CBP. But now, Congress is trying to push a new round of funding through w/ $72 BILLION for ICE & CBP ACT NOW | Tell Congress: Not 1 more dollar for detention, family separation & violence:

Nightmares, panic attacks & loss of income are just some of the lasting impacts that South Shore residents described to @propublica.org after being targeted in last fall's unlawful, military-style raid. We're proud to represent them in legal claims. Read how raids impacted our community members:

Together, we achieved an historic feat: nationwide community organizing to block new ICE & CBP funding during the recent appropriations fight. Now, NIJC & partners will march and rally to demand that elected officials invest in critical community services, not more detention and cruelty. JOIN US:

Local law enforcement has a choice to not help Trump admin's deportation agenda. Watch NIJC's Azadeh Erfani explain how another path is possible when trust & community needs are put over programs like 287(g). Thanks @ramirez.house.gov @chuygarcia.house.gov @sylviagarcia.house.gov for this hearing

For children seeking safety, navigating immigration court alone is nearly impossible. NIJC’s Hillary Richardson shares why kids need help of Illinois Access to Justice's network now more than ever. Sign the petition to tell the Illinois General Assembly to fund Access to Justice: bit.ly/A2JAction

Pass the Dream Act.

Teacher Appreciation Week is here, but Karen, a DACA recipient, has been forced out of her classroom for months. She’s a mother, a teacher, and a sole provider for her 2 daughters. We are demanding Secretary Mullin and USCIS Director Edlow end this backlog. Text HOME IS HERE to 787-57.

TAKE ACTION: Tell your Senators and Representatives to reject any new funding for ICE and Border Patrol and demand real accountability for these agencies. Not one more dollar: immigrantjustice.org/StopICE Congress is pushing a new $72 billion funding pkg and we can't let this happen!