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Immigration

The goal of SWOP's immigration team is to ensure the passage of  immigration reform as well as adopt local policies aimed at protecting the rights of all newco-mers.  SWOP leaders accomplish this goal through a targeted citizenship campaign and voter registration effort.    Further, SWOP in partnership with its member institutions and other institutions in its targeted communities builds a strong coalition of immigrant and non-immigrant leaders acting to protect immigrants’ rights and in support of steps toward comprehensive immigration reform.

SWOP is an active member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and is a partner of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform (CCIR).  In partnership with the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform, SWOP mobilizes support at member parishes in Vicariate 5. 

• New Americans Initiative

  Through the New Americans Initiative, SWOP, in partnership with Instituto del Progreso Latino and NAI collaborative partners, have built one of the most successful collaboratives in the state reaching 2,973 immigrants in 2007 through a coordinated outreach, media and citizenship application process. SWOP has successfully developed best practices for training and developing leadership among applicants through a training module in citizenship classes. In this way, SWOP has involved applicants, challenging them to take on a more active role in immigration related campaigns of the organization, often assisting other immigrants with outreach and citizenship preparation.

• New Americans Democracy Project

  SWOP works to develop leaders and increase the political power of the growing immigrant community in Southwest Chicago. The New Americans Democracy Project 2008 will be an integrated organizing campaign to increase the political power of the immigrant community through civic engagement, citizenship, and voting. SWOP plans to train 100 new leaders in electoral organizing, identify 100 new eligible legal permanent residents for citizenship, register 1,000 new immigrant voters, and mobilize 3,000 voters on Election Day.

• English as a Second Language

  For the past two years, SWOP leaders have been engaged in an effort to bring more ESL classes on the Southwest side of Chicago, due to the increased demand for these services. The number of families with limited English capabilities in our area has increased dramatically over the past few decades.