The head of the Immigration Project in Normal says new protections for Venezuelan migrants in the U.S. could help thousands of asylum seekers find work in Illinois.
Executive director Charlotte Alvarez welcomes the new Biden administration policy, but said it also shows that national immigration policy still can't keep up with today's migrant worker landscape.
“I think it’s a real key sign in the right direction,” Alvarez said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “It came with some additional militarization of the border, and border enforcement measures I think are counterproductive.”
Alvarez added she would like to see the expanded protections enable all undocumented immigrants find work.
“It really shows the piecemeal approach to our immigration system and the disconnects between the immigration realities of our populations we are working with and the political structures that are creating our immigration policy,” she said.
In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker applauded the move, saying additional workers will alleviate some symptoms of the worker shortage in Illinois.
Alvarez noted the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation is reserved for when it would be unsafe to send undocumented immigrants back to their home country. Though there are some background checks to go through, Alvarez said these workers will be better protected while that status remains in effect for at least the next 18 months.
There are about 11,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers in Illinois outside of Chicago, she said, noting some were bused to Chicago from southern states and some migrants came to Illinois on their own to try to start a new life.
The nonprofit Immigration Project offers immigration services to 86 counties throughout central and southern Illinois.
Alvarez said businesses already have reached out to the organization to offer jobs to the migrants seeking work authorization.
“There’s a lot of need for people who are bilingual, have a lot of great services and a lot of our immigration population who are coming here as recent arrivals have an amazing amount of grit and determination,” Alvarez said.
