Immigration

Bloomington-Normal and the rest of McLean County have a worker shortage. So does much of the rest of the nation. Policymakers and educators are grappling with a multiyear challenge to increase the supply of workers who can keep the area financially strong and vital.

A coalition called BN Welcoming is using national Welcoming Week to remind Bloomington-Normal about the economic impact that immigrants have on the community.

More than 13,000 immigrants have arrived since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started sending them away on buses — so far 197 of them coming to the Chicago area.

The impact of the state’s backtrack on noncitizen health care remains to be seen. What’s clear is that immigrants in McLean County have come to rely on this short-lived expanded access to health care.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration wasted no time last week in exercising new authority granted by lawmakers to limit the number of enrollees in a pair of state-funded health care programs for low-income noncitizens.

The Immigration Project started off as a small team of lawyers. Now, the Normal-based nonprofit is moving into a larger physical space that matches the scope of its mission.

Normal Community High School’s Ricky King says he was blindsided to learn he’s Illinois’ new Bilingual Teacher of the Year. After all, the 2020 ISU graduate is only in his third year of teaching.

A boost in immigration is one reason why an Illinois Secretary of State-funded adult literacy program is seeing a higher number of people seeking to hone their English skills.

Camila Graunke, a graduate of Illinois State University's Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, is settling into her new role as Hispanic outreach director. She's been in the post since July, when longtime civic leader Socorro Alvarez retired after three decades.

The 11,800 immigrants who call Bloomington-Normal home pay $73 million in taxes and contribute $1.2 billion towards the county’s domestic product, according to data provided Friday to an audience attending The Immigration Project’s fundraising event at Illinois State University.