Immigrants

A farmer from Arrowsmith who raises 74,000 hogs a year says he couldn’t do it without immigrant labor.

With the American flag flying in the background, a group of about 30 Illinois State University students demonstrated Monday in front of the Hovey Hall administration building to press university officials to make ISU an official "welcoming campus."

"We're fasting today for freedom, for mercy, for justice," declared the Rev. Jim Warren of First Christian Church as the sunlight cast a golden glow on him and others gathered outside Bloomington City Hall on Sunday.

Five aldermen who tried to remove the Welcoming City ordinance from the Bloomington council agenda probably did not break the law, according to a noted First Amendment and public access attorney in Illinois.

At least two significant demonstrations were sparked Tuesday in Bloomington-Normal after President Donald Trump's decision to wind down a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos is lending his support to a national effort by mayors to allow so-called Dreamers—young people who were brought to this country without documents as children—to remain here legally.

Call it the case of the disappearing welcome signs.

A number of Bloomington-Normal residents are reporting that their corrugated plastic lawn signs offering a message of welcome in three languages have gone missing.

The Mayor of Normal is not enthusiastic about a formal welcoming cities ordinance. Area groups marched on Bloomington City Hall this week asking for an ordinance to limit local government cooperation with federal immigration and customs enforcement, or ICE.

Mayor Chris Koos of Normal said he supports keeping immigrant families together, but not through that method.