Letter to the Editor printed in the Evanston Review, 1/10/08

Resolution deserves City Council’s support

I am writing is support of the resolution, coming before the Evanston City Council on Monday, calling for “Humane and Just Treatment for Immigrants and their Families.” The resolution says legal rights are independent of immigration status and no city employee should ask residents for proof of immigration or citizenship status unless state or federal law requires that it do so.

As a social service organization providing services for victims of domestic violence, we often work with women who are afraid to call the police to report a crime because they are undocumented immigrants. This fear endangers not only their safety, but the safety of the entire community. If the resolution is passed, victims’ confidence that their immigration or citizenship status will not be questioned when they call the police to report a crime increases the safety of all of us. And parents’ confidence that they can seek medical, preschool, or special education services for their children, regardless of their immigrant or citizenship status, strengthens the whole community.

Cook County recently passed a nearly identical ordinance and the city of Chicago’s resolution was passed unanimously. Evanston has long celebrated the cultural diversity that immigrants bring to our community, and our community has provided leadership in responding to social issues affecting our quality of life. I ask citizens to contact their alderperson and urge them to pass this resolution in Evanston as well.

Karen Singer

Executive Director

YWCA Evanston/North Shore

847-864-8445