For almost 40 years, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) has worked to help immigrants in the state realize and contribute to the dream that is America.

That work begins by bringing people together.

“At our core, everybody at ICIRR is an organizer,” says Brandon Lee, communications director at ICIRR.

They’re the people on the frontlines, the neighbors checking in, and the community members raising their voices for justice. ICIRR’s more than 100 members across the state — advocacy groups, unions, faith groups, and more — may not always seem kindred on the surface. But what they share is a belief in belonging.

“They all have a stake in ensuring that families have the opportunity to thrive, and that immigrants are part of the fabric of the area,” Brandon says.

Building Community Power

ICIRR’s nearly four-decade history is packed with pro-immigrant victories. They’ve mobilized voters, ushered in key legislation, and opened countless pathways to progress, including enabling undocumented students to access in-state tuition.

Many of the policies supporting immigrants and refugees in Illinois can be traced back to ICIRR’s work. It advocated for Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance and the Illinois TRUST Act, both of which addressed city and state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. ICIRR also led the charge on a 2022 consent decree regarding ICE’s ability to arrest and detain people without warrants, which it’s still defending to this day.

When Brandon reflects on these accomplishments, he doesn’t see ICIRR’s own efforts. He sees the power of partnership.

“When you’re talking about advocating for legislation, when you’re talking about mobilizing people, when you’re talking about advocating for resources, all of these require an organizing effort,” he says. “When we come together and are pushing in the same direction, it is a powerful movement.”

Readiness as Resistance

A new wave of anti-immigrant sentiment rose beginning in 2016 and has continued to surge over the past decade. In that time, ICIRR realized that the same thing that enabled them to respond to ICE enforcement and violence across Chicago could also help them protect their progress for the long haul: readiness.

“So much of what the past year has taught us is the importance of staying ready,” Brandon says. “It’s the reality that everybody has a role to play. And it’s through our organizing that we are able to harness the action of everyday people across the state, whether that is sharing our hotline number, recording when you see immigration enforcement in your neighborhood, or voting.”

Meeting the moment quickly requires equally flexible, fast-moving resources. ICIRR has a powerful rapid response network with over 30 teams, all of whom are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice to safeguard their communities and the families who live there. Some of those teams dated back nearly a decade, while others have joined ICIRR’s ranks more recently.

“We had to staff up really quickly for all of that,” says LJ Bailey, ICIRR’s grants director. “We have people who go out in the field every day and are knocking on doors and talking to people. And then, of course, there’s also the aftercare component, because families need support. When somebody gets taken by ICE, it’s typically the breadwinner.”

Mark Anthony Florido, Senior Program Officer for Social Impact at the Paul Angell Foundation, was already familiar with ICIRR’s work through his time as an ICIRR Democracy Project fellow. When Mark Anthony learned about ICIRR’s readiness efforts, he reached out to discuss the rapid response grant our foundation developed in the summer of 2025, which provided grantees with general operating support.

“This was so early and before the latest ICE operations were going on,” LJ says. “For a funder reaching out, seeing this need is coming up, listening to the community as the foundation and looking at who are the players who can help out best, that does demonstrate the partnership.”

Sustaining Momentum, Shaping the Future

For ICIRR, organizing is about setting communities up for the long run. Its work on the Welcoming City Ordinance, the TRUST Act, and a consent decree regarding ICE’s power in Illinois and nearby states all laid the groundwork for this moment.

“It is the long-term outlook that ensures that these policies could be on the books at a time when we’re facing what seems like the worst of the worst,” Brandon says.

Now, ICIRR’s vision is evolving. It’s maintaining long-held priorities — its Democracy Project fellows, policy advocacy, and voter registration efforts ahead of the Illinois congressional election — and identifying emerging needs to keep building a future that uplifts all. It’s also deepening its commitment to the community, meeting recent immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis with solidarity actions that highlighted just how many people and places believe in belonging and dignity for all.

Underpinning that work is the same vision that has always guided ICIRR: We can ignite possibilities when we unite around the policies and programs that benefit everyone.

“All our fates are intertwined,” LJ says. “No one is free until we're all free.”

Learn more about ICIRR at https://www.icirr.org/



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