ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS

FY23 MARKED THE 23RD YEAR OF THE IFRP PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY TO EMBRACE THE DIVERSITY OFILLINOIS' IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, ICIRR COMMUNITY PARTNER AGENCIES COMPLETED 11,341 INTERPRETATIONS AND PROVIDED 42,390 TRANSLATIONS IN OVER 60 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. A TOTAL OF 40,376 FAMILIES RECEIVED IN-DEPTH SERVICES RANGING FROM ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING FOR MEANS-TESTED BENEFITS TO ADVOCACY AT A FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER. THIS YEAR, 15,738 IDHS-RELATED APPLICATIONS WERE COMPLETED, WITH THE MAJORITY BEING FOR MEDICAID (44.48%), SNAP (20.13%), AND HBIA SERVICES (11.10%). OUR PARTNERS ASSISTED 14,656 PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVUCES.IFRP PARTNERS ASSISTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COMPLETE A TOTAL OF 26,900 APPLICATIONS, OF WHICH 59% WERE IDHS APPLICATIONS AND 41% WERE NON-IDHS APPLICATIONS. IFRP PARTNERS TRANSLATED 42,390 DOCUMENTS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR FOR CLIENTS.

FY 2023 MARKED THE 17TH YEAR OF THE NEW AMERICAN INITIATIVE. WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR, THE NEW AMERICANS INITIATIVE IMPROVES AND EXTENDS ITS SERVICES TO ALL IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS.AS A COLLABORATIVE OF FIFTY-TWO COMMUNITY PARTNERS THIS YEAR, WE SERVED 9,134 PEOPLE IN AT LEAST 50 LANGUAGES. THE NEW AMERICANS INITIATIVE PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATION PLAN THAT COORDINATES THE DIFFERENT STEPS TO GAIN CITIZENSHIP, WHICH INCLUDES HELPING IMMIGRANTS LEARN ENGLISH, APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP, AND ENCOURAGE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. IN ADDITION TO THE CITIZENSHIP EFFORT, IT ALSO FOCUSES ON LEGAL SUPPORT FOR DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS ( DACA) RENEWALS. NAI PARTNERS ASSISTED 3,352 RENEWAL APPLICANTS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. IN FY23, ICIRR PARTNERS CONDUCTED OUTREACH TO 18,000 NAI-ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AND APPLICATION PROCESSING PARTNERS ASSISTED 8,429 PEOPLE THROUGH NAI. 4,517 APPLICATIONS PREPARED WERE FOR PARTICIPANTS ON THEIR PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP THROUGH THE NATURALIZATION PROCESS.