With local and national elections drawing closer, elected officials and Chicago labor and immigrant rights organizations are joining together to ensure immigrants have the strongest vote possible in 2016. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin joined SEIU Local 1, the SEIU Central States Latino Caucus, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), and Juntos Podemos, for a citizenship workshop and the launch of ICIRR’s Campaign for Dignity, Respect, and Equity focused on forging a common agenda that empowers all immigrant voters. “By building collective power across our diverse communities, we have a unique opportunity to energize the growing number of immigrant voters in the coming year,” said Lawrence Benito, CEO of ICIRR. “We are the future, and if we vote our numbers and our issues, we can ensure our children and our grandchildren have the resources they need to succeed in life and as leaders.”

Immigrants and refugees deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and equity, and in the coming months, partnerships forged at Saturday’s assembly will work together to mobilize the immigrant community and their electoral power. “We are a city, a state, and a nation of immigrants, and the United States electorate is more diverse now than ever before,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. “My mother came to this country with her family from Lithuania when she was just 2 years old. I keep my mother’s naturalization papers in my office in the United States Capitol to remind myself how brave she was – and how fortunate I am to be her son. I’m proud to be part of this effort to help immigrants navigate the naturalization process, ultimately strengthening our democracy and civic engagement.”