The Illinois House of Representatives voted last week to pass HB2790, which would give public defenders in Cook County the discretion to represent noncitizens before Chicago’s Immigration Court. If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, Cook County would become the third jurisdiction in the country to offer representation to immigrants facing deportation. The other two cities are San Francisco and Alameda County, in California. Last year, The Defenders for All coalition successfully advocated for the creation and funding of a dedicated immigration unit within the Office of the Cook County Public Defender (CCPD) to protect immigrants against deportation. As a result, the CCPD hired its first immigration attorney as the supervisor of the immigration unit. In November of 2020, the Cook County Board allocated $350,000 to the unit. This bill will enable the Immigration Unit to represent noncitizens facing deportation, and who otherwise would be forced to defend themselves pro se in immigration court proceedings.