Stories Matter Foundation, through StoryStudio Chicago, The Chicago Stories Project, and the Chicago Review of Books, stands in solidarity with immigrant communities in Chicago and beyond. We condemn escalating violence from federal immigration officers. When any member of our community is threatened, every member of our community is threatened.
We’re publishing the full statement as it was written, though the statement is geared to our sister organization, StoryStudio Chicago. As part of the same organization (Stories Matter Foundation), we hold the same values here at Chicago Review of Books.
Our mission at StoryStudio Chicago is to build a community of writers eager to question, explore, celebrate, and change their worlds using the power of story. A tenet of this mission is creating a safe space for writers to gather, collaborate, and support one another. Gathering to share stories is an act of power and resistance and we continue to encourage all members of our writing community to join us at our workshops, free community events, festivals, and classes.
We are working in several ways to ensure members of our community with any immigration status feel safe coming to our space to write their stories. StoryStudio Chicago may not be used for civil immigration enforcement. We will exercise our right as a private organization to deny federal immigration officers access to the studio and we will do everything in our power to keep those who participate in our programs safe. If federal immigration enforcement is operating in our area during a workshop or event, we will take steps to ensure the safety of those in our space, including sheltering in place at our studio.
Several of our staff and faculty are undergoing training on effective strategies for ensuring safety, and we encourage everyone in our community to Know Your Rights, learn and share training opportunities, connect with your neighbors, and report sightings to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) at 855-435-7693.
Stories are more important now than ever before, especially those of immigrants and underrepresented communities. Stories have the power to change the world, and every person should feel safe and encouraged to tell theirs.
We offer the following resources to our community:
- IL Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) website https://www.icirr.org/ and hotline: 855-435-7693
- Printable Know-Your-Rights information, available in many languages from ICIRR: https://www.icirr.org/fsn
- ICIRR’s Eyes on Ice Network: https://icirr.quorum.us/campaign/ileyesonice/
- ICIRR’s Immigrant Family Resource Program: https://www.icirr.org/ifrp
- ICIRR’s New Americans Initiative: https://www.icirr.org/nai
- IL Immigration Information: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/ including information for Orgs and Employers: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/orgs-employers
- Embassy Info for Chicago: https://www.embassypages.com/city/chicago
Thank you to everyone in our community for your care and support. Please reach out to us with any questions – we are here to help.
Thank you for your commitment to this crucial work!