New Life Centers' New Vecino program, funded by the state, provides asylum seekers with wraparound services and furniture for new apartments.
Sebastian HidalgoDecember 4, 2023
While newer residents unearth decades of contamination, some neighbors look forward to a planned public park at the former thorium factory.
Liuan HuskaNovember 27, 2023
The Pilsen Food Pantry provides essentials, including food, clothing, and sleeping bags, to new migrants living in local police stations and shelters.
Chelsea VerstegenNovember 20, 2023
The 12-foot-tall puppet tells the story of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee separated from her family.
Diane Bou KhalilOctober 6, 2023
D’Cameron May stepped onto the drag stage four years ago. Now, they have a home among Chicago’s queer immigrant scene.
Katrina PhamSeptember 19, 2023
Mixed immigration status families in Cicero and other Chicago-area towns can still apply for federal assistance if they were impacted by the July storms.
Diane Bou KhalilSeptember 15, 2023
Joel Arzu and his brother Regis are the brains behind CoVoice, an app people can use to be connected with an interpreter in real-time.
Maia McDonaldSeptember 8, 2023
After fleeing the Taliban, a group of Afghans in Chicago have found each other – and strength – through playing soccer.
Saleha SoadatJuly 18, 2023
As a lawsuit against data broker LexisNexis awaits court determination, local advocates and officials look to amend Cook County’s ICE detainer ordinance.
Chelsea VerstegenJuly 11, 2023
Other officers are accused of "improper sexual relations" with immigrants who had been sleeping in police stations when they had no place else to go, law enforcement sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Madison SavedraJuly 7, 2023
Organizers say the event was a first for the institute, but hope it will promote more inclusivity while celebrating Desi queer stories and creativity.
Efrain SorianoJuly 3, 2023
Starting July 1, Illinois will limit access to programs that provide medical coverage for undocumented immigrants and low-income lawful permanent residents. Here’s what those programs do and how to enroll.
Katrina PhamJune 29, 2023
The best-selling Chilean author talks about her new book and the importance of telling immigration stories.
Claudia HernándezJune 23, 2023
He was a police officer in Haiti. He left with his son after being threatened by gang members. Now he awaits his family in Chicago.
Sarah LuyengiJune 15, 2023
He traveled from Haiti to Chicago for his first art exhibition at 19. But when he had to leave Haiti in 2019, he made Chicago his home.
Sayou CooperJune 13, 2023
She left Congo to escape ongoing violence. In search of a safe home for her children, she came to Chicago and found her community.
Sayou CooperJune 9, 2023
Max was born and raised in Senegal. But after years of suffering economic hardship and sexual abuse, he was cast out of his family.
Vida OpokuJune 5, 2023
Frank Sandoval had to leave Venezuela to save his life. He became a lawyer to help others seek asylum. After a five-year process, he was reunited with his wife and daughter in Chicago.
Chelsea VerstegenJune 2, 2023
She was born in a refugee camp. Now, she helps other girls who have been displaced build their own community.
Sarah LuyengiJune 1, 2023
She was a software engineer, now she teaches African hairstyling to help others live the American dream.
Sarah LuyengiMay 26, 2023
Patrice Lawrence of the UndocuBlack Network explains how U.S. policies are impacting Black immigration from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Jillian MeleroMay 26, 2023
If passed, the bill would implement universal health insurance for low-income residents, regardless of immigration status.
Adriana Martinez-SmileyMay 19, 2023
As Gov. Pritzker declares an end to the public health emergency brought on by the pandemic and subsequent relief funds, four community-led efforts work to make sure their neighbors’ needs are still met.
Chelsea VerstegenMay 17, 2023
As the Trump-era rule ends Thursday, Biden plans to enact strict immigration policies toward asylum seekers and send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Reema SalehMay 11, 2023
The plan comes after the city's short-notice rollout of a migrant shelter in neighboring Woodlawn sparked months of outrage. Officials will host a meeting on the plan Thursday.
Maxwell EvansMay 2, 2023
Where to donate food, clothing, money and more to help immigrants being bused to Chicago as part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s political stunt.
Borderless Magazine StaffMay 2, 2023
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said the city already doesn't have enough space for the migrants who are here — and the answer to problems at the border isn't busing people to Chicago.
Mack LiedermanMay 1, 2023
More than 200 migrants came together to enjoy a free dinner and live music at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.
Jonathan AguilarApril 21, 2023
The Palestinian-Jordanian hip-hop artist talks about identity as inspiration, his growth since his debut album and what’s next.
Diane Bou KhalilApril 6, 2023
On the heels of a wide-ranging sexual abuse scandal, parents of Marine Leadership Academy students say the school is in a state of chaos with widespread fights, bullying, drug and alcohol use and mental health struggles.
Mina BloomApril 3, 2023
Immigrant demonstrators called for the end of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the detainment and surveillance of immigrants.
Diane Bou KhalilMarch 30, 2023
The candidates have laid out radically different plans to combat crime, improve public school performance and bring in new city revenue. The runoff election is April 4.
Quinn MyersMarch 22, 2023
A guide to using community organizing techniques to bring journalists closer to their audiences
Nissa RheeMarch 14, 2023
Chicago author Vaishnavi Patel on her debut novel “Kaikeyi,” her Hindu identity and publishers pulling her book in India.
Mrinali DhemblaMarch 8, 2023
LexisNexis, a data brokerage firm, is being sued by Illinois activists for the collection and sale of immigrant data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. What data is legal or illegal to sell? Who can access it? And what can they do with it?
Chelsea VerstegenMarch 2, 2023
The Chicago ICE Field Office conducted more than 13,000 searches of the LexisNexis database between March and September 2021.
Chelsea VerstegenMarch 2, 2023
Local Turkish and Syrian residents talk about the effects of the recent earthquakes on their home countries and about ways you can help.
Diane Bou KhalilFebruary 23, 2023
From a driver’s license to a REAL ID card to CityKey ID, here’s how to get an ID if you’re an immigrant or an undocumented person.
Diane Bou KhalilFebruary 2, 2023
Amid environmental concerns, residents questioned the need for a second waste station in their community and wanted to know what measures will be taken to mitigate increased pollution.
Diane Bou KhalilJanuary 26, 2023
Immigrants seeking U visas are being blocked by two sergeants who were previously involved in controversial shootings and on the verge of being fired.
Carlos BallesterosJanuary 17, 2023
A female Afghan governor-turned-refugee, a Bangladeshi community builder working behind bars, a Mexican American woman who turned love-letter writing into a family tradition, here are some of the people whose stories we helped tell in 2022.
Diane Bou KhalilJanuary 12, 2023
From Little Village to Rogers Park, where to give and get help from your neighbors this holiday season in Chicago and its suburbs.
Diane Bou KhalilNovember 21, 2022
Despite a growing Muslim population in the Chicago area, few public schools offer students halal food options.
Tasmiha KhanNovember 16, 2022
From coat drives to free stores to resale shops, here are places to get inexpensive or free coats and jackets in the Chicago area.
Diane Bou KhalilNovember 10, 2022
From what to bring to who can vote, we answer your questions about voting in the midterm elections in Illinois.
Jillian MeleroNovember 4, 2022
Poet Javier Zamora took a three-thousand mile journey from El Salvador to the United States as a boy to reunite with his parents.
Borderless Magazine StaffNovember 3, 2022
Arizona artist Alvaro Enciso has spent years of his life leaving crosses in the desert for migrants who died while traveling to the United States.
Max HermanOctober 27, 2022
We answer your questions about asylum rules and the differences between asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and more.
Diane Bou KhalilOctober 20, 2022
The arrivals of more than two thousand migrants sent to Chicago from Texas are exacerbating the need for attorneys who handle asylum cases.
Chelsea VerstegenOctober 13, 2022
The DePaul University professor and daughter of Mexican immigrants talks about mental health and healing through writing.
Jillian MeleroOctober 6, 2022
Sara and 147 other female students were evacuated from Kabul University after the Taliban took over the Afghan government in August 2021.
Saleha SoadatSeptember 28, 2022
Maryam and 147 other female students waited at the Kabul airport for days before they could escape Afghanistan.
Saleha SoadatSeptember 27, 2022
West Chicago residents are concerned about the environmental impact of Lakeshore Recycling Systems’ proposed waste transfer station, half a mile from an existing station.
Diane Bou KhalilSeptember 22, 2022
Our visual reporting on the Little Village Discount Mall and bilingual coverage of the Afghan community receives national recognition.
Borderless Magazine StaffSeptember 7, 2022
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Sympathizer” will receive an award from the American Writers Museum in Chicago this month.
Diane Bou KhalilAugust 30, 2022
J Saxon says their mixed identities represent Chicagoans who don’t always have a say in politics.
Youcef O. BounabAugust 24, 2022
After fleeing Afghanistan in August 2021, Borderless Pathways Fellow Saleha Soadat reflects on her first year in the U.S.
Diane Bou KhalilAugust 18, 2022
In his new book, Reece Jones traces the Border Patrol’s growth into a militarized force that operates in large swaths of the United States.
Borderless Magazine StaffAugust 10, 2022
Al-Amin Porosh has helped fellow detainees navigate an opaque immigrant detention system – and built a community behind bars.
Youcef O. BounabAugust 4, 2022
The longtime Pilsen resident will release a new, bilingual photography book this fall.
Michelle KanaarJuly 28, 2022
Reproductive justice advocate Joy Pettigrew talks about barriers to abortion for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Youcef O. BounabJuly 20, 2022
We answer your questions about thorium and health hazards related to the Rare Earths Facility.
Liuan HuskaJuly 12, 2022
A local factory was once the largest producer of thorium in the world. This fall, the “radioactive capital of the Midwest” is doing one last cleanup.
Liuan HuskaJuly 12, 2022
Salima Mazari was one of just three women serving as a district governor in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over.
Saleha SoadatJuly 7, 2022
Naheed Farid was elected to the Afghan House of Representatives as one of its youngest members. Now exiled in Maryland, she continues to advocate for women in Afghanistan.
Saleha SoadatJune 28, 2022
Refugees from over 15 countries played in a soccer tournament at World Refugee Day Chicago.
Youcef O. BounabJune 23, 2022
A National Immigrant Justice Center lawsuit alleges that detained immigrants are being held in inhumane conditions, while Clay County misuses the money they receive from ICE to care for detainees.
Chelsea VerstegenJune 8, 2022
Mahdi Rasikh went from weaving carpets in a refugee camp to representing his hometown in Afghanistan’s Parliament. But after the Taliban took over, Rasikh had to escape to the U.S.
Saleha SoadatJune 2, 2022
With increased violence against Asians, community groups are taking action, from distributing self-defense tools to gathering critical data.
jessica naluptaMay 25, 2022
The Immigrant Health Academy is helping Chicago area immigrants navigate the health care system and access funding for their medical bills.
Leslie HurtadoMay 19, 2022
Despite financial challenges, these Chicago shops are surviving with help from Ethiopian, Somali and other East African immigrant communities.
Sayou CooperMay 11, 2022
When do you need an immigration lawyer? How can you find free legal help for your immigration case? We answer your questions.
Diane Bou KhalilApril 21, 2022
As misinformation about natural cures soars during the pandemic, trained herbalists in Chicago are educating vulnerable immigrant communities.
Leslie HurtadoApril 6, 2022
Last August, after U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan, journalist Saleha Soadat was forced to leave her life in Kabul and seek safety abroad.
Saleha SoadatMarch 30, 2022
Borderless Magazine is mentoring and training a new generation of journalists from immigrant communities to combat racist coverage.
Nissa RheeMarch 29, 2022
Latinx business owners worry about the fate of their stores at the iconic Discount Mall in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
Adriana RezalSeptember 14, 2021
