Awards dinner honors immigration advocates
When Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors held its sixth annual fundraiser Oct. 22, it paid tribute to an Elgin lawyer and a Chicago coalition for immigrants' rights.
Recipients of the 2017 Champions for Justice Award at Two Brothers Roundhouse restaurant in Aurora were Rockford resident Sara Dady, an immigration lawyer and partner at Dady & Hoffman LLC in Rockford, and Dagmarra Lopez, who accepted the award for Chicago-based Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors, a United Methodist nonprofit immigration ministry, is a local offshoot of the Springfield, Va., nationwide movement.
It provides free immigration legal services, education and advocacy at clinics held at Methodist churches in Aurora, Elgin, Rockford and Chicago.
Dady has practiced family-based immigration law for 10 years. A board member of Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors, she volunteered with lawyers who welcomed immigrants at O'Hare Airport during a federal travel ban earlier this year.
Dady earned her law degree from Mitchell Hamline College of Law, St. Paul, Minn. and her bachelor's degree from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of society.
In partnership with member organizations, including Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors, the coalition educates and organizes immigrant and refugee communities to assert their rights; promotes citizenship and civic participation; monitors, analyzes, and advocates on immigrant-related issues; and, informs the general public about the contributions of immigrants and refugees.
Past-year accomplishments include:
• With Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois, passed the Illinois Trust Act that provides strongest protection for immigrants in the state;
• With Just Democracy Coalition, passed automatic voter registration to ensure all voters have a voice;
• With Health Communities Cook County, expanded health care access for uninsured.
Nadia Kanhai, co-coordinator of the Aurora clinic at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, reported that Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors representatives are working with City of Aurora officials to draft an ordinance designating Aurora as a Welcoming City. A draft has been forwarded to Mayor Richard Irvin Kanhai said.
Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors clients offering their personal immigration stories were Ekeng Bassey, a Nigeria native and Selena (no last name given) who said her parents brought her to Barrington at age 11 from Mexico.
In a surprise live auction, Charles Wintersteen, Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors board member, raised $900 for the ministry by selling two tickets to the Chicago production of "Hamilton."
Judith Siaba, Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors board chair, closed the event by urging audience members to meet their neighbors.
Justice For Our Neighbors, initiated by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries in 1999, has served thousands of immigrants across the United States. The United Methodist Committee on Relief sponsors this program, working in 27 free legal clinics in several regions of the United States.
Justice For Our Neighbors was created to respond to complicated immigration regulations arising from the Immigration Reform Act of 1996. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the Patriot Act have worsened the situation, causing many delays in existing and new applications and increasing the number of deportation orders. The network effectively provides services to the community and a strong forum for advocacy.
Clients are served by professional immigration attorneys who follow their cases to relief or until all remedies have been exhausted. The volunteers who work in clinics listen to real life stories and look at moral issues of immigration in a clearer way.