Over 15,000 people expected at ninth annual Day of the Immigrant in Bolingbrook

The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project will hold its ninth annual "Day of the Immigrant" on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center.

Growing in attendance every year, the popular festival brings together immigrant communities across Will and DuPage counties, and is expected to bring over 15,000 attendees this year. The "Day of the Immigrant" is designed to empower the voices of immigrant communities.

This year's events will focus on citizenship and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in anticipation of the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on Nov. 12 in a case challenging the Trump Administration's decision to roll back DACA.

For the first time in the festival's history, "Day of the Immigrant" will proudly host a Citizenship and DACA Renewal workshop in partnership with Family Focus Aurora through the New Americans Initiative.

Additionally, the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project will present three scholarships to local immigrant youth through the annual Building the World We Need Fund, sponsored this year by Bolingbrook Bank & Trust, Giamanco Law Partners, Blue Green Cleaning Services, and 12 Five Capital.

The festival also will feature local, state and federal dignitaries, business leaders, faith partners, DACA and other community testimonials, followed by musical entertainment by local Mariachi Juvenil Estampas de America, the National Folkloric Ballet of Milwaukee, and stellar world-renowned musical groups Los Guardianes del Amor, Los Cadetes de Linares and La Sonora Dinamita de Colombia. Other special guests include activist Caesar Vargas, a member of the U.S. military and New York's first undocumented lawyer.

The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project served 3,800 families in the last year, through citizenship, DACA, Know Your Rights, parent engagement, youth development, legal consultations, leadership development, and advocacy. "Day of the Immigrant" is its largest community event of the year, and important information on Know Your Rights, DACA, the Census 2020, becoming a U.S. citizen, and access to college for first-generation and undocumented students will be provided. Keynote speaker and confirmed elected officials coming soon.

The ninth annual "Day of the Immigrant" is proudly sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights, Su Familia Real Estate, and powered by WeatherTech.

Visit ssipchicago.org or www.facebook.com/SSIPchicago/.