Borderless Mag

“For refugees that come here, we all have dreams of contributing, but oftentimes we get bombarded with misinformation that the only thing available for us is Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and that’s how our life should go, and I just didn’t accept that,” Rfat said.

Unlike most amateur leagues, which are often run by organizers not connected to the clubs competing in them, CLASA Elite is governed by its 10 teams, considered to be among the city’s most respected clubs. The clubs decided to organize their own league after frustrations with some previous league owners over not respecting scheduled game times, not paying out promised prize money, and some alleged instances of bending the rules for certain teams.

Later, in the hearing’s closing arguments, the Department of Homeland Security attorney cited the woman’s apparent hesitancy to identify the type of weapon as proof that she was inconsistent in her story and, therefore, not credible enough to be granted asylum. Her attorney pushed back, noting that “arma” is commonly understood in Spanish to mean firearm.

The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which manages the 911 center, offers more than 240 languages and dialects. The CARE team is also diverse. Many are bilingual, Patton-Burnside said. Staff of different faiths also help address religious aspects that may affect clients’ needs or access to services.

La Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias y Comunicaciones de Chicago, que administra el centro de llamadas del 911, ofrece servicios en más de 240 idiomas y dialectos. El equipo de CARE también es diverso. Muchos de sus integrantes son bilingües, dijo Patton-Burnside. El personal de distintas religiones también ayuda a abordar aspectos religiosos que pueden influir en las necesidades de las personas o en su acceso a los servicios.

But on Saturday, a large group of masked agents gathered in the facility’s gated parking lot to the surprise of protesters, who were accustomed to lower enforcement activity over the weekends. The agents were throwing an outdoor barbecue, said Nana, a protester and documentarian who preferred not to share her real name for safety reasons. “They had a barbecue back there behind the fence,” she said.

Originally a small farming community, the land that would become Albany Park was officially annexed to Chicago in 1889. Investment from wealthy developers and the completion of the Ravenswood elevated train line in 1907 led to a boom of construction, greatly expanding residential and commercial corridors in the area. Initially settled by German and Swedish immigrants, the neighborhood witnessed an influx of Jewish immigrants from Eastern and Western Europe in the early twentieth century.

Mahammad had tried to get evidence of the violence he experienced in Somalia. Usually, asylum seekers will know about their hearings over a year in advance, giving them time to navigate their home country’s bureaucracies and mailing systems and translate and file their evidence in immigration court. But Mahammad was notified of his hearing just 33 days in advance.

More immigration reporting from the newsroom: Immigrants are finding success challenging detention in federal court Feds used chemical agents dozens of times in Chicago Researchers used anonymized consumer cellphone data to measure foot-traffic and Census spending records to translate the decline in foot-traffic into dollars.

The inaugural symposium and fundraiser will feature conversations with journalists, civic leaders, organizers, artists and community members, including Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago’s Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights; Alderperson Andre Vasquez Jr., Chair of the Chicago City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Maudlyne Ihejirika, Director of Journalism & Storytelling at the Field Foundation and retired Chicago Sun-Times columnist; Suzanne Akhras,...