Mexican Immigration to Chicago: 1977 to Present
Immigration Surge and Community Foundations (1977–1990)
Between the late 1970s and early 1990s, Mexican migration to Chicago exploded. By 1980, the number of Mexican-born residents in the city doubled from the 1970 Census, rising to approximately 47,400. These numbers are guestimates, since it is difficult to pin down an exact number of illegal immigrants and are probably higher than the census indicated.
The Reagan administration took a laissez-faire approach to immigration (both legal and illegal) upon taking office in 1981. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) went into effect on November 6th, 1986. Nearly three million illegal immigrants were given legal status if they could prove that they resided in the U.S. continuously since January 1st, 1982. This proved to be a magnet for more illegal immigration.
The biggest areas of illegal immigration in the U.S. from Mexico were the Southwest, California and Chicago. Family reunification and the availability of industrial work in Chicago (especially in the meatpacking, manufacturing, and service sectors) fueled this growth.
Chicago had little to no municipal infrastructure for immigrant integration. In this vacuum, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) became the main form of aid such as:
- Erie Neighborhood House
- Alivio Medical Center
- Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (founded in 1954)
- Catholic churches
These NGOs and CBOs provided legal assistance, health care, adult education, and housing help. Advocacy was not a part of these organizations at that time. Churches and mutual aid societies in neighborhoods like Pilsen, Little Village, and Back of the Yards served as de facto integration centers. The other Mexican neighborhoods that had substantial, if not majority, populations were Brighton Park, Archer Heights, McKinley Park, and Bridgeport. Basically, the Southwest side was where most Mexican-Americans lived in Chicago. Chicago’s policies toward immigrants (legal and illegal) remained largely passive, if not indifferent.
As previously mentioned, it is difficult to measure the number of new immigrants but if you lived in Chicago in 1980 and you wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant there was not a lot to choose from. Maybe a half dozen, plus smaller take-out stands. In 1981 there had to be at least a thousand of them. That would be more indicative of a population boom than any census. In one year’s time there was a massive influx of immigrants without the government to rescue those left in the lurch. Somehow, they found housing, got jobs, survived and learned to speak English. All of this without government aid.
Federal change, local pressure (1990–2000)
The 1990s brought critical shifts. The 1990 Immigration Act increased legal immigration quotas, and many Mexican Chicagoans sought to regularize their status. At the same time, the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) increased deportations and fostered fear of deportation. As a response, NGOs expanded services, particularly legal aid and "Know Your Rights" programs. Instituto del Progreso Latino grew into a major workforce training and educational institution.
Meanwhile, Universities like UIC began partnering with community groups to document needs and push for policy change. While the City of Chiago still did not have a formal immigrant affairs office, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley quietly supported certain inclusive policies, like local school funding for English Language Learner (ELL) programs and working with nonprofits on health outreach. Yet it was still NGOs and not City Hall that bore the primary burden of aid
Institutionalization of municipal support (2001–2016)
After the September 11 attacks, increased immigration enforcement stirred activism in Chicago. In response to mounting community pressure, the city began adopting pro-immigrant stances. Key milestones include:
- 2005: Chicago passes its first “Welcoming City” ordinance, forbidding city employees from inquiring about immigration status
- 2006: City supports and coordinates with mass mobilizations (there were mass demonstrations of Mexican flag waving in the loop in support of refraining from inquiring about immigration status and the support of illegal immigrants' rights).
- 2008: The New Americans Office is launched within the mayor’s office to coordinate immigrant affairs.
These developments marked the first official municipal investment in support of illegal immigrants. The city began collaborating more actively with nonprofits like Latinos Progresando, MALDEF, and the Resurrection Project to reach illegal immigrants. Advocacy was their main mission. Grievances and victimhood were the earmarks of that mission.
Sanctuary city and expanded services (2017–2021)
The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement spurred cities like Chicago to act defensively. Mayor Rahm Emanuel strengthened sanctuary policies and reinforced ties with legal aid providers. In this period:
- 2017: The Office of New Americans expands programming, including citizenship workshops and DACA support.
- 2018: Chicago launches the Legal Protection Fund, allocating city dollars to provide legal defense for immigrants facing deportation. NGOs such as the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) became funded partners.
This marked a key shift: the City of Chicago, for the first time, directly funded aid to illegal immigrants, though NGOs remained on the front lines of implementation.
Illegal immigrant crisis and direct aid (2022–Present)
The Biden administration opened the gates wide open to illegal immigration upon being sworn into office in 2021 in a thinly veiled voter registration drive. Following the decisions of Texas and Florida in 2022 to bus asylum seekers (primarily from Venezuela, but some from Mexico) to northern cities, Chicago faced a humanitarian crisis. Between 2022 and 2024, at the very least 40,000 illegal immigrants arrived.
The city’s response under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and later Brandon Johnson, included:
- Opening temporary shelters and respite centers
- Partnering with NGOs like Catholic Charities, Heartland Alliance, and Instituto del Progreso Latino
- Providing legal intake, housing placement, and emergency healthcare
- Launching the city’s New Arrivals Mission, with budgets exceeding $100 million by 2024
This was the first large-scale, city-funded illegal immigration aid program in Chicago’s history, marking a dramatic evolution from the inaction of the 1980s.
Timeline summary
Over the years, an evolution has occurred to meet the challenge of immigrants arriving in Chicago. Between 1977 and the early 1980s, NGOs like Erie House and Pilsen Neighbors were providing key support to illegals, as the city had yet to establish a formal office to administer official immigrant policy. By 1987, Centro Sin Fronteras (Center Without Borders) was founded, for the exclusive purpose of advocating against deportation and for immigration reform.
By the mid-1990s, a Republican-controlled Congress managed to pass the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 with the cooperation of Democrats. Under the law, U.S. immigration enforcement was strengthened, with additional penalties for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. The law also improved border protection and allowed for the deportation of undocumented immigrants who commit a misdemeanor or a felony. The new law demanded NGOs increase legal work on behalf of illegals.
In response to the tougher stance on illegal immigration, Chicago passed its “Welcoming City” ordinance. Three years later, it established the Office of New Americans, which was designed to promote the economic and civic success of Chicago’s diverse immigrant communities. In 2017, the Legal Protection Fund was launched for the purpose of securing legal protections for illegals. Five years later, Chicago began a large-scale, direct illegal immigrant aid amid the change from illegal immigration being a “Southwest problem” to being a national one.
From mutual aid to municipal engagement, Mexican immigration to Chicago has transformed both the city and its institutions. For decades, NGOs filled the void left by the government’s benign neglect, offering services rooted in the community. Only in the 21st century did the City of Chicago begin to institutionalize its support, first cautiously, then more forcefully. Has this been beneficial to the existing residents of Chicago, or for that matter illegal immigrants themselves?
When a large number of unskilled workers are dropped into an area it serves to depress the wages of the existing unskilled workers. Those illegal immigrants without jobs become wards of the state. That never ends well. The best thing that Chicago could do is to cooperate with ICE in their deportation efforts. Would that be suicidal for any Chicago politician? I don’t think so.
The black community is not happy with the status quo. The existing Mexican-American community isn’t either. The only voting bloc who would be upset is the white liberal community. It's likely at least some of them would get over their case of their vapors when reality smacks them in the face.
