Latest news with #WelcomingCityOrdinance
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community groups rally in Pilsen to protest ICE raids in Chicago
CHICAGO () — About a dozen community organizations gathered in Pilsen on Sunday to protest ICE raids across Chicago. Demonstrators say the Trump administration is targeting immigrant communities, waving signs that blamed the administration for escalating attacks on immigrants. The protest comes shortly after an ICE raid in the South Loop earlier this week in which at least 10 individuals were detained during routine immigration check-ins at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) office. PREVIOUS: ICE arrests at immigration supervision building in Chicago's South Loop spark protest, advocates speak out Advocates say they were tipped off that ICE was detaining people early Wednesday morning when a woman who is part of the ISAP program showed up for a check-in appointment that she received a text message about earlier in the week. Organizers allege that Chicago Police Department officers and officials were present and assisted ICE during the arrests, violating the city's Welcoming City Ordinance. 'People are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Ultimately, the more that this administration is going to escalate, so are the people,' Omar Flores with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said. MORE: Chicago officials raise concerns over federal immigration raids in Pilsen Chicago police, however, claim they did not assist ICE in any capacity and were simply there to ensure public safety. Local leaders are now calling for action and accountability in response to the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Aggressive ICE raids, CPD cooperation denounced at Lower West Side rally
Immigration advocates rallied Sunday for an end to aggressive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago and denounced the alleged cooperation of Chicago police in arrests made Wednesday. The rally, which drew dozens of people to a plaza at the corner of Blue Island Avenue and Loomis Street, follows nationwide protests during the past week over the Trump administration's revamped mass deportation efforts. Trump has deployed the California National Guard in Los Angeles following two consecutive days of protests over immigration enforcement actions and clashes between demonstrators and authorities. Chicago and other liberal-leaning cities appear to continue to be a focal point for the Trump administration in its immigration crackdown. 'I'm proud to be an immigrant, and we are not criminals,' said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, whose ward includes the Lower West Side. 'We saw the shameful events in our city early this week, and we continue to see the shameful actions in Los Angeles. Full solidarity to all the people in L.A., all the oppressed people who are fighting for dignity and respect.' Light rain in the forecast did not dampen the spirits of demonstrators, who led a march down Cermak Road following the rally, ending at Benito Juarez Community Academy. Last week, protesters, local organizers and aldermen — including Sigcho-Lopez — clashed with immigration officials outside a U.S. Customs and Immigration office in the South Loop, where immigrants were told to come to a check-in appointment at the office. Many did not come out for hours. Organizers estimate that around 20 people were detained Wednesday. ICE did not respond to requests to confirm the number of people detained. 'These are people that are doing everything that the U.S. is saying that they should be doing to become a citizen and to be able to stay in this country,' Omar Flores, chair of the Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said Sunday. 'And we are arresting them for it. It is leaving them in a position where it is a catch-22, where they have no option but to be deported.' In Pilsen last Monday, federal agents arrested two residents who work at a local business near the 1800 block of South Carpenter Street. Agents failed to properly identify themselves or present arrest warrants in those incidents, according to Sigcho-Lopez and local rapid response teams. Little Village residents also spotted ICE agents on the corner of Troy and 27th streets Tuesday. Flores said that rapid response teams received word of suspicious vehicles in Little Village and acted accordingly, observing the ICE agents and having lawyers on-site. Organizers who were at Wednesday's demonstration alleged that the Chicago Police Department was collaborating with ICE in the raid despite Chicago's Welcoming City Ordinance, which largely prevents local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities. Chicago police deny they aided federal agents. Tom Ahern, spokesperson for CPD, previously stated that officers present Wednesday spoke with individuals inside a building and in a large crowd outside 'to ensure the safety of all involved, including those exercising their First Amendment rights.' 'Officers arrived without knowledge of immigration enforcement occurring at the location,' Ahern said. 'At no point did CPD assist in immigration enforcement. All actions taken by CPD during this incident were in accordance with CPD policy and the City of Chicago Municipal Code.' Members of the City Council's Latino Caucus denounced Wednesday's raid in a letter and called for a hearing to examine ICE's actions Wednesday and whether CPD cooperated with ICE in the raid. 'We condemn in the strongest terms ICE's unlawful detainment practices,' the statement from Latino Caucus members read. 'We stand united in calling for a full investigation into the conduct of ICE agents involved in this operation and for the immediate release of all individuals detained under these unlawful circumstances.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE subpoenaed Chicago for records of applicants in city ID program used by immigrants
CHICAGO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoenaed the Chicago City Clerk's Office in April for the personal information of applicants to a municipal ID program popular with immigrants, an apparent new tactic in Republican President Donald Trump's plan to target Chicago as he seeks to ramp up deportations. The clerk's office received the summons on April 17 requiring the city to turn over the past three years of CityKey records, according to a copy obtained by the Tribune in a Freedom of Information Act request. The program was launched in 2017 by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city Clerk Anna Valencia as part of a stand against Trump. Asked whether the city complied with the subpoena, Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban indicated some type of response but would not directly confirm whether it turned over documents to ICE, which demanded several years worth of data. 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance,' Cabanban said Friday. While Emanuel and Valencia trumpeted the safety of the CityKey application during its inception, promising that federal officials would not be able to track down applicants because the city wouldn't keep identifying documents, the situation has recently changed. After being overwhelmed by demand for the IDs by Venezuelan migrants at in-person events in fall 2023, Valencia started offering an online application in December 2024. To meet state document requirements, the Clerk's Office has kept application materials for more than 2,700 people who used the online CityKey system since then, according to Diana Martinez, a spokesperson for Valencia. 'I don't think that's inconsistent,' Martinez said in a phone interview. 'That's why we were so careful to make sure that people were aware of what submitting their information to the online platform meant. … We try to let people know if you're at all concerned about your identity, please go in person.' The ICE subpoena called on the city to 'provide a copy of the application and all supporting documents for all individuals who applied for a CityKey identification card between April 17, 2022, and April 17, 2025, and used any foreign document as proof of identity, including but not limited to: consular identification card, foreign driver's license, or foreign passport.' The Tribune also obtained an ICE subpoena sent to Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation on March 21 that sought payroll records for current and recent employees as part of a worker eligibility audit. That department also deferred questions on its subpoena to Cabanban, who again said, 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance.' ICE spokesperson Erin Bultje declined to comment on both subpoenas, citing 'an ongoing investigation.' CityKey appeals to immigrants because it allows noncitizens to obtain a city government-issued ID. Now under a second Trump administration, ICE is going after those applications, including identification documents, after a recent explosion in demand for CityKey during the Venezuelan migrant crisis. It's unclear how many of the 87,100-plus individuals who sought a CityKey during the time period encompassed in ICE's subpoena are immigrants. The city clerk policy is to only retain records for those who apply via the online portal. The CityKey subpoena indicated the records were sought as part of an immigration enforcement investigation and demanded the clerk turn them over by May 1. The email address listed as the destination for the clerk's subpoena response included the abbreviation for the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and Chicago's Homeland Security Investigations division, the investigative arm of ICE. The task force's website says its mission is to 'target and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations and individuals that threaten U.S. national security and public safety – and address vulnerabilities that exist in the immigration system.' Meanwhile, the ICE subpoena for Streets and Sanitation records asked for forms for all employees confirming they are legally authorized to work in the U.S., a list of current employees and ex-staffers terminated 12 months prior to the subpoena date, payroll data for all employees and their Employer Identification Number, a list of all current city contractors and a list of all staffing companies and their rosters. The Streets and Sanitation subpoena references a 'Form I-9 Inspection,' an ICE audit that concerns whether an employer has complied with verifying its employees' eligibility to work in the U.S. The federal agency's website says employers who 'knowingly hired or continued to employ unauthorized workers' may be subject to civil fines or criminal prosecution. Both the clerk and Streets and Sanitation were warned in the subpoena that a 'failure to comply with this subpoena may subject you to an order of contempt by a federal District Court.' Immigrants and immigrant advocates have raised concerns about federal investigators getting their hands on identifying CityKey documents since the program's 2017 inception. A similar program in New York City raised red flags when Republican lawmakers sued to stop then-Mayor Bill de Blasio from purging applicants' personal information, though that legal challenge failed. Upon the municipal ID's debut, the city pledged not to keep copies of any personal information that applicants provide. But Martinez said the Clerk's Office keeps documents from people who applied for the card via the new online website because of an internal records retention policy concerning data submitted online. For most of CityKey's existence, all applications were processed at printing events where clerk staffers purged the papers on the spot after the ID was produced. Martinez said the online retention schedule, created by working with state officials to comply with the Illinois Records Act, mandates the clerk store CityKey documents submitted online for three years after the ID expires. The card lasts two years for ID holders under 14 years old and five years for recipients between 14 and 64. There is no CityKey expiration for those 65 and up, so their records are never expunged, Martinez said. All of that data is stored with the local software vendor Omicron Technologies, Martinez said, stressing there are multiple disclaimers on the online portal about the document retention. The website asks users to agree to the following: 'By using the CityKey online platform, you are agreeing to allow the Office of the City Clerk to keep a record of all the information you submit during your application process.' Asked whether the Clerk's Office intends to clarify its messaging to online applicants about if their records are safe, Martinez said, 'We actually don't guarantee that.' 'That's been our message throughout, especially once we launched the online platform,' Martinez said. 'We always want to encourage people to go in person if they have any concerns around their identity, whether it's undocumented people, whether it's domestic violence survivors or any other population.' The online disclaimers don't mention those specific groups, however, or the potential risks of their data being stored. The CityKey FAQ section only warns, 'Yes, the information submitted to the online platform is retained according to the City's retention schedule.' 'Protecting people's information is our number one priority,' the FAQ says. 'We worked closely with community advocates, data security professionals, and the City's technology department to create a program that is safe and secure.' In total, 145,825 CityKeys have been issued since its 2017 inception, per numbers provided by Martinez. For the period of time in the ICE subpoena — April 17, 2022, to April 17, 2025 — 87,163 individuals had applied for CityKey, 2,717 of them via the online portal starting in December. During Chicago's migrant crisis that began in 2022, new arrivals often sought official government identification while their federal asylum applications remained in limbo. The municipal ID also serves as a Chicago Public Library card, a Ventra transit pass and a prescription drug benefits card. To qualify for a CityKey, an applicant must provide documentation proving their identity and residency. Immigrants have used their Department of Homeland Security paperwork, passport, birth certificate, consular card or a letter from a nonprofit temporarily housing them. Many of the asylum seekers had come from Venezuela, which does not maintain embassies and consulates in the U.S. due to poor diplomatic relations. But the crowds at the events grew so large that migrants camped outside and fought for spots in line, leading Valencia to implore City Council for help at a budget hearing in October 2023. 'We're beyond the demand,' the clerk told aldermen. 'We're being crushed.' That was also when she floated the online portal. __________
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE subpoenas Chicago for records of applicants in city ID program used by immigrants
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoenaed the Chicago City Clerk's Office in April for the personal information of applicants to a municipal ID program popular with immigrants, an apparent new tactic in Republican President Donald Trump's plan to target Chicago as he seeks to ramp up deportations. The clerk's office received the summons on April 17 requiring the city to turn over the past three years of CityKey records, according to a copy obtained by the Tribune in a Freedom of Information Act request. The program was launched in 2017 by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city Clerk Anna Valencia as part of a stand against Trump. Asked whether the city complied with the subpoena, Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban indicated some type of response but would not directly confirm whether it turned over documents to ICE, which demanded several years worth of data. 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance,' Cabanban said Friday. While Emanuel and Valencia trumpeted the safety of the CityKey application during its inception, promising that federal officials would not be able to track down applicants because the city wouldn't keep identifying documents, the situation has recently changed. Overwhelmed by demand for the IDs by Venezuelan migrants at in-person events in fall 2023, Valencia started offering an online application in December 2024. To meet state document requirements, the Clerk's Office has kept application materials for more than 2,700 people who used the online CityKey system since then, according to Diana Martinez, a spokesperson for Valencia. 'I don't think that's inconsistent,' Martinez said in a phone interview. 'That's why we were so careful to make sure that people were aware of what submitting their information to the online platform meant. … We try to let people know if you're at all concerned about your identity, please go in person.' The ICE subpoena called on the city to 'provide a copy of the application and all supporting documents for all individuals who applied for a CityKey identification card between April 17, 2022, and April 17, 2025, and used any foreign document as proof of identity, including but not limited to: consular identification card, foreign driver's license, or foreign passport.' The Tribune also obtained an ICE subpoena sent to Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation on March 21 that sought payroll records for current and recent employees as part of a worker eligibility audit. That department also deferred questions on its subpoena to Cabanban, who again said, 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance.' ICE spokesperson Erin Bultje declined to comment on both subpoenas, citing 'an ongoing investigation.' CityKey appeals to immigrants because it allows noncitizens to obtain a city government-issued ID. Now under a second Trump administration, ICE is going after those applications, including identification documents, after a recent explosion in demand for CityKey during the Venezuelan migrant crisis. It's unclear how many of the 87,100-plus individuals who sought a CityKey during the time period encompassed in ICE's subpoena are immigrants. The city clerk policy is to only retain records for those who apply via the online portal. The CityKey subpoena indicated the records were sought as part of an immigration enforcement investigation and demanded the clerk turn them over by May 1. The email address listed as the destination for the clerk's subpoena response included the abbreviation for the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and Chicago's Homeland Security Investigations division, the investigative arm of ICE. The task force's website says its mission is to 'target and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations and individuals that threaten U.S. national security and public safety – and address vulnerabilities that exist in the immigration system.' Meanwhile, the ICE subpoena for Streets and Sanitation records asked for forms for all employees confirming they are legally authorized to work in the U.S., a list of current employees and ex-staffers terminated 12 months prior to the subpoena date, payroll data for all employees and their Employer Identification Number, a list of all current city contractors and a list of all staffing companies and their rosters. The Streets and Sanitation subpoena references a 'Form I-9 Inspection,' an ICE audit that concerns whether an employer has complied with verifying its employees' eligibility to work in the U.S. The federal agency's website says employers who 'knowingly hired or continued to employ unauthorized workers' may be subject to civil fines or criminal prosecution. Both the clerk and Streets and Sanitation were warned in the subpoena that a 'failure to comply with this subpoena may subject you to an order of contempt by a federal District Court.' Immigrants and immigrant advocates have raised concerns about federal investigators getting their hands on identifying CityKey documents since the program's 2017 inception. A similar program in New York City raised red flags when Republican lawmakers sued to stop then-Mayor Bill de Blasio from purging applicants' personal information, though that legal challenge failed. Upon the municipal ID's debut, the city pledged not to keep copies of any personal information that applicants provide. But Martinez said the Clerk's Office keeps documents from people who applied for the card via the new online website because of an internal records retention policy concerning data submitted online. For most of CityKey's existence, all applications were processed at printing events where clerk staffers purged the papers on the spot after the ID was produced. Martinez said the online retention schedule, created by working with state officials to comply with the Illinois Records Act, mandates the clerk store CityKey documents submitted online for three years after the ID expires. The card lasts two years for ID holders under 14 years old and five years for recipients between 14 and 64. There is no CityKey expiration for those 65 and up, so their records are never expunged, Martinez said. All of that data is stored with the local software vendor Omicron Technologies, Martinez said, stressing there are multiple disclaimers on the online portal about the document retention. The website asks users to agree to the following: 'By using the CityKey online platform, you are agreeing to allow the Office of the City Clerk to keep a record of all the information you submit during your application process.' Asked whether the Clerk's Office intends to clarify its messaging to online applicants about if their records are safe, Martinez said, 'We actually don't guarantee that.' 'That's been our message throughout, especially once we launched the online platform,' Martinez said. 'We always want to encourage people to go in person if they have any concerns around their identity, whether it's undocumented people, whether it's domestic violence survivors or any other population.' The online disclaimers don't mention those specific groups, however, or the potential risks of their data being stored. The CityKey FAQ section only warns, 'Yes, the information submitted to the online platform is retained according to the City's retention schedule.' 'Protecting people's information is our number one priority,' the FAQ says. 'We worked closely with community advocates, data security professionals, and the City's technology department to create a program that is safe and secure.' In total, 145,825 CityKeys have been issued since its 2017 inception, per numbers provided by Martinez. For the period of time in the ICE subpoena — April 17, 2022, to April 17, 2025 — 87,163 individuals had applied for CityKey, 2,717 of them via the online portal starting in December. During Chicago's migrant crisis that began in 2022, new arrivals often sought official government identification while their federal asylum applications remained in limbo. The municipal ID also serves as a Chicago Public Library card, a Ventra transit pass and a prescription drug benefits card. To qualify for a CityKey, an applicant must provide documentation proving their identity and residency. Immigrants have used their Department of Homeland Security paperwork, passport, birth certificate, consular card or a letter from a nonprofit temporarily housing them. Many of the asylum seekers had come from Venezuela, which does not maintain embassies and consulates in the U.S. due to poor diplomatic relations. But the crowds at the events grew so large that migrants camped outside and fought for spots in line, leading Valencia to implore City Council for help at a budget hearing in October 2023. 'We're beyond the demand,' the clerk told aldermen. 'We're being crushed.' That was also when she floated the online portal.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
ICE subpoenas Chicago for records of applicants in city ID program used by immigrants
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoenaed the Chicago City Clerk's Office in April for the personal information of applicants to a municipal ID program popular with immigrants, an apparent new tactic in Republican President Donald Trump's plan to target Chicago as he seeks to ramp up deportations. The clerk's office received the summons on April 17 requiring the city to turn over the past three years of CityKey records, according to a copy obtained by the Tribune in a Freedom of Information Act request. The program was launched in 2017 by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city Clerk Anna Valencia as part of a stand against Trump. Asked whether the city complied with the subpoena, Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban indicated some type of response but would not directly confirm whether it turned over documents to ICE, which demanded several years worth of data. 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance,' Cabanban said Friday. While Emanuel and Valencia trumpeted the safety of the CityKey application during its inception, promising that federal officials would not be able to track down applicants because the city wouldn't keep identifying documents, the situation has recently changed. Overwhelmed by demand for the IDs by Venezuelan migrants at in-person events last fall, Valencia started offering an online application in December. To meet state document requirements, the Clerk's Office has kept application materials for more than 2,700 people who used the online CityKey system since then, according to Diana Martinez, a spokesperson for Valencia. 'I don't think that's inconsistent,' Martinez said in a phone interview. 'That's why we were so careful to make sure that people were aware of what submitting their information to the online platform meant. … We try to let people know if you're at all concerned about your identity, please go in person.' The ICE subpoena called on the city to 'provide a copy of the application and all supporting documents for all individuals who applied for a CityKey identification card between April 17, 2022, and April 17, 2025, and used any foreign document as proof of identity, including but not limited to: consular identification card, foreign driver's license, or foreign passport.' The Tribune also obtained an ICE subpoena sent to Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation on March 21 that sought payroll records for current and recent employees as part of a worker eligibility audit. That department also deferred questions on its subpoena to Cabanban, who again said, 'We were responsive, within the bounds of the law and consistent with our Welcoming City Ordinance.' ICE spokesperson Erin Bultje declined to comment on both subpoenas, citing 'an ongoing investigation.' CityKey appeals to immigrants because it allows noncitizens to obtain a city government-issued ID. Now under a second Trump administration, ICE is going after those applications, including identification documents, after a recent explosion in demand for CityKey during the Venezuelan migrant crisis. It's unclear how many of the 87,100-plus individuals who sought a CityKey during the time period encompassed in ICE's subpoena are immigrants. The city clerk policy is to only retain records for those who apply via the online portal. The CityKey subpoena indicated the records were sought as part of an immigration enforcement investigation and demanded the clerk turn them over by May 1. The email address listed as the destination for the clerk's subpoena response included the abbreviation for the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and Chicago's Homeland Security Investigations division, the investigative arm of ICE. The task force's website says its mission is to 'target and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations and individuals that threaten U.S. national security and public safety – and address vulnerabilities that exist in the immigration system.' Meanwhile, the ICE subpoena for Streets and Sanitation records asked for forms for all employees confirming they are legally authorized to work in the U.S., a list of current employees and ex-staffers terminated 12 months prior to the subpoena date, payroll data for all employees and their Employer Identification Number, a list of all current city contractors and a list of all staffing companies and their rosters. The Streets and Sanitation subpoena references a 'Form I-9 Inspection,' an ICE audit that concerns whether an employer has complied with verifying its employees' eligibility to work in the U.S. The federal agency's website says employers who 'knowingly hired or continued to employ unauthorized workers' may be subject to civil fines or criminal prosecution. Both the clerk and Streets and Sanitation were warned in the subpoena that a 'failure to comply with this subpoena may subject you to an order of contempt by a federal District Court.' Immigrants and immigrant advocates have raised concerns about federal investigators getting their hands on identifying CityKey documents since the program's 2017 inception. A similar program in New York City raised red flags when Republican lawmakers sued to stop then-Mayor Bill de Blasio from purging applicants' personal information, though that legal challenge failed. Upon the municipal ID's debut, the city pledged not to keep copies of any personal information that applicants provide. But Martinez said the Clerk's Office keeps documents from people who applied for the card via the new online website because of an internal records retention policy concerning data submitted online. For most of CityKey's existence, all applications were processed at printing events where clerk staffers purged the papers on the spot after the ID was produced. Martinez said the online retention schedule, created by working with state officials to comply with the Illinois Records Act, mandates the clerk store CityKey documents submitted online for three years after the ID expires. The card lasts two years for ID holders under 14 years old and five years for recipients between 14 and 64. There is no CityKey expiration for those 65 and up, so their records are never expunged, Martinez said. All of that data is stored with the local software vendor Omicron Technologies, Martinez said, stressing there are multiple disclaimers on the online portal about the document retention. The website asks users to agree to the following: 'By using the CityKey online platform, you are agreeing to allow the Office of the City Clerk to keep a record of all the information you submit during your application process.' Asked whether the Clerk's Office intends to clarify its messaging to online applicants about if their records are safe, Martinez said, 'We actually don't guarantee that.' 'That's been our message throughout, especially once we launched the online platform,' Martinez said. 'We always want to encourage people to go in person if they have any concerns around their identity, whether it's undocumented people, whether it's domestic violence survivors or any other population.' The online disclaimers don't mention those specific groups, however, or the potential risks of their data being stored. The CityKey FAQ section only warns, 'Yes, the information submitted to the online platform is retained according to the City's retention schedule.' 'Protecting people's information is our number one priority,' the FAQ says. 'We worked closely with community advocates, data security professionals, and the City's technology department to create a program that is safe and secure.' In total, 145,825 CityKeys have been issued since its 2017 inception, per numbers provided by Martinez. For the period of time in the ICE subpoena — April 17, 2022, to April 17, 2025 — 87,163 individuals had applied for CityKey, 2,717 of them via the online portal starting in December. During Chicago's migrant crisis that began in 2022, new arrivals often sought official government identification while their federal asylum applications remained in limbo. The municipal ID also serves as a Chicago Public Library card, a Ventra transit pass and a prescription drug benefits card. To qualify for a CityKey, an applicant must provide documentation proving their identity and residency. Immigrants have used their Department of Homeland Security paperwork, passport, birth certificate, consular card or a letter from a nonprofit temporarily housing them. Many of the asylum seekers had come from Venezuela, which does not maintain embassies and consulates in the U.S. due to poor diplomatic relations. But the crowds at the events grew so large that migrants camped outside and fought for spots in line, leading Valencia to implore City Council for help at a budget hearing in October 2023. 'We're beyond the demand,' the clerk told aldermen. 'We're being crushed.' That was also when she floated the online portal.
