Links of Interest
We hope everyone is enjoying this very mild winter weather! Here is some of what we read this week.
Immigration
- Sen. Shumer (D-NY) has sent a letter to DHS and ICE, urging that some immigrants be given a temporary “deferred action” legal status which would allow them to work while the deportation of higher priority criminal cases are processed first, under new immigration initiatives.
Criminal Justice Reform
- The Springfield Journal Register reports on efforts to reduce the prison population in Illinois.
Community Justice:
- The Wall Street Journal blogs about impending lay-offs in legal services. Last fall, Congress slashed the Legal Services Corporation budget by nearly 14%, seriously affecting LSC’s ability to fund local legal services. LSC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, funds three programs in Illinois: Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc., and Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., and is the largest funding source for civil legal-aid for low-income Americans.
Other Links of Interest:
- A graduate student in architecture at IIT has made a jigsaw puzzle inspired by the new ward map in Chicago. The City Council approved the new ward map—41 yes votes to 8 no votes—January 19th.