City of Evanston
Home MenuEvanston is a Welcoming City
In December 2016, Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and the City Council voted unanimously to reaffirm Evanston’s Welcoming City Ordinance. In October 2017, Mayor Stephen Hagerty signed an updated ordinance, approved unanimously by the City Council, conforming with the Illinois TRUST Act.
The City of Evanston welcomes diversity and believes that all individuals living in or visiting the city of Evanston should be treated fairly and with respect and dignity.
The Welcoming City Ordinance discourages unlawful discrimination and strongly supports the equal treatment of all individuals regardless of national origin. The City finds that achieving and maintaining a community that treats documented and undocumented immigrants with respect and dignity is in line with the public policy of the City and the principles upon which the United States was founded. The Ordinance will promote the general welfare of City of Evanston residents and visitors alike.
The Ordinance states that City officials, staff, and police shall not inquire about a person’s immigration status. It also states that no City agent or agency shall condition the provision of City of Evanston benefits, opportunities, or services on matters related to citizenship or immigration status unless required to do so by statute, federal regulation, or court decision.
Additionally, both Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202 have passed resolutions declaring the districts a “safe haven” for immigrant students. These resolutions protect undocumented students and their families from federal immigration enforcement that is based solely on their immigration status.
View Evanston's Welcoming City Ordinance and 2017 amendments to the Welcoming City Ordinance. To volunteer or donate, please visit Volunteer Evanston.
City Resources
Health and Human Services Department
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
External Resources
Education
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Registration
Evanston Township High School District 202 Registration
Oakton Community College Continuing Education and Workforce Development
Employment Assistance
Evanston Shelter and Soup Kitchen Schedule
Health & Well-being
Erie Evanston-Skokie Health Center
Housing
Human Rights and Immigration Assistance
(ACLU) Know Your Rights: Discrimination Against Immigrants and Muslims
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
Cook County Commission on Human Rights
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Illinois Department of Human Rights
Legal Assistance
CAIR-Chicago (Council on American Islamic Relations)
Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
LAF - Legal Assistance Foundation
Refugee Resettlement Agencies
Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Services
Heartland Alliance Refugee and Immigrant Community Services
Additional Resources
Northwestern University Center for Forced Migration Studies (CFMS)