Although the office for Valley Immigrant Advocates started in 2020, Executive Director and Attorney John Breslin says he’s been focusing on immigration law since 2017. Breslin says there was no one around the Illinois Valley that helped immigrants with legal immigration services. He says they would have to travel out of the county.
VIA has worked with different social service groups like Illinois Valley Community College, the Youth Services Bureau, and Safe Journey’s in Streator to help people who need it. He says although immigrants aren’t always visible, there is a large community of them in the region that need help. He also says they are important to the US.
His office can renew visas, citizenship, and humanitarian visas for people who have been victims of crime. He also says he can help children that are a part of Deffered Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, although right now it can’t happen because of federal court cases.