Latino Policy Forum

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. It was the culmination of decades of activism and persistence by Black leaders like Ms. Opal Lee.

Opal had celebrated on June 19 in her community since she was a girl, and she was already in her late 80s when she set out to make Juneteenth a national holiday. She began walking 2.5 miles a day, representing the 2.5 years it took for news of emancipation to reach Texas, to promote the idea and gather signatures for a petition. After four months, she reached Washington, D.C. and delivered the petition with 1.5 million signatures.

What few knew until deep into her campaign was the other reason June 19 carried such weight for her. On Juneteenth in 1939, when Opal was 12, a white mob surrounded her family's home demanding they leave, then burned it to the ground. It was a hateful act meant to remind them they were not free. However, by dedicating her life to her community, to civil rights, and to making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, Opal reclaimed freedom, for herself, for Black Americans, and for all of us.

Opal Lee's story is a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in fulfilling the promise of Juneteenth.

Illinois college students: Join the LEAD Student Fellowship and gain real-world advocacy, leadership, and policy experience while helping shape the future of higher education. Apply by June 30, 2026
latinopolicyforum.org/education/lead

Join Forum President and CEO, Linda Xochitl Tortolero tomorrow, June 16, for a panel discussion on the impacts of immigration enforcement activity on students, families, schools and communities.

We will also learn about the Right to Learn Act, which seeks to establish a federal grant program to help schools maintain safe, stable, and trauma-informed learning environments when immigration enforcement actions disrupt school communities.

Special thank you to Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García for the invitation to have this important discussion.

Register at: https://bit.ly/448cAnh

As we look ahead, know that the Latino Policy Forum will never stop working for Latino families and advocating for the policies and investments our community needs and deserves.

View our updated 2026 Springfield Agenda to see what we won this legislative session and where our work continues.

https://latinopolicyforum.org/2026-springfield-agenda-update/

ACTION NEEDED BY 5/31/2026: Tell your legislators to sustain food assistance and health coverage for thousands of immigrants!

On April 1, 2026 the federal government cut SNAP benefits for 16,000 lawfully present immigrants in Illinois, including refugees, asylees, survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, and others who have long relied on these programs for their families’ basic nutrition. The same federal changes will also leave 10,000 families with similar statuses without critical access to federal Medicaid starting October 1st.

We need the Illinois General Assembly to step in and make sure families can put food on the table and access critical health care services by ensuring that HB 4831/SB 3167 (Food Assistance for Lawfully Present Immigrants Losing SNAP) and HB 4824/SB 3462 (Sustaining Health Coverage for Humanitarian Immigrants) are included in the final FY 27 budget.

Take action here: https://www.votervoice.net/LPF/campaigns/137748/respond

In Illinois, households with the lowest 20% of family income pay more than twice the percent of their earnings in state and local taxes as those with the top 1%. Enough is enough!

It’s time that Illinois tax the 1% fairly so that low-income and working families are not left to shoulder devastating cuts to critical programs like SNAP and Medicaid alone.

Take action: https://www.illinoisrevenuealliance.org/takeaction/

Last week, community members, advocates, local organizations, and impacted families gathered at the People’s Hearing on Immigration Enforcement in Chicago to document the human impact of federal immigration enforcement on our communities.

Hosted by Hispanic Federation at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, the hearing created space for testimony, truth-telling, and accountability around the lasting effects of detention, family separation, and civil rights abuses tied to Operation Midway Blitz and ongoing immigration enforcement practices.

By uplifting the voices of those directly impacted, we are ensuring these stories are preserved, remembered, and used to demand justice for our communities.