CHICAGO, Illi. (DDN) – In just seven months, an immigration nonprofit collected more than $63 million in Illinois government dollars.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights received more than $63 million in Illinois taxpayer monies between July 2024 and February 2025, according to the Illinois Comptroller vendor payment system.
ICIRR received nearly $4 million in government funds this month for Illinois Welcoming Centers.
The centers, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services, “eliminate systemic barriers that immigrants may have in approaching state services.”
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, proposed that the federal Department of Government Efficiency visit Illinois to investigate this “ridiculousness” and see how tax dollars are actually used.
“The governor is going to do the Springfield two-step. He’s going to do this parlor trick today to say, ‘hey, I came up with some revenues to try to balance his budget,’ but we have … COVID monies [that] are gone, he spent over $3-6 billion on illegal immigration, has a $3.2 billion deficit, and I guarantee you, at 3 a.m. the last night of session, they’re going to be raising your taxes,” said Niemerg.
ICIRR has a helpline, which is advertised on the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU Illinois’ website. Ed Yohnka, the foundation’s director of communications and public policy, indicated that the number was displayed so that people would know where to go if they saw US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
According to the ICIRR website, the hotline allows callers to report ICE activities and/or seek assistance in locating someone in ICE custody.
Niemerg was recently selected as the Republican spokesman for the Illinois House Immigration and Human Rights Committee.
On social media, Niemerg stated that the main cause for the $3.2 billion budget gap is the funding for illegal immigration services.
Pritzker gave his State of the State and budget address on Wednesday, proposing a $55.2 billion spending plan with no tax increases. Part of his address was spent criticizing President Donald Trump’s policies, which the governor believes are concerning.
According to the Illinois Comptroller vendor payment system, the Immigration Project in Normal, Illinois, received more than $500,000 in taxpayer funds between July 2024 and February 2025.
The Immigration Project’s website states that they assist low-income immigrant families in obtaining legal services to “protect themselves from deportation.”
Reference: Immigration group received over $63 million in Illinois taxpayer funds in 7 months
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