Who we Are
ICDI (Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants) supports and guides asylum seekers through the US immigration system and helps them integrate into our communities with trauma-informed case management and a welcoming spirit.
Our Story
On a snowy morning in January of 2007, Royal Berg an immigration lawyer and two Catholic Sisters of Mercy – Sr. JoAnn Persch and Sr. Pat Murphy – stood outside the Broadview Immigration Staging Center and discovered the horror of family separations because of deportation. The experience of that day compelled them to be present every Friday at 7:15 am and to attempt to get inside to pray with those being deported.
With the help of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights also known as ICIRR, a bill to mandate access to provide spiritual care for immigrants in detention was entered into the Illinois House and Senate.
Leaders of all faiths came together with the shared belief that spiritual care and visitation were a human and religious right of immigrants in detention. This was the beginning of the ICDI. The bill HB4613 passed unanimously in the Illinois House and Senate on November 20, 2008, and became law in June 2009.
OUR VISION
ICDI envisions and advocates for a world in which everyone, regardless of national origin, has basic human rights, including livelihood, family unity, self-determination, and physical and emotional safety.
Our MISSION
- Provide recently arrived immigrants with essential goods and services to meet urgent humanitarian needs
- Develop community-based, community-supported housing for asylum seekers
- Provide wraparound case management services and resources needed to establish self-sufficiency
Our Values
Self-Determination
All people have the right to self-determination including the right to migrate and the right to stay in safety.
Solidarity
Effective solidarity is compassionate collaboration through humility, listening, and reflection.
Systemic Justice
A just system is based on standards of equity and inclusion and uplifts the dignity and identities of all people.
Recent Recognition & Awards
- Guidestar/Candid Platinum Transparency 2024
- Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice Recognition Award (2024)
- ICIRR: Everyday Hero Award (2023)
- Guidestar/Candid Platinum Transparency 2023
- Freedom for Immigrants: Reverend John Guttermann Legacy Award (2022)
- GuideStar: Gold Level Transparency Award (2021)
- NBC Universal: Strengthening Communities through Innovative Solutions Award (2020)
- National Immigrant Justice Center Joseph and Jean Sullivan Award Award for Social Justice (2019)
- MacArthur Foundation Staff Award: Focus on Justice (2019)