In April 2023, the 19th District Mutual Aid was officially recognized with one central purpose: supporting asylum seekers arriving in Chicago. As buses carrying migrants from states such as Texas, Florida, and Arizona began arriving in the city, volunteers stepped in to fill gaps in housing, food access, and legal support.
The transportation of migrants to northern “sanctuary cities” emerged as a political response to the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Republican governors including Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis, and Doug Ducey coordinated the relocation of more than 100,000 migrants to cities such as Chicago, New York City, Washington, and Philadelphia, often with little communication with local governments.
For sophomore Sophia Piotrowski, the crisis became personal quickly.
“Me and my mom started helping this organization when Venezuelan immigrants came into the city and slept at police stations because there was no other room,” Piotrowski said.
At first, the 19th District Mutual Aid focused on immediate necessities: clothing, food, hygiene products, and temporary resources for newly arrived families. But as immigration enforcement expanded and fear within immigrant communities grew, the organization shifted toward more long-term and proactive support. Volunteers began distributing “whistle kits” and connecting migrants with legal aid and housing assistance.
Over winter break, Piotrowski and her mother became more directly involved through a sponsorship program pairing local families with asylum seekers in need of support. One family in particular stood out to them.
“You could tell some families were in a bit more comfortable of a situation,” Piotrowski said. “But this father solely asked, ‘I need a job. Can you help me with the work permit?’”
Piotrowski helped pay for the father’s work permit application and connected the family with legal assistance. Since then, she and her mother have remained in close contact, helping with everything from paperwork to daily necessities.
“Connecting with this family has meant a lot,” Piotrowski said. “To truly take in their stories of going through the Darién Gap… it’s hard to comprehend how devastating that journey is.”
The Darién Gap, a dense and dangerous stretch of jungle connecting Central and South America, has become one of the most heavily traveled migration routes in the world. Migrants crossing it often face extreme weather, violence, injury, and food shortages.
As immigration policy continues to shift under President Donald Trump’s second administration, Piotrowski said many asylum-seeking families now face even greater uncertainty navigating the court system. Hearings that once focused on asylum claims have increasingly become removal proceedings, where migrants must argue their cases against the Department of Homeland Security while facing the possibility of deportation.
For the family Piotrowski supports, finding legal representation became nearly impossible.
“We called lawyers. There’s none at hand,” she said. “They’re just full.”
Without immediate access to an attorney, Piotrowski and her mother stepped in where they could. Together, they compiled nearly 200 pages of evidence and supporting documents for the family’s case.
The effort helped secure a continuance until 2028.
Their experience reflects a much larger issue unfolding across Chicago’s immigration court system. The Circuit Court of Cook County and surrounding immigration courts have faced increasing backlogs, with some hearings scheduled years after initial filings. At the same time, shortages of immigration attorneys and judges have made legal support difficult to access for many families.
Piotrowski said attending court hearings herself changed the way she viewed the immigration process.
“The lawyer from the Department of Homeland Security had a Zoom option for court,” she said. “I was genuinely horrified at how casually she was going about the whole thing.”
“She was just sitting there, giving ‘suggestions’ to send them to Venezuela with no more thought than a blink of an eye,” Piotrowski added.
For Piotrowski, the experience has also reshaped her own future goals.
“From a young age, kids are always asked what they want to be when they grow up,” she said. “And so many people say they just want to help others.” She said her interest in law first emerged through pop culture, particularly the TV show Suits, but deepened after reading Just Mercy in English class.
“I realized you don’t have to be a rich, arrogant, or selfish person to succeed in law,” Piotrowski said. “You don’t have to be a Harvey all the time, just someone helping someone else.”
For the family she supports, the next steps remain uncertain. Immigration policies continue to change rapidly, and asylum seekers often must navigate complex systems with limited resources and little guidance. Piotrowski said much of her role now involves helping the family understand what comes next and making sure they are not facing the process alone.
Still, she believes small acts of support matter.
The Parker community, she said, continues to offer opportunities for students interested in advocacy and immigration work through organizations focused on social justice and human rights initiatives. Whether through volunteering, fundraising, or legal aid efforts, Piotrowski emphasized that involvement at any level can make a difference.
“Especially right now, there is a need for people to help immigrants,” Piotrowski said. “People who are just looking for the American Dream. Looking to live.”
