Day laborers across Chicago are facing heightened risks, from unsafe job conditions to wage theft to the increased threat of ICE raids. With workers gathering on street corners and parking lots to find day jobs, they are more exposed than ever to exploitation, violence, and unlawful deportation. These are the same workers who keep our city running, yet they are offered no safe or stable place to seek work.
That’s why we’re urging the City of Chicago to allocate $500,000,just a tiny fraction of the city budget to launch a Safe Hiring Site pilot. This city-run, community-rooted hub would provide protected worker-employer matching, job training, and a safe alternative to street-corner hiring. It’s a proven, cost-effective strategy used in cities like Dallas and Plano, and it’s one of the most direct ways Chicago can keep immigrant workers safe from ICE, reduce exploitation, and strengthen our communities.
Take Action
Take 2 minutes to contact your alderperson and ask them to support the Safe Hiring Site Pilot in the 2026 Budget.
Your voice matters. When elected officials hear from residents, they listen.
- Find your alderperson here.
- Look up your ward’s email address here
- Call and email asking them to support Safe Hiring Sites now.
By taking action, you are standing with day laborers who face daily risks simply to feed their families. You are helping build a Chicago where safety, dignity, and opportunity belong to all of us—not just some.
Call Script
Hi, my name is (Your Name), and I’m a resident of (your Ward/Neighborhood) with [organization name]. I’m calling to ask Ald. [Last Name] to support funding the Safe Hiring Site Pilot in the 2026 city budget. Safe Hiring Sites are physical structures near known corner hiring sites and would provide a stable, and dignified place for Chicagoans to seek work safely, with fair wages, basic needs, and access to job training programs. For 3 months, federal immigration enforcement targeted day laborers, the time is now to seek protections for day laborers before they come back in March.
This small investment—less than 0.003% of the city budget—will make a real difference for workers, businesses, and our community. Will (Alderperson name) support our community by ensuring Safe Hiring Sites is included in this year’s budget?
Thank you.
Email Template
Dear (Alderperson name),
My name is (name), and I live in (Ward/Neighborhood). I’m writing because I am deeply concerned about the safety and dignity of day laborers in Chicago.
Day laborers on hiring corners are facing aggressive ICE raids and being targeted simply for trying to work. There are also documented cases of off-duty Chicago police detaining, beating, and harassing migrant workers. This has become a human rights crisis.
That’s why I strongly support the Safe Hiring Site Pilot, proposed by Latino Union of Chicago and Raise the Floor Alliance, which would fund a supervised, city-run hiring center in the 2026 budget.
Safe Hiring Sites are physical structures placed near known corner hiring sites and would provide a stable, and dignified place for Chicagoans to seek work safely, with fair wages, basic needs, and access to job training programs. For 3 months, federal immigration enforcement targeted day laborers, the time is now to seek protections for day laborers before they come back in March.
A Safe Hiring Site would:
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Protect workers from ICE targeting
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Provide safe employer-worker matching
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Offer training and support to workers and small, immigrant-owned businesses
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Reduce violence and illegal detentions by formalizing hiring corners
I urge you to support the Safe Hiring Site Pilot in the 2026 City Budget. This is a small, smart investment—less than 0.003% of the budget—that will make our city safer, fairer, and more dignified for everyone.
Chicago should value all its workers, regardless of immigration status. We have the opportunity to choose dignity over fear and protection over abuse.
Will you commit to supporting this pilot and helping ensure it is included in the 2026 budget?
Thank you for your time and leadership.
Sincerely,
(Name)
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