IL’s Aging Undocumented Population is Living — and Dying — In the Shadows

By 2030, Illinois could be home to 55,000 people over the age of 65 living without citizenship, according to a 2020 Rush University survey. Despite living in the country for decades and paying taxes, many undocumented seniors (two thirds of which are Mexican immigrants) lack access to federal social safety nets, public housing, and secure employment. According to the Chicago Tribune’s Laura Rodriguez Presa and Injustice Watch’s Carlos Ballesteros, “this generation of immigrants faces the prospect of having lived and died in the shadows.” We sit down with both journalists to understand the uphill battle for thousands of vulnerable older adults.

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