Local Voices, National Debate: How Chicagoland Views Immigration
Craig Kafura and Beatriz Ponce de León discuss new Chicago Council survey data on immigration attitudes in the Chicago area and what local opinion tells us about one of America's most debated issues.
Jul
16
Erin Hooley / AP
About This Event
Immigration is among the most contested issues in American politics, but what does public opinion look like closer to home? The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, with support from the Walder Foundation and Schreiber Philanthropy, surveyed residents of Cook and Lake counties to find out. How do local attitudes on immigration compare to national trends, and where do they diverge? Where do residents find common ground, and where do potential divides run deepest? Join Craig Kafura and Beatriz Ponce de León for a discussion of the survey’s findings and what they reveal about how immigration is being experienced in the communities closest to home.
This program is made possible by the Walder Foundation and Schreiber Philanthropy.
About the Speakers
Director, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Craig Kafura is the director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, and a Pacific Forum Young Leader. At the Council, he coordinates work on public opinion and foreign policy and is a regular contributor to the public opinion and foreign policy blog Running Numbers.
Beatriz Ponce de León
Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights, City of Chicago
Beatriz Ponce de León was appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to serve as deputy mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights for the City of Chicago in 2023. She previously worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) where she held several roles, including assistant director of the Division of Family and Community Services and chief of staff for the Division of Mental Health.
Construction Alert
Please note that the Randolph Street lobby of the Prudential building, where guests enter for Council events, will be under construction from April through December.
Presenting Sponsors
