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Stephanie Altman, the Shriver Center’s director of healthcare justice and senior director of policy, discussed the detrimental effects that defunding Medicaid would have on public health and financial stability in Illinois. She highlighted the potential strain on underfunded hospitals serving low-income communities.

Andrea Kovach, a senior attorney for healthcare justice, warned that eliminating a state-run Medicaid-like health care program for immigrant adults would have a devastating impact on individuals and families across the state. “Cancer doesn’t care what someone’s immigration status is. Diabetes doesn’t go away because someone has a particular immigration status. So the cost will still be there,” Kovach said.

Wendy Pollack, the founder and director of the Shriver Center’s Women's Law and Policy Initiative, talked to NPR’s Andrea Hsu about the Trump administration’s reversal of the 1965 executive order forbidding most federal contractors from using discriminatory hiring practices. Pollack, a former union carpenter, said the “end of the executive order sets the stage for a very dire situation for women and people of color.”

An Illinois judge ruled against landlords who threatened to call ICE on tenants. The decision was based on a 2019 law passed by Gov. JB Pritzker that protects renters from retaliation based on their immigration status. Samir Hanna, the director of housing justice, told the USA TODAY that in states without these safeguards, landlords are more likely to mistreat immigrant tenants, "particularly as our current climate creates incentives for abuse.”

The Shriver Center is proud to announce it will share office space with coalition partners Women Employed. Starting in December, the staff of Women Employed (WE) will join us at 67 East Madison Street, Suite 2000, in downtown Chicago. The move allows both organizations to spend less on overhead costs and invest more in programmatic work.

Today the Shriver Center on Poverty Law released its 2023 annual report, Changing Rules. Changing Lives. This year’s report highlights the organization’s continued commitment to end systemic inequities and push for policies that bring justice and opportunity to everyone.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law today announced 25 Fellows for its 2024 Racial Justice Institute (RJI). Now in its 11th year, the innovative leadership development program brings together anti-poverty advocates from around the country to learn new tools to advance racial equity.  

This one-day event marks the 60th year of the war on poverty. That national commitment led to the Shriver Center on Poverty Law’s formation under Sargent Shriver.

A new ordinance passed today by the Chicago City Council will double the minimum number of paid days off available for Chicago workers, making the city the first in the country to offer paid time off.

In the face of a deeply polarized nation, this election has brought profound emotions and urgent questions about how each of us is seen and valued. For many of us who identify as people of color, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or allies in the fight for justice, this moment can feel jarring. But it is also a call to action and an opportunity.

Statement from Audra Wilson, President and CEO of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law

We applaud the Chicago City Council Workforce Development Committee for voting earlier today, 13-2, to expand our city’s current paid time off requirements.