>> As the city deals with the aftermath of aggressive immigration enforcement.

Some advocates say reform is needed now more than ever.

Both Republicans and Democrats say the immigration system needs change.

But for decades there's been no agreement about how to fix it.

While some say there are enough legal pathways for people to become citizens, others argue for tougher restrictions to discourage illegal immigration.

Joining us to talk more about this, our Matthew saw runs vice president of policy and advocacy at World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization and on zoom states.

Senator Andrew Chesney, a Republican whose district includes Freeport in Western Illinois.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

First, I want to get your reaction from both of you.

How do you think we got to this point with, you know, aggressive immigration raids in the city.

Lawmakers, though, still unable to pass any policy changes after decades.

Matthews, Torrance, first to you.

Yeah.

I mean, I think there's there's many without the critical of what some of the Trump administration is doing with enforcement.

But I do think actually the root problem here is the lack of action by the Congress under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

>> For decades to address a system that has been dysfunctional for decades has not provided adequate legal immigration pathways to meet the needs of our nation's labor markets that has come, family separated and I think we're seeing some of the impacts of that now with enforcement strategy that unfortunately has gone well beyond just going after those.

I think most of us would like to see detained or deported people been convicted of violent crimes who are public safety threat and going far beyond that, it's only about 5% of people nationally who are detained right now who've been convicted of a violent crime.

Senators has the same question.

You have think we got here.

>> President Biden open up the borders and allowed 20 million illegal immigrants to enter into our communities.

That is created total chaos and Republicans have correctly said for many years that this was going to create dysfunction in our communities and the cleanup of the Biden administration's open border policies has has created has created a little bit of controversy, but Republicans have correctly argued for a long time that we needed to have a secure border.

We are a nation of laws and they need to be enforced when those are not enforced.

You are now asking the new administration to enter into communities and correctly evict those that are in this country illegally.

And so if if people are scratching their head, how we got there, they shouldn't be because Republicans have been saying for multiple years under the Biden administration that this was going to happen and and create the challenges that we're presently seen President Trump has also as of late added some new restrictions on refugees lowering the annual limit map down to 7500, which is the lowest in history.

>> What's been the impact that you're seeing in your work?

Yeah, I mean, we're devastated world relief.

You know, we have worked here in Chicago and across the country to resettle refugees in partnership with many local church is more than 200 local churches here in Chicago and alone.

>> And lots of volunteers.

And this is clear, a lawful immigration process.

It's goes back to a law passed with unanimous support U.S.

Senate in 1980, we've had years since that law was passed in 18, 80 when we've had the refugee ceiling set by presidents like President Carter or President Reagan, President George HW Bush at 140,000 or higher.

And so to go down to 7,500 and what we're seeing now is sole focus on particular group from South Africa who I think the argument that they meet legal definition of refugee, some of those flood well-founded fear of persecution is is strained and you're looking white afrikaner.

there's folks we'd be happy to welcome for illegal immigration.

But it's not they don't meet the definition of refugee and whose excluded by that.

Our people persecuted for their faith, the Christian faith rather than just minority groups.

People who've been allies of the U.S.

military and are at risk as a result of people fleeing the war in Ukraine and Sudan and other countries.

And so we would really like to see this, you know, legal form of migration increased.

And also it's opportunity to meet the needs of the labor market challenges in state at a time when food prices are going up in part because of challenges agricultural labor sector senator chose me.

You and some of your Republican colleagues you all been pushing for repeal of the Illinois Trust Act.

This is the one that prevents local law enforcement from.

>> Collaborating with federal immigration agents in Illinois.

How do you think that will address the immigration challenges the state faces?

>> Well, Governor Pritzker rolled out the red carpet for legal immigrants and it's driving down U.S.

citizens wages and those legal immigrants are living in entry level housing or low-income apartments, which is creating the shortages that were seen today.

And so you want to increase supply before court, the illegal immigrants that have.

Have entered into this country legally.

And so we're we've seen the challenges on the trust act is when it comes to the coordination to removing those those criminal aliens from our communities, which is become much of a challenge and Governor Pritzker is putting up put up significant roadblocks or seen primarily in liberal areas like Cook County that refused to cooperate with even the worst offenders be on the offense of being an illegal immigrant.

>> Senator, are you saying, you know, deportation, wholesale of people who've entered the country illegally who are undocumented?

Maybe some who've been here who knows how Long, 10, 20 years or just you know what the department Homeland Security saying, you know, the the worst, those who have significant criminal backgrounds.

>> What we're saying is is that regardless of how long you've and you've been in this country a legal illegally, you're an illegal immigrant.

And if you're committing crimes above and beyond your immigration status, we still have challenges of of that coordination.

And we are unable in many cases to court date with their local authorities to remove these people from our country.

And so the trust act exacerbated that that problem and made it even more difficult than it already is to remove these people from our country.

And so I don't see much of a distinction that if you're here for 5 years, 8 years or one month, if you entered into this country legally, we have a responsibility as a nation to remove you from this country because there are millions of people that are waiting in line trying to do this the correct way to enter into this country and that that process is being litigated.

>> In many cases by those that don't want to follow rules and just want to sneak into our country.

>> That's where and when say to that, yeah, I mean, I think it's important to know that there are a lot of people, but a million and half people at least who were here lawfully a year ago who've had their legal protections taken away and have gone into that category of being unlawfully present.

These are people who were sponsors in places like Ukraine or Venezuela or Cuba.

Haiti fleeing really humanitarian crises.

you know, those people then lose their status looser, work, authorization, employers, you're out of luck.

Their churches are struggling because people are free to go to church.

Now for those who come unlawful into the country, we think it's appropriate.

There's a penalty for that.

And there have been bipartisan proposal Congress that would say there should be a penalty for overstaying.

A visa are crossing the border unlawfully.

There's a bill from Congress.

Juan Salazar, Republican of Miami and the House right now that we do that the Dignity Act.

It's similar to what George W Bush proposed 20 years ago of Barack Obama Post back in 2013.

We think that's an appropriate consequence.

And I if you look at the polling, the vast majority Americans and both evangelical Christians, which is base.

That was relief.

think that that's a good solution to the situation because it would keep families together say about the violation of laws, a problem.

There's a penalty but to separate families on a huge scale.

I mean, there 45 million U.S.

citizen, minor children in this country who have at least one parent who is vulnerable to deportation.

And we're starting see the effects of and that's where we'll have to leave it.

Certainly a conversation that would like to keep having for now.