Hernandez Backs Legislation to Protect Immigrant Families from Rental Discrimination

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, is supporting legislation that would put protections in place to ensure landlords cannot discriminate against their tenants based on an immigration status, giving immigrants renting their homes a peace of mind.

“Parents have a thousand things going through their minds every single day. Now imagine trying to juggle bills and work while fearing that at any moment your family could be thrown onto the streets because your landlord found out you were undocumented,” Hernandez said. “It’s up to us at the state level to fight against Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric and dangerous agenda, making sure immigrant families aren’t hurt more than they already have.”

Hernandez is supporting House Bill 5519, which would prohibit landlords from requiring a tenant to disclose his or her immigration status. The measure would also forbid landlords from intimidating, harassing, or evicting a tenant because of his or her immigration status. According to advocates, the Hernandez-backed proposal does not prevent landlord from evicting a tenant for currently laid-out reasons such as failure to pay rent, but simply attempts to address current gaps in housing guidelines.

“There are multiple bills making their way through the General Assembly which would protect and expand the rights of immigrants,” Hernandez said. “It is my hope that Governor Rauner comes out from the shadows where he has been since the repeal of DACA, and work with us to protect Illinois’ diverse immigrant community. Families deserve to be kept together.”