Kalish Fights to Protect Immigrant Tenants from Housing Intimidation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To create protections for immigrant families that rent homes, state Rep. Yehiel “Mark” Kalish, D-Chicago, is supporting legislation that would establish state-level protections to ensure landlords are not able to threaten or evict tenants based on their immigration status.

“The hateful rhetoric and policies being pushed by Donald Trump are causing immigrant families in my community to live in fear of being evicted,” Kalish said. “Our community’s greatest strength is diversity. It’s critical that we stand together with immigrant families and fight to create protections for them at the state level.”

Kalish is backing Senate Bill 1290, which creates the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act. The legislation would restrict the ability of a landlord to threaten, evict or punish a tenant based solely on their actual or perceived immigration or citizenship status. If a landlord violates the act, the tenant may bring a civil action to seek attorney’s fees, civil penalties up to $2,000 and damages for injury or loss.

“Every family deserves to feel at peace in their home,” Kalish said. “By prohibiting landlords from using someone’s perceived or actual immigration status as a scare tactic we can help make sure that all families in our community feel welcome.”