CHICAGO – A public service announcement campaign designed to encourage Chicago residents to support common-sense immigration policies will begin airing this week on local radio stations WDRV-FM, WWDV-FM, WSHE-FM and WTMX-FM.

Commissioned by two national broadcasters –  Bustos Media, LLC, and Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. – and created by the bipartisan children’s advocacy group First Focus based in Washington, D.C., the My American Story PSA campaign shines a light on the nation’s flawed immigration system and the impact that it has on children, including U.S.-born citizens in Chicago.

“America’s diversity is one its greatest strengths, and we believe every child in Chicago should have a fair shot at achieving their potential,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus. “The President should stop deporting parents and Congress should enact meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that gives children and their families the opportunity to fully contribute to the economy and society. Chicago is home to many immigrant children in mixed-status families.”

More than 4 million U.S. citizen children live with the fear of losing a parent due to detention or deportation, putting their mental health, safety, and future success at risk and increasing their chances of entering foster care. It’s estimated that more than 200,000 U.S. citizen children in Illinois live with at least one undocumented parent.

“Roughly 80 percent of Illinois households that include an undocumented immigrant also includes a U.S.-citizen relative, in most cases, a child,” said Lawrence Benito, CEO of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). “Hundreds of thousands of Illinois children are therefore vulnerable to the devastating effects of detention and deportation. We join with First Focus in calling for policies that will keep immigrant families together and safe.”

In the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court Decision on Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program (DAPA) and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA+), My American Story aims to change the hearts and minds of voters in the Chicago listening area through the stories of children impacted by the nation’s outdated immigration laws.

The radio commercials will be broadcast in Chicago through the end of 2016.

Listen to the PSAs:

Visit ThisIsMyAmericanStory.org for more information.

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First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. First Focus houses the Center for the Children of Immigrants. For more information, visit www.firstfocus.org.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a statewide coalition of more than 130 organizations dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. For more information, visit www.icirr.org.