Latinos charge zoning, building codes force them out of suburban Cicero, Addison. U.S. Justice Dept. has investigated these villages over restrictions on number of people allowed to live in a housing unit. Polish newcomers in rooming houses on city's Northwest Side encounter similar problems. Immigrants have forged roles in politics, business, creating pro-immigration attitude. Chicago economy runs on immigrant fuel, including high-end skills.
Universities cater increasingly to immigrants in engineering, medicine, electronics, business.
Many stay after landing jobs. Still, most start at minimum wage, cleaning hotel rooms, busing tables, manning loading docks. Nearly 29 percent of working poor adults are Latino. But immigrants depend less on welfare programs than native-born. Urban Institute in D.C. says total costs of undocumented immigrants nationwide are offset by taxes they pay.