Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson earlier this month appointed Beatriz Ponce de León to the newly created position of Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights.

According to an ABC 7 Chicago report, Ponce de León comes to the position from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and Johnson lauded her arrival as “an excellent addition to our team” and noted it will help the administration take on the state’s immigration issues.

"Beatriz is an excellent addition to our team, and I am looking forward to working with her to provide these vital and culturally vibrant communities the resources they need to thrive in our city,” Johnson told ABC 7.

Moreover, according to the ABC 7 news report, Ponce de León is poised to jump into her work with both feet.

"As the daughter of immigrants and a lifelong Chicagoan, it is a distinct honor to serve in this first-ever role,” she said, according to ABC 7. “I thank Mayor Johnson for having the vision and valor to create this position so we can better serve our immigrant, migrant and refugee communities."

Moreover, a news release from Johnson’s office noted that Ponce de León offers a breadth of experience on key issues that relate well to the position, including immigration rights and integration, bilingual education, language diversity and education equity.

In her most recent role with IDHS, according to the news release form the mayor’s office, she served as chief of staff for the Division of Mental Health, assistant director for the Division of Family and Community Services, and Healing Illinois Project Manager.

The mayor’s office news release also indicated that she was key to the department’s development and launch of projects, driving staff capacity and leadership and helping with the state’s support efforts for asylum seekers.

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Johnson’s administration is focusing on a plan that would offer six months of rental aid for more than 6,500 migrants and earmark $15 million to combat homelessness.

According to the report, Johnson’s proposal would be an effort in concert with Cook County and state government amid a continued flow of migrants into the area.