Underwood talks immigration, education concerns at DeKalb town hall

DeKALB – A large crowd turned out Thursday to DeKalb High School for legislative updates followed by a question-and-answer session with U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville.

It was all part of a town hall meeting put on by Underwood’s office to help inform and engage residents from across the 14th Congressional District, which includes portions of DeKalb, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties.

Several community members told Underwood they were concerned about actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration since Trump took office in January. Many of the president’s recent actions, including executive orders, have come under intense scrutiny from Democrats, including on immigration, federal departmental staffing and budgets, veterans service, Social security and health care.

“I know how to fight the harm that his policies will inflict on our communities, and I know how to win,” Underwood said. “Because no matter how much he wants to be, Donald Trump is not a king. And nobody elected Elon Musk to anything. I am hyper-focused on making sure that our priorities and voices are strongly represented and our values are protected.”

Underwood said that her commitment to serving residents is stronger than ever, and said she won’t back down from supporting issues that her constituents care about regardless of pressure from the right. She was first elected in 2018 in the middle of Trump’s first term.

Underwood fielded constituent questions on a range of topics, including Medicare, Social Security, U.S. intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle Eastern conflicts, and veterans issues.

Cortland resident Veronica Garcia-Martinez, who works for DeKalb School District 428, questioned what help can be provided to assist the local immigrant community and their concerns.

“I look at beautiful Brown and Black faces all day, beautiful faces who fear that they may go home to a parent not there,” Garcia-Martinez said. “We talk about what are we going to do when our missing community members are gone. But here’s the problem. They don’t have money to pay for lawyers. They don’t have to be provided lawyers. Nobody’s answering the cause when you’re missing.”

In response, Underwood said her office strives to assist residents with any concerns that may arise.

“We do immigration-related case work,” Underwood said. “We work with families across our community every single day in navigating these different agencies and helping people to understand what’s available to them.”

When asked what’s being done to stop Trump and his administration from dismantling the Department of Education, Underwood said efforts are underway to stave off the attacks.

She pointed to ways in which the federal government has traditionally helped pay for supports that students with disabilities need.

“When Donald Trump tries to unlawfully close the department, fire the staff and cut off those ramps, we cannot stand by and just let that happen,” Underwood said. “We take them to court, but they are trying to do other means of eliminating the department. So, we’re getting to ready to embark on something they call ‘appropriation’. ... That is the committee that funds federal programs and offices. My fear is that the House Republicans and Senate Republicans will to try to follow us, too, and try to zero-out this essential department.”

Another topic addressed during the town hall was the influence of big money in politics.

Underwood said she backs fair elections. She said she supports overturning Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lifted restrictions on spending in political campaigns.

“I support legislation to incentivize the small dollar contributions,” Underwood said. “It’s clear to me that real reform is needed. That trust has been deeply broken and the way that we rebuild it is with action.”

When asked if she’s considering running for Dick Durbin’s Senate seat in 2026, Underwood downplayed the idea.

Durbin, 80, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, announced this week that he does not plan to seek reelection to a sixth term.

“It has truly been a great honor to serve as your congresswoman and I certainly am reflecting on ways to continue my service,” Underwood said.