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For more detailed information, please see our list of <a href="/6ba2be16-d1f8-4f56-82e4-7eb4ca706f45" style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-primary);">Priorities</a> or Anabel's <a href="/f2755d06-eb27-4e76-9ac2-eb237380ab33">7 Commitments</a>.

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Each campaign priority is rooted in <a href="/b70d0408-829d-453c-a42f-0a6ab50b65e9" style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-primary);">affordability, public health &amp; safety, and justice.</a>

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Public health and safety is a reflection of how supported or neglected our communities are.It’s never been more clear that many parts of the 7th District have been intentionally abandoned. Whether it is the fact that our district alone holds 26% of all gun violence in the state of Illinois, or that Black and brown youth on the South Side of Chicago do not have the same investments in their education and their futures as young people in wealthier parts of the city do. When we invest in our schools and our youth, while also tackling the financial strain so many families are facing, public health and safety will see a dramatic improvement.

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<h4>Chicago doesn’t change by accident. It changes because regular people step up.</h4>We’re building a team across Austin, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and every neighborhood in IL-7 that’s tired of being ignored and ready to fight for working people.If you believe in affordable housing, fair wages, safer communities, and a government that finally listens to us — we need you.There’s a role for everyone.If you’re ready to make a real impact right here at home, join us.

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Anabel Mendoza, candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District

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<h3>Make life more affordable and expand economic opportunity for all.</h3>I’ll use every tool available to advance equity, expand economic opportunity, and close the racial wealth gap through policies that support homeowners and first-time buyers, entrepreneurs and small businesses, and street vendors.<h4>I will fight to:</h4><ul><li>Expand affordable housing.</li><li>Protect renters from unfair evictions and corporate price exploitation.</li><li>Raise the federal minimum wage so working people can stay in the communities they built.</li></ul>

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There are three core pillars driving my campaign's focus and my plans to tackle the biggest issues within the 7th District and our country: justice, affordability, and public health &amp; safety.

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<h3>Defend our immigrant neighbors and keep families together.</h3>Chicago is a proud sanctuary city. I will use my position in Congress to protect immigrant families who make our communities strong. <h4>I will fight to:</h4><ul><li>Dismantle DHS’s deportation machine, Abolish ICE, and prosecute agents who have violated due process and the constitution. </li><li>Guarantee legal representation so no one is forced to face our country’s punitive and complex immigration system on their own and everyone has access to the resources they need to seek justice.</li><li>Create real pathways to citizenship.</li></ul>

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For too long, working people have been pitted against one another: split by race, immigration status, and even the neighborhoods we call home. We’ve been fed the lie that our communities must compete with each other for what we need.The truth is, our struggles have always been bound together. Every single one of us deserves for our schools to be fully funded, grocery stores in our neighborhoods, and our streets to be safe. When we unite, we can build the kind of leverage that bulldozes through political stagnation, forces change, and unlocks opportunity for all of us. It comes from us: working people coming together and having each other’s backs.

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<h2>Campaign Events Across Illinois’ 7th District</h2>Anabel Mendoza for Congress hosts campaign events throughout Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, including meet and greets, town halls, canvasses, and community gatherings in Chicago, Oak Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. These events are opportunities for voters to meet Anabel, learn about her priorities, ask questions, and get involved in building a people-powered campaign focused on working families, immigrant rights, and accountable government. Event details, locations, and RSVP information are updated regularly on this page.

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It's simple: policies rooted in affordability ensure people have more money in their pockets.Whether you live in Austin or Bronzeville, we are all being crushed by rising costs and a government in DC that is actively working against us. I'm fighting for a future where every family, no matter their zip code, immigration status, race, or background, can put food on the table, has health care, and is paid a living wage.

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Affordability

<h3>Make groceries more affordable and accessible.</h3>Too many West and South Side communities are forced to live in food deserts while corporations raise prices and close stores. <h4>I will work to:</h4><ul><li>Bring federal funding to our state and city to support community- and municipally-owned grocery stores.</li><li>Expand access to fresh food.</li><li>Hold corporate grocery chains accountable for price gouging so that families can afford to eat well where they live.</li></ul>

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<h2>I believe there’s more than enough in this country for everyone to live with dignity.</h2>I was born and raised in Chicago and grew up in West Lawn in a working-class, immigrant, Latino family that defined perseverance. My parents didn’t have four-year college degrees, but they worked tirelessly to provide for our family. My dad managed a Blockbuster and picked up extra shifts wherever he could. My mom worked over two decades at the school my siblings and I attended to ensure we had access to a quality education.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/7a551c0f-4961-4d60-8076-b18fda3a4bec/7a551c0f-4961-4d60-8076-b18fda3a4bec.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1500%2C1161&amp;w=1500" alt="Anabel Mendoza for IL-7 family photo" caption="The Mendozas" align="right" alignwidth="37" tiltdirection="right" variant="base">The MendozasEven with all that effort, there were times where financially, my family was barely hanging on.<h4>When I was a kid, my parents’ bank account hit $9.</h4>I didn’t know it then, but my dad was putting just $2 worth of gas in his tank to get to and from work. My mom would make me and my two older siblings chocolate chip pancakes for dinner because pancake mix was what we had left.What eventually changed my family's circumstances wasn’t luck — it was opportunity: the opportunity my dad had to finally enter into a stable career that paid him a livable wage. The opportunity for my parents to build up their savings, recover their credit, and eventually afford to buy a new car or have repairs on our home done.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/d4456bc0-3b50-4224-a982-1dc4488614ca/d4456bc0-3b50-4224-a982-1dc4488614ca.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1500%2C1050&amp;w=1500" alt="Anabel Mendoza for IL-7 family photo" caption="Mendoza family photo" align="left" alignwidth="42.5" tiltdirection="left" variant="base">Mendoza family photo<h2 style="text-align: left;">Opportunity lifts families up, and every family deserves a fair shot.</h2>Today, too many hard-working families are living paycheck to paycheck, starved of opportunities like fair wages, stable jobs, strong schools, and affordable housing. And while hardworking families are drowning in costs because they’ve lost their health insurance, can’t afford groceries, or aren’t paid a livable wage, Donald Trump and money-hungry politicians are cashing in.&nbsp;That’s why I’m stepping up. Because when I see families working hard and parents trying to do right by their kids, I am reminded of families like my own. I am reminded of my parents. And I would do anything to protect my family against someone who tries to hurt them.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/ac9199cc-84fd-41d8-b5d5-6b79b2788cff/ac9199cc-84fd-41d8-b5d5-6b79b2788cff.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1559%2C1558&amp;w=1500" alt="Photo of the Mendoza family taken on 10-9-2005. A young Anabel is pictured in the center." caption="Mendoza family photo" align="center" alignwidth="35" variant="base">Mendoza family photo

<h3>Lower health care costs.&nbsp;</h3>I will fight for Medicare for All, a universal, publicly funded healthcare system that removes profit from care and guarantees comprehensive coverage for everyone, regardless of income, employment, or immigration status. I will also work to eliminate crushing medical debt and ensure health care decisions are made by patients and their doctors.

These are some of the top priorities our campaign is focused on.

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To join our newsletter and for general inquiries, please fill out the form on this page.For press inquiries, please email: <a href="mailto:info@anabelforcongress.com" style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a>To volunteer, please fill out the <a href="/1218e08d-7182-447e-a354-00b7d915bcbb">form here!</a>To donate by mail, please send a check to Anabel Mendoza for Congress to: PO BOX 21129, Chicago, IL 60621

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<h2 style="text-align: left;">In Congress, I’ll work to:</h2>

<h3>Invest in Chicago’s kids by fully funding public education.</h3>For too long, our public school students, especially on the South and West Sides, have faced disinvestment, overcrowding, and school closures that jeopardize opportunity and growth. <h4>I will fight to:</h4><ul><li>Fully fund our public schools. </li><li>Increase federal dollars and staffing for the Department of Education. </li><li>Provide culturally competent mental health and college-prep support programs for all students. </li></ul>This includes supporting tuition-free public colleges, universal childcare, and expanded after-school and youth employment programs so that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to real opportunity.

<h3>Prioritize safety for everyone in our communities.</h3>True public safety comes from investing in people, not over-policing. This includes expanding gun violence prevention, mental health care, housing stability, and opportunities for young people across Chicago’s West and South Sides. <h4>I will work to:</h4><ul><li>Strengthen proven models for violence prevention.</li><li>Expand opportunities for good-paying jobs.</li><li>Fund culturally competent mental health support, counseling, and mentorship to address root causes and prevent violence before it happens.</li></ul>

Join the Anabel for Congress campaign for a Meet n' Greet at the Oak Park Maze Library on January 14, 2026! Get to know Anabel and her campaign team, meet neighbors, ask questions, and share about your vision for the future of Illinois' 7th District. Kids are welcome!

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<h3>Invest our tax dollars into housing, health care, and public education, NOT genocide abroad and ICE on our streets.</h3>While working families struggle to afford rent, health care, and food, billions of our tax dollars are funneled into expanding militarism, here and abroad. <h4>I will fight to:</h4><ul><li>End blank-check military spending that has fueled genocides abroad.</li><li>Work to abolish ICE and CBP and prosecute agents who have violated due process and the constitution.</li><li>Push to redirect taxpayer resources towards universal public goods: affordable housing, Medicare for All, fully funded public schools, clean energy jobs, and strong social services.</li></ul>

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If policies don't strengthen our most vulnerable communities and move us closer to equity, they aren't rooted in justice.In the 7th District, economic disparity is undeniable and a direct outcome of unjust policies that have predominantly kept Black, brown, immigrant, and working-class communities burdened by hardship no matter how hard they work. The Loop, a mostly white neighborhood, has an average household income well over $100,000, while in Englewood (a neighborhood that is 95% Black) that number drops to roughly $27,000. This is not by accident.Justice means evening the playing field so that ALL communities, no matter their race, zip code, or immigration status, have a fair opportunity to live a safe, dignified, and prosperous life.

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An immigrant rights organizer running to unite &amp; empower working people

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Anabel Mendoza is a lifelong Chicagoan and immigrant rights advocate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. Learn more and get involved.

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Explore the core campaign pillars of Anabel Mendoza for Congress. Learn how she plans to improve affordability, expand opportunity, and empower working people across Illinois’ 7th District.

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Building a stronger, more affordable, and unified future, together. I make these 7 commitments to the People of Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.

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Englewood Meet n' Greet with Anabel for Congress!

Community members in Englewood gathered for a Meet &amp; Greet with Anabel Mendoza, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. The conversation centered on neighborhood priorities, lived experience, and what real investment and accountability should look like in the district. Listening directly to residents in Englewood is a critical part of Anabel’s people-powered campaign and her commitment to governing with, not over, the communities she seeks to represent.

“Anabel’s campaign represents a powerful opportunity for transformative leadership” CHICAGO — Today, Muslims United PAC <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYlVTvEUqM/">announced</a> its endorsement of Anabel Mendoza in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, citing her strong record of advocacy for human rights, justice, and working families. In its announcement, Muslims United PAC highlighted Anabel’s unique ability to connect with voters and build momentum across diverse communities.&nbsp; According to Muslims United PAC, Data for Progress polling shows Anabel has the highest voter conversion rate in this race — when voters hear her message, they move. The organization emphasized that Anabel’s campaign represents a powerful opportunity for transformative leadership, noting that she has demonstrated the vision and courage needed to represent communities often left unheard, and that she now needs the resources to ensure her message reaches more voters.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/d964f25c-a2e2-4307-ab9f-8ce70945210d/d964f25c-a2e2-4307-ab9f-8ce70945210d.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1070%2C1298&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"> “I’m honored to earn the endorsement of Muslims United PAC because this campaign is about moral clarity and real courage. While politicians fund endless war and ignore working families, our communities are demanding justice — from ending U.S. complicity in genocide abroad to guaranteeing health care, housing, and dignity for everyone, regardless of immigration status,” said Anabel Mendoza. “I’m running to challenge corporate power, stand up against Trump’s cruel attacks on immigrant communities and our neighbors, and fight for a future where our government answers to people, not special interests. We don’t need more silence — we need leaders ready to fight.” ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

According to Muslims United PAC, Data for Progress polling shows Anabel has the highest voter conversion rate in this race — when voters hear her message, they move.

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Receives Muslims United PAC Endorsement 

<h3>Reparations are a direct and necessary step to balance the scales, unlock opportunity, and ensure a stronger economy for all of us.</h3>Today, across all measures of well-being –economic, mental and physical– Black Americans consistently rank far behind other communities. This reflects the long-lasting impact of generations of exclusion from economic opportunity, with consequences that affect us all.<h3>In Chicago alone, the median household wealth for a Black family is $0, compared to $210,000 for the median white household.</h3>Getting serious about closing the widening wealth and opportunity gap in our country means investing in true economic repair that acknowledges generations of unpaid labor and lost opportunities, and ensures Black Americans receive the restitution they deserve.Direct cash payments is the most direct solution to closing the wealth and opportunity gap. As the representative for the 7th District, I would introduce and back legislation that would authorize the cash payment of reparations to all Black households that are the descendants of enslaved people. These payments would amount to roughly $200,000: the difference between the median Black household wealth and the median White household wealth nationally.<h3>Reparations would mean roughly $60 BILLION in federal dollars being poured into Chicago's communities.</h3>

JUSTICETrue economic repair to balance the scales, unlock opportunity and ensure we build a stronger economy for all of us. As Congresswoman, I would fight aggressively to deliver reparations for the descendants of enslaved people.

Reparations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, January 6, 2026 Media ContactIvonne Rodriguez, <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a> CHICAGO — In the leadup to the March primary election, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> — a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District — is taking her campaign directly into Black churches across Chicago’s South and West Sides, meeting voters where they are, and listening to their hopes, concerns, and priorities for the future of their communities. Over the past two Sundays, Anabel and her Outreach Director, Reverend Robin Hood, a longtime pastor and community organizer, visited nearly 10&nbsp; Baptist churches and spoke with congregants about unity, justice, and the shared challenges facing Black and Brown communities in some of Chicago’s most historically segregated neighborhoods.&nbsp; Anabel has visited Greater Rock Missionary Baptist Church, St. Timothy House of Prayer, and Anointed Vessel Ministries in Lawndale, followed by Morning Star Baptist Church in Bronzeville, St. Stephenson Church on the Near West Side, New Greater St John MB Church in Garfield Park, and another six churches scheduled for the upcoming weekends.&nbsp; “The moment we’re in requires a fearless leader who will fight to unite our district in the face of efforts to pit us against each other,” shared Anabel Mendoza. “These church tours have been an opportunity for me to listen directly to my neighbors, hear their concerns about rising costs, housing instability, underfunded schools, and lack of economic opportunity, and work together to build an understanding&nbsp; that lasting change comes when Black and Brown communities organize together.”&nbsp; Congregants responded with strong engagement and applause, particularly to Anabel’s message that Black–Brown unity is essential to winning meaningful investments in affordable housing, neighborhood schools, and family-sustaining jobs. Anabel’s church visits mark the beginning of a broader effort to engage faith leaders and congregations across the district, centering the voices of voters who are too often ignored in federal politics and ensuring their priorities shape the campaign’s vision for representation in Congress. Ahead of the March 17 primary, she and Reverend Hood will tour 50 churches across the city’s South and West sides and surrounding suburbs.

In the leadup to the March primary election, Anabel Mendoza — a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District — is taking her campaign directly into Black churches across Chicago’s South and West Sides, meeting voters where they are, and listening to their hopes, concerns, and priorities for the future of their communities.

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Launches Tour of 50 Churches Across Chicago

"We need a fighter in Congress, someone who isn’t going to take ‘No’ for an answer, someone who is going to fight just as hard as this government often fights to fund a genocide abroad and bring that funding here. Because if we have the money to fund a genocide abroad, if we have the money to give ICE and Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/05/trump-got-170-billion-for-immigration-now-he-has-to-enact-it-00439785" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$170 billion of our taxpayer dollars</a>, then I know we have the money to fund our communities.”&nbsp;

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Anabel Mendoza is Youngest Candidate Running for 7th District Congress&nbsp;

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Come get to know congressional candidate Anabel Mendoza, meet neighbors, ask questions and share what the future of IL-07 looks to you!

This campaign will always put people over profits. The disparate impact that pollution and environmental crises have on Black and brown communities on the South and West side of Chicago are evident. We see the consequences in lower life expectancies, chronic diseases and cancer risks, unsafe housing and communities that are still impacted by historical racist policies of redlining, segregation and infrastructure decisions. Signing the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge is a no brainer.

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Signs 'No Fossil Fuel Money' Pledge

CHICAGO — Illinois 7th Congressional District candidate <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> gave a wide-ranging interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxM2JZvguHw">MeidasTouch Networks’ Legal AF</a> and their over 1 million YouTube subscribers, where she spoke about the need for courageous leadership and her legislative priorities if elected to Congress, including lowering costs for working families. During the interview, Anabel also discussed the need to overturn Citizens United to prevent corporate interests from buying our elections. <img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/1ff04e4e-e444-4909-9023-96c19c362b3d/1ff04e4e-e444-4909-9023-96c19c362b3d.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C972%2C520&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="center" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">You can watch the entire interview <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxM2JZvguHw">here</a>.&nbsp; On why she is running in this critical moment for our country: <ul><li>“We are facing existential crises on all fronts. Quite literally, you wake up, you see a news story, and then it's compounded by[...] bad things that are happening across this country and that have been sowing for generations, and I think that's something that is really critical about this moment, and why I'm running right now as opposed to any other time.” </li><li>“I truly believe that these midterms are going to be utilized by this administration as their final opportunity to put the nail in the coffin, to consolidate their power even more, ahead of what I believe is truly a threat of a third term of this administration.” </li><li>“We need to take [Trump’s] lies extremely seriously, because every single time he has lied, he has pushed the bounds and had zero consequences for his actions.” </li><li>“Whoever is elected – and it can't just be any other Democrat – we've seen that being a Democrat doesn't actually mean that you'll have courage in Congress. You have to be a force, and you have to be the right force for this moment, because this is the line of defense that we are going to have in Congress when this administration, and I say when, not if, when this administration threatens its third term.” </li></ul>On confronting corporate capture and lowering costs: <ul><li>“The first one, I think, is overturning Citizens United. That is a major piece of legislation we need to get across, because this is at the core of the corporate capture that we are seeing.” </li><li>“We need to quite literally grab it from the root, take it out and throw it out. This cannot be part of our electoral or political system anymore.” </li><li>“Every vote that I take will be to lower the cost of living for the people who call this district home, and we know that that is going to impact this country.” </li><li>“That looks like, of course, raising the minimum wage. That looks like rent control, making sure that we're holding corporate landlords who continue to price gouge, that continue to raise rents that nobody can afford, accountable.” </li></ul>On building solidarity and our shared future: <ul><li>“Our futures are shared. Our safety is shared. We are really interdependent as communities.” </li><li>“If we don't come to this realization now, if we don't understand that, we have to be able to build true solidarity, and that means actually showing up and putting your body out there, putting your money behind your words. Putting your actions behind your words, that is what's going to actually transform the moment that we're in.” </li><li>“The division is the strategy. The division is what keeps us vulnerable, what weakens our collective power.” </li><li>“If we've learned anything from this moment, I hope the big takeaway is that we cannot survive it if we continue to operate in silos.” </li></ul>### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

“We've seen that being a Democrat doesn't actually mean that you'll have courage in Congress. You have to be a force, and you have to be the right force for this moment.”

ICYMI: Anabel Mendoza Joins MeidasTouch’s Legal AF, Talks Affordability, and Courageous Leadership 

CHICAGO — Following <a href="https://x.com/mattheweadie22/status/2021039075076210735?s=20">reports</a> of new investments in the 7th Congressional District by the <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2024/09/united-democracy-project-2/">American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)’s United Democracy Project </a>— the same <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/pro-israel-super-pac-losing-bet-new-jersey-democratic-primary-rcna257779">super PAC </a>that attempted to tip the scale in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District Democratic primary and failed — <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, released the following statement:&nbsp; “All across the country, AIPAC and their shell PACs continue to pour millions of dollars worth of dark money into our elections with a simple but insidious goal: buy seats, control who's in them, and bankroll genocide, war crimes, and violence here and abroad. All the while, families across our district struggle to afford health care, keep a roof over their head, and put food on the table. Both Melissa Conyears-Ervin’s and Jason Friedman’s willingness to sell this seat to outside interests is exactly what’s broken with our political system. “I’m running to end this cycle because anyone who cannot clearly call a genocide a genocide, reject corporate PAC and special interest money, and stand up to this blatant corruption has no business holding office. Unlike others in this race, my values aren’t for sale. Neither is this seat.” ###<a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

Both Melissa Conyears-Ervin’s and Jason Friedman’s willingness to sell this seat to outside interests is exactly what’s broken with our political system.

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Denounces AIPAC Funding To Buy A Seat In Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFriday, December 12, 2025 Media ContactIvonne Rodriguez, <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a> CHICAGO — Following Congress's failure to pass a 3-year Obamacare subsidy extension, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, released the following statement:&nbsp; “If Congress allows these enhanced ACA tax credits to expire, it will force working families to pay more for health care. For many people, premiums could double overnight — not because anything changed in their lives, but because Washington couldn’t get its act together. These credits allow parents to take their children to the doctor instead of crossing their fingers and hoping no one gets hurt or sick. “Families would be forced to choose between paying for health care, keeping the lights on, or putting food on the table. And on Chicago’s South and West sides, where hardworking families already struggle with access to care and where communities face the largest life expectancy gap in the country, the fallout would be deadly.&nbsp; “I’m running for Congress because our communities deserve leaders who understand our health is not up for debate and will do everything possible to protect us from this reckless dysfunction. Health care is a human right, and it’s outrageous that millions of lives are being jeopardized by political games. Making sure families can afford to go to the doctor’s is the bare minimum.”&nbsp; ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

I’m running for Congress because our communities deserve leaders who understand our health is not up for debate and will do everything possible to protect us from this reckless dysfunction. Health care is a human right, and it’s outrageous that millions of lives are being jeopardized by political games.

“No Excuses”: Anabel Calls on Congress to Protect Families From Skyrocketing Health Care Costs

“Families Should Not Pay the Price for Our Government’s Failures” CHICAGO— New data <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/11/17/cook-county-property-taxes-analysis-treasurer-maria-pappas-downtown-south-west-sides">revealed</a> that residential property tax bills are spiking&nbsp; fastest in neighborhoods in Illinois 7th Congressional District, disproportionately burdening Black families and homeowners on the South and West sides. <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, daughter of immigrants, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, issued the following statement: “The extreme hikes in property taxes are devastating Black families and it is unacceptable. Chicagoans across Englewood, Garfield Park and North Lawndale have already endured decades of deliberate disinvestment and are now being punished for failures they did not create. Those failures belong to our government. When the tax burden shifts from our city’s wealthy downtown and onto long-neglected Black and Brown communities, that’s not by accident —it’s a choice. This will only deepen the financial crisis so many working families are already facing and increase the risk of losing their homes.&nbsp; “In Congress, I will fight to protect families all across the 7th District, from Chinatown to Englewood. We need elected officials who will champion legislation that strengthens homeowner protections, funding to keep families in their homes, and federal oversight so that Chicagoans are not deliberately priced out of their neighborhoods.” ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

Chicagoans across Englewood, Garfield Park and North Lawndale have already endured decades of deliberate disinvestment and are now being punished with extreme hikes in property taxes. In Congress, I will fight to protect families all across the 7th District by championing legislation that protect homeowners, increases federal oversight so that Chicagoans are not deliberately priced out, and funding to keep families in their homes.

As Property Taxes Soar on Chicago’s South & West Sides, Anabel Mendoza Pledges to Protect Homeowners

Join the Anabel for Congress campaign team and our volunteers for an afternoon of gathering petition signatures to get Anabel on the ballot for this election. After wrapping up at 5:00, we'll gather for a pizza picnic in the park to celebrate!

Help Get Anabel on the Ballot with Anabel Mendoza

Thank you to everyone who joined Anabel Mendoza in Oak Park to gather signatures in support of her campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District.

Help Get Anabel on the Ballot: Sunday, September 28th

In Garfield Park between 2020 and 2021, more than 66 young men were shot and killed. During this time period and in neighborhoods like Garfield Park, young men were more than 3 times more likely to be shot and killed than U.S. service members deployed to Afghanistan.<h3>Our neighborhoods should never be more dangerous than a war zone.</h3>We all deserve to feel safe in the cities and neighborhoods we live in. But gun violence continues to claim the lives of too many people, destroying the futures of a tragic number of children and youth, and leaving countless families shattered in its wake. No more "thoughts and prayers." It's time for unapologetic investment in our communities.As your Congresswoman, I will:<ul><li>Drastically increase and sustain funding for violence prevention programs like Chicago CRED that are proven to reduce homicides</li><li>Ban the sale and ownership of assault weapons nationwide and support other common sense gun control laws</li><li>Fight to ban corporate PACs, many of them weapons and gun manufacturers, from our political and election systems. For example, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has donated millions to current Members of Congress who've been bought to represent the NRA's interests, not yours.</li></ul>

PUBLIC HEALTH &amp; SAFETYLives are being stolen by preventable gun violence every single day. Enough with "thoughts and prayers." It's time for unapologetic, bold action to end gun violence in our cities and communities.

Combat Gun Violence

CHICAGO, IL — Today, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, daughter of immigrants, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, stood in solidarity with local faith leaders and community organizers, led by Mennonite Action Chicago, at a major protest outside the Broadview processing center—an infamous de facto detention site long condemned for its inhumane and abusive conditions. The gathering was “the largest crowd seen in Broadview in recent weeks.” More than 21 individuals were tackled and arrested, including several pastors who helped lead the peaceful action throughout the morning. Footage of Anabel being pushed in the crowd while protecting an elderly woman can be found <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@anabelforcongress/video/7572683768696196365?_r=1&amp;_t=ZP-91OzTX3CCti">here</a>. “Broadview has long been a site of cruelty and trauma for immigrant families, and ICE continues to operate with impunity, tearing apart lives and sparking violence in our city without consequence. What we witnessed today was peaceful people of faith calling for dignity and freedom for every single person who continues to be detained inside Broadview, only to be met with force. I stand firmly with our immigrant communities and against any system that criminalizes their existence. This is a moment where we all must ask ourselves: what side of history will we choose to be on? I hope for our collective sake, we continue to stand with each other,” shared Anabel Mendoza. Mendoza also announced that she will be bringing a caravan of interfaith and multiracial faith and community leaders from Chicago’s West and South Side to the Broadview facility on Tuesday, November 18 at 11am CST. For details, please contact <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a>.&nbsp; ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

Broadview has long been a site of cruelty and trauma for immigrant families, and ICE continues to operate with impunity, tearing apart lives and sparking violence in our city without consequence. What we witnessed today was peaceful people of faith calling for dignity and freedom for every single person who continues to be detained inside Broadview, only to be met with force.

Anabel Mendoza Condemns Police Violence in Broadview; Announces Upcoming Faith-Led Mobilization

CHICAGO — Following news reports with more information about the deadly shooting by federal agents of a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62r4g590wqo">37-year old ICU nurse</a> at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, released the following statement:&nbsp; “The killing of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis yesterday was a brutal execution. Footage shows Alex was killed while protecting a woman being harassed by federal agents — killed while caring for others and doing exactly the work he devoted his life to as an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. Nurses are essential caregivers, and I join them in grieving for one of their own. “Here in Chicago we know this terror all too well, where federal agents have stormed through our neighborhoods and left entire communities living in fear. We know it because just months ago we buried Silverio Villegas González, a Chicago-area father and worker, who was also shot and killed by ICE. “With the brutal killing of Alex Pretti coming just weeks after ICE agents shot a mother of three in the face, it’s clear that as long as this system is allowed to operate unchecked, it grows bolder, deadlier, and more unrestrained. Donald Trump and his army of terror must be held accountable. In Congress, I will fight to defund and abolish DHS, ICE, and CBP so they can no longer operate without accountability.” Following news of the killing of Alex Pretti, Anabel <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/man-killed-by-federal-agents-in-minneapolis/amp/">organized a march and rally</a> in Oak Park with over 200 attendees to honor his life and demand accountability from ICE and CBP. Speaking to attendees at the rally, Anabel said:&nbsp; “I will not legitimize state violence or collaborate with systems built to kill our people. And I can assure you one thing: I will use every ounce of power if elected to Congress to shut this machinery down.” ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

The killing of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis yesterday was a brutal execution. Footage shows Alex was killed while protecting a woman being harassed by federal agents — killed while caring for others and doing exactly the work he devoted his life to as an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. Nurses are essential caregivers, and I join them in grieving for one of their own.

A War on Caregivers: Anabel Stands With Nurses After Federal Agents Kill VA Nurse in Minneapolis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, January 5, 2026 Media ContactIvonne Rodriguez, <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a> Chicago— Following the Trump administration’s illegal invasion in Venezuela and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/04/kristi-noem-venezuela-leader-tps-refugee">contradicting statements</a> about the future of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans who sought safety here in the U.S., Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, issued the following statement: “What’s happening in Venezuela is the result of decades of U.S. intervention, greed, and destabilization across Latin America that has displaced millions and driven migration. As the Trump regime escalates its unconstitutional power grab, Venezuelan families here, including the 50,000 living in Chicago, are being told their temporary protections may disappear. Immigration does not happen in a vacuum. When the U.S. fuels violence overseas and bombs other countries, families are displaced and left to seek safety, many of whom migrate to the U.S. only to be met with more violence and terror at the hands of ICE and CBP.”&nbsp;&nbsp; “We cannot continue down the same path we have seen play out in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen and more. If elected to Congress, I will fight to impeach the President for his brazen violation of the U.S. Constitution, uphold and strengthen international law and diplomacy, and use every lever of power possible to make sure our taxpayer dollars go to ensuring communities have access to housing, healthcare, and food, not towards enriching Big Oil and the top 1 percent.”&nbsp; ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

"We cannot continue down the same path we have seen play out in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen and more. If elected to Congress, I will fight to impeach the President for his brazen violation of the U.S. Constitution, uphold and strengthen international law and diplomacy, and use every lever of power possible to make sure our taxpayer dollars go to ensuring communities have access to housing, healthcare, and food."

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Responds to Trump Admin's Illegal Invasion in Venezuela

CHICAGO — In the lead-up to the March primary election, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> — a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District — is continuing to build momentum on the ground by bringing voters together through weekly community meet-and-greet events across the district.Over the past week, Anabel hosted two successful meet-and-greets in Englewood and Oak Park, creating space for residents to connect directly with the campaign, ask questions, and share their priorities for their neighborhoods' futures. The gatherings drew strong participation from community members eager to discuss affordability, ICE out of neighborhoods, housing stability, and the need for bold, courageous leadership in Congress that meets the urgency of the current moment.&nbsp;<img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/bb3b3007-f7f8-4612-8bc7-a73da2d0c92d/bb3b3007-f7f8-4612-8bc7-a73da2d0c92d.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1600%2C1042&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">These weekly meet-and-greets have helped power a competitive people-powered field program that includes daily door-knocking across the district, phone banking, participation in candidate forums, a weekly church tour every Sunday, and ongoing mutual aid events that provide <img src="https://run.imgix.net/2ab673d8-cf1b-4da3-8c1e-8905faef8af0/3aba6913-cb94-4832-b442-d74033e4722a/3aba6913-cb94-4832-b442-d74033e4722a.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C4284%2C5712&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">direct support to families while strengthening community ties.“These meet-and-greets are about showing up, listening, and building real relationships with the people who make up our district,” said Anabel Mendoza. “Too often, communities are talked at instead of listened to. My campaign is focused on creating spaces where voters feel seen, heard, and part of the movement to&nbsp; shape the future we’re fighting for together.”Attendees responded with enthusiasm and thoughtful dialogue, particularly around Anabel’s commitment to uniting working-class communities and fighting for investments in affordable housing, strong public schools, and good-paying jobs that help sustain families. The events reflect a broader campaign strategy centered on accessibility, grassroots engagement, and meeting voters where they are.With more meet-and-greets and community events planned in the coming weeks, Anabel’s campaign will continue to expand its outreach across Chicago’s South and West Sides and throughout the 7th District.

These weekly meet-and-greets have helped power a competitive people-powered field program that includes daily door-knocking across the district, phone banking, participation in candidate forums, a weekly church tour every Sunday, and ongoing mutual aid events that provide direct support to families while strengthening community ties.

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Hosts Weekly Meet and Greets Across District

CHICAGO, IL — Today, <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a>, a lifelong Chicagoan, daughter of immigrants, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, stood in solidarity with local faith leaders and community organizers, led by Mennonite Action Chicago, at a major protest outside the Broadview processing center—an infamous de facto detention site long condemned for its inhumane and abusive conditions. The gathering was “the largest crowd seen in Broadview in recent weeks.” More than 21 individuals were tackled and arrested, including several pastors who helped lead the peaceful action throughout the morning. Footage of Anabel being pushed in the crowd while protecting an elderly woman can be found <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@anabelforcongress/video/7572683768696196365?_r=1&amp;_t=ZP-91OzTX3CCti">here</a>.“Broadview has long been a site of cruelty and trauma for immigrant families, and ICE continues to operate with impunity, tearing apart lives and sparking violence in our city without consequence. What we witnessed today was peaceful people of faith calling for dignity and freedom for every single person who continues to be detained inside Broadview, only to be met with force. I stand firmly with our immigrant communities and against any system that criminalizes their existence. This is a moment where we all must ask ourselves: what side of history will we choose to be on? I hope for our collective sake, we continue to stand with each other,” shared Anabel Mendoza. Mendoza also announced that she will be bringing a caravan of interfaith and multiracial faith and community leaders from Chicago’s West and South Side to the Broadview facility on Tuesday, November 18 at 11am CST. For details, please contact <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a>.&nbsp; ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

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From Chicago to Palestine: Community Listening Session with Anabel Mendoza

Anabel Mendoza joined community members in Chicago for a listening session focused on shared struggles, solidarity, and collective action across communities in Illinois’ 7th District. It is tied to our lives here in Chicago in ways seen and unseen and connected to the deep injustices working people all across the 7th District face.

From Chicago to Palestine: A Community Listening Session

Chicago — In response to Kristi Noem’s <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/dhs-secretary-kristi-noem-to-attend-christmas-tree-ship-tradition-at-navy-pier/3859639/">photo op</a> at Chicago’s "Christmas Tree Ship" today, Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, issued the following statement: “Kristi Noem’s appearance in Chicago is a slap in the face to working families already stretched thin while her administration pours more than <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group">$200 million</a> of taxpayer money into flashy ads.&nbsp; Here in Illinois’ 7th District — from the West Side to the South Side — our story is written by immigrants, laborers, organizers, and families who built this city block by block. Yet Noem and the Trump administration paint Black and brown immigrants as threats instead of recognizing them as neighbors who keep our city running. “Chicagoans see boarded-up schools, food deserts, buses that never arrive, and parents working two jobs just to pay rent. Noem shows up for staged photos and political theatrics, bright lights, and scripted lines, expecting applause. That is not leadership. It is performance. And in the 7th District, where residents face ongoing neglect and broken promises from their elected officials, we recognize an act the moment it steps onto the stage. One thing is clear: if elected to Congress, I am not joining the circus; I am turning on the lights, fighting for our communities, and ending the show.”### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

“Kristi Noem’s appearance in Chicago is a slap in the face to working families already stretched thin while her administration pours more than <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group">$200 million</a> of taxpayer money into flashy ads.&nbsp; Here in Illinois’ 7th District — from the West Side to the South Side — our story is written by immigrants, laborers, organizers, and families who built this city block by block."

IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza to Kristi Noem: Chicago Isn’t Your Stage

CHICAGO — Amidst a violent and deadly pattern of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents terrorizing communities nationwide, including the recent murder of Renee Nicole Good and the cruel detention of a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/us/minnesota-liam-conejo-ramos-ice-detained">5-year-old preschooler</a> and his father in Minneapolis, seven House Democrats joined a <a href="https://time.com/7357264/ice-funding-bill-dhs-congress/">220-207 vote</a> to pass $10 billion in additional funding to ICE. In total, the bill allocates over $64 billion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).&nbsp; The seven House Democrats who voted for the DHS spending bill include Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi of New York, Jared Golden of Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. In response, IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza released the following statement:&nbsp; “Sending even one more penny to an agency that is murdering people in our streets, ripping families apart, and kidnapping preschoolers like 5-year-old Liam Ramos is not just immoral; it is unconscionable. Last year was the deadliest in decades for people in ICE custody, with at least 32 deaths. In just the first weeks of 2026, we have already mourned another 6 lives.”&nbsp; “Every single Member of Congress who voted yes today has chosen death over dignity, violence over common sense, and division over justice. There is no plausible excuse for enabling state-sanctioned terror with taxpayer dollars. They should be gone from office, because if you cannot recognize that funding an agency that shoots mothers and fathers and detains children is an unacceptable use of public funds, you do not deserve to serve. Congress should be wielding every ounce of its power to pass bold legislation like Congresswomen Delia Ramirez and Yvette Clarke’s Melt ICE Act, and to finally end this cycle of cruelty once and for all.”&nbsp;### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

Sending even one more penny to an agency that is murdering people in our streets, ripping families apart, and kidnapping preschoolers like 5-year-old Liam Ramos is not just immoral; it is unconscionable. There is no plausible excuse for enabling state-sanctioned terror with taxpayer dollars. If you cannot recognize that funding an agency that shoots mothers and fathers and detains children is an unacceptable use of public funds, you do not deserve to serve.

Anabel Mendoza on DHS Funding Bill: Every “Yes” Vote was a Vote for Death Over Dignity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, December 9, 2025 Media ContactIvonne Rodriguez, <a href="mailto:ivonne@anabelforcongress.com">ivonne@anabelforcongress.com</a> CHICAGO— Today, a candidate forum in Oak Park for the Illinois 7th Congressional District, which focused on health care and health equity, took place without the voices of youth, Gen-Z, or immigrant communities. After being denied the opportunity to participate, Anabel Mendoza, a lifelong Chicagoan, immigrant rights organizer, and the youngest candidate running in IL-07,&nbsp; released the following statement: “As the youngest and only candidate in Illinois’ 7th District who brings deep expertise in the immigrant rights movement, I’m deeply disappointed to be excluded from today’s health care forum — not for myself —but for the voters who deserve a full, honest conversation about their future. It is not lost on any of us that the deliberate exclusion of this perspective from tonight’s forum comes at a time when our communities are experiencing a full-scale assault on our access to health care and on our immigrant neighbors by the Trump Administration.” “Chicago’s South and West Sides, including Oak Park, are home to hardworking families, diverse neighborhoods, and immigrant communities whose experiences with health care access and affordability must be part of the discussion, not excluded from it. Our district deserves to hear from leaders who understand firsthand what it means to navigate systems not built for us. Voters deserve transparency, fresh ideas, and to know that democracy will be upheld at even the most basic level, including in these forums.”&nbsp; The Anabel for Congress will be hosting its own town hall on health equity, bringing together health care experts across IL-07 and community leaders, on December 19th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. ### <a href="https://www.anabelforcongress.com/">Anabel Mendoza</a> is a community organizer, immigrant advocate, and the youngest candidate running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. A lifelong Chicagoan and the proud daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, she has dedicated her career to fighting for working families, immigrant rights, and a government that serves people, not corporations. She’s running to bring unity, honesty, and courage to Washington. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.anabelforcongress.com">www.anabelforcongress.com</a>

“As the youngest and only candidate in IL-07 who brings deep expertise in the immigrant rights movement, I’m deeply disappointed to be excluded from this health care forum —not for myself—but for the voters who deserve a full, honest conversation about their future. It is not lost on any of us that the deliberate exclusion of this perspective from this forum comes at a time when our communities are experiencing a full-scale assault on our access to health care and against immigrants.