JEFFERSON PARK — President Barack Obama will travel to the Copernicus Center in Jefferson Park Tuesday afternoon to discuss his recent executive order on immigration.
The president's trip to the Far Northwest Side is an indication of the special relationship between Poland and America, said Anna Zolkowski Sobor, who is active in Chicago's Polish community.
"It is flattering for the president to include our community," said Zolkowski Sobor, the daughter of immigrants.
An estimated 16,000 Poles are believed to be in Illinois illegally. Chicago is home to one of the largest population of Poles outside Warsaw.
Before he speaks at the Copernicus Center, Obama is expected to take part in a roundtable discussion about immigration mid-morning on Tuesday at the Polish American Association, 3834 N. Cicero Ave., Zolkowski Sobor said.
Legislation is pending in Congress that would allow Poles to travel to America without a visa, as citizens of many other European nations are allowed.
"That is a sore point for many Poles," Zolkowski Sobor said.
Last week, the president outlined plans to provide amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants. He will meet with local community leaders to talk about his plan, the White House said.
A limited number of tickets for the Copernicus Center event were made available to the public Sunday morning, but had been snapped up by 1:30 p.m., Zolkowski Sobor said.
Following the 4:35 p.m. Tuesday event at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., Obama will return to Washington.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
