Lilian Jiménez is a labor rights and immigration lawyer and life-long social justice advocate born and raised in Chicago.

Lilian was elected to the Illinois state legislature in November 2022.

Lilian began her career running leadership and advocacy programs in Humboldt Park, West Town and Hermosa working at Erie Neighborhood House, Association House of Chicago and UNITE! She also provided leadership training to young parents at Talcott, Chase and José de Diego Academy before going to law school.

Lilian is the child of a father from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, whose family has Humboldt Park roots dating to the 1950s. The family originally migrated to Lincoln Park, moved west to Humboldt Park and then south to work in the steel mills. Lilian grew up in the Southeast side and came back to Humboldt Park as an adult. She now lives in West Humboldt Park on Lawndale and LeMoyne with her husband and 3 year old son.

Her mother migrated from Tampico, Mexico as an unaccompanied minor and lived undocumented for almost 40 years. When Lilian’s mother was faced with a deportation in 2006, Lilian faced a turning point in her life and decided to attend law school to protect her mother’s rights and dedicate her life to defending civil and human rights.

Prior to being elected as State Representative in November 2022, Lilian served in the Governor's administration as the Director of the Office of Welcoming Centers for Immigrant and Refugee Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services, where she worked closely with community based organizations to implement millions in rental assistance, social services and COVID recovery programs.

She previously served as Chief of Staff for Jesus “Chuy” García in his Cook Cook County Commissioner role, where she directed legislative efforts to pass the first-ever county-wide paid sick leave legislation, worked on the expansion of the County’s sanctuary and welcoming policies and led the office’s efforts on bond reform, the precursor to the Pretrial Fairness Act.

She also served as the Director of the Fair Labor Standards Division of the Illinois Department of Labor. At the Illinois Department of Labor, Lilian instituted the first ever U-visa policy to assist victims of workplace abuse. Lilian targeted the exploitation of temp workers and increased fines for wage theft and domestic labor abuses.

Jiménez is a strong legislator because she has experienced barriers such as poverty, disinvestment and discrimination first hand and has dedicated herself to eliminating those barriers for others. As a mother and member of this community, she is committed to keeping the 4th District affordable, safe and welcoming for working families, immigrants and long-time residents.