Illinois Reparations Program Roadblock
FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2019 file photo, Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, proposes a reparations fund during a City Council meeting in Evanston, lll.
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The federal government has asked a judge to halt the United States' first reparations program in Evanston, Illinois. The program, launched in 2021, offers Black residents $25,000 for past discrimination and the lingering effects of slavery. The U.S. Department of Justice called the program “racially discriminatory,” saying it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The program allots more than $20 million over 10 years to eligible residents for home repairs and property expenses. Reparations have been a contentious issue, with differing views on how to address historical injustices.