Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson will moderate a town square meeting March 23 at Aurora University that will explore one of the top issues of this year’s presidential campaign: immigration reform.

The panel discussion, titled “Immigration Reform in the Land of Opportunity,” is part of Aurora University’s “Celebrating Arts & Ideas Series” and is free to the public. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, in the Crimi Auditorium of the Aurora University campus.

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“As the presidential election intensifies, so too does the rhetoric over immigration reform,” AU says in its promotional flyer. “In recent years, many opinions about immigration reform have been voiced and solutions have been proposed. This event features the perspectives of thought leaders in the fields of education, public policy, health care and business.”

Those thought leaders include:

• Clarisol Duque, chief of staff of Sen. Dick Durbin’s Chicago Office
• Jullana Kerr, director of global cities and immigration at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs
• Andrea Kovach, senior attorney for Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
• Rebecca Shi, executive director of Illinois Business Immigration Coalition
• Matthew Soerens, U.S. church training specialist for World Relief

Topics will include:

• Demographics
• Health care coverage
• Faith-based response
• Legislative updates
• Temporary visitor driver’s licenses

Click here to register. You can also visit auartsandideas.com, email ArtsAndIdeas@Aurora.edu or call 630-844-4924.