HR0913

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The United States of America is a land of 
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opportunity where the "American Dream" is promised to all those 
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who work for it; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Educational achievement levels in neighborhoods 
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and schools predominantly of color throughout the State of 
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Illinois and the nation maintain at below-average levels; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Undocumented students are currently faced with 
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the grim reality that even if they were to graduate from a 
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college or university, their immigration status would impede 
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them from pursuing most types of professional-level work, for 
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which they studied; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois Senator Richard Durbin was a lead 
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co-sponsor of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien 
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Minors (DREAM) Act in 2003 and the lead sponsor of S. 2075 in 
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2005; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is a co-sponsor of 
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the 2005 DREAM Act; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich recently 
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recognized the importance of the immigrant community, of which 
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undocumented students make up a significant segment, by signing 
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into law the New Americans Immigrant Policy Council which seeks 
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to secure equal rights for immigrants throughout the State of 
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Illinois; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Approximately 65,000 undocumented students 
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graduate every year from high schools across the country while 
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facing the reality that they are not eligible for federal 
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student financial aid, a majority of public and private 
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scholarships, or study outside of the State due to their 
 


 






HR0913
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LRB094 19411 DRJ 55644 r




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immigration status; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Undocumented students are more likely to drop out 
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of high school before graduating because of their immigration 
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status and associated barriers to higher education; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The economic and societal costs of high drop-out 
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rates cost United States taxpayers and the economy billions of 
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dollars a year and wreak havoc on the fabric of families and 
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the communities they live in; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The United States, as a whole, stands to benefit 
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from investing in hard-working undocumented students who are 
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hoping to benefit from a higher education to reach their full 
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potential; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we urge the United States government to immediately approve the 
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Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act 
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of 2005 (S. 2075); and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we recognize that hard-working undocumented 
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students should not be unjustly punished by our
immigration 
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laws for the decisions their parents made; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That we recognize the role that public education 
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has on the lives of undocumented students, and we also urge
the 
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Chicago Public Schools system to actively support the passage 
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of the DREAM Act in
order to facilitate its work of stemming 
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the drop-out rates within its system; and be it further
 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent 
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to George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Chicago 
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Board of Education, and the members of the Illinois 
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Congressional delegation.