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| | SR0328 | | LRB098 12201 MST 46263 r |
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1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | | WHEREAS, The United States was founded as a nation of |
3 | | immigrants, a place where people could find economic |
4 | | opportunity and a better life, or escape persecution in their |
5 | | home country, and fulfill their hopes of a brighter future |
6 | | based on freedom and democratic ideals; and
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7 | | WHEREAS, The cultural diversity of immigrants to the United |
8 | | States adds to the social fabric of this nation, and the new |
9 | | ideas and energies immigrants contribute to the economy |
10 | | strengthen the nation as a whole; and |
11 | | WHEREAS, There are currently over 11 million undocumented |
12 | | immigrants residing in the United States, the vast majority of |
13 | | whom abide by the laws, work hard, and pay taxes; and |
14 | | WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must provide |
15 | | law-abiding, tax paying immigrant workers and their families |
16 | | with an opportunity to obtain legal permanent residency and |
17 | | eventually United States citizenship through fair and |
18 | | reasonable requirements; and |
19 | | WHEREAS, Undocumented immigrants are at risk of abuse by |
20 | | employers and live in fear of arrest and deportation; and |
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| | SR0328 | - 2 - | LRB098 12201 MST 46263 r |
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1 | | WHEREAS, Any new worker visa program must provide workers |
2 | | with all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United |
3 | | States, portability of visas so that workers can change jobs, |
4 | | and the ability for workers to petition for permanent |
5 | | residency; and |
6 | | WHEREAS, The Diversity Visa program was established by |
7 | | federal law in 1990 to provide an opportunity for 55,000 |
8 | | immigrants each year from countries that send smaller numbers |
9 | | of immigrants to United States to immigrate legally; and |
10 | | WHEREAS, The Diversity Visa program has truly diversified |
11 | | the range of countries from which immigrants come to the United |
12 | | States and is one of the few options for African immigrants to |
13 | | come to the United States, as shown in many years where as many |
14 | | as half of all Diversity Visas are issued to immigrants from |
15 | | Africa; and |
16 | | WHEREAS, Abolishing the Diversity Visa program would limit |
17 | | the opportunities for many immigrants, especially from Africa, |
18 | | to come to the United States lawfully; and |
19 | | WHEREAS, The nation's immigration system is laden with |
20 | | backlogs and as a result, legal immigrants may wait decades for |
21 | | family reunification; and |
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| | SR0328 | - 3 - | LRB098 12201 MST 46263 r |
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1 | | WHEREAS, At present, the "line" for legal immigration is |
2 | | about 4 million people long; and |
3 | | WHEREAS, Family unity is a component of a strong economy, |
4 | | and reunification of families has been a key part of federal |
5 | | immigration policy for almost 50 years; and |
6 | | WHEREAS, It is our country's best interests to create a |
7 | | streamlined process to resolve the backlog of existing visa |
8 | | applications and develop methods to ensure the efficient |
9 | | processing of future immigration applications in a timely |
10 | | manner, which will expedite reunification of families; and |
11 | | WHEREAS, Keeping families, which includes husbands and |
12 | | wives, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters, together |
13 | | not only is the correct and moral thing to do but is also good |
14 | | for the economy because families provide a base of support that |
15 | | increases worker productivity and spurs entrepreneurship; and |
16 | | WHEREAS, Illinois recognizes that immigration reform must |
17 | | protect the right of all families to stay together, regardless |
18 | | of immigration status, family structure, sexual orientation, |
19 | | gender identity, or marital status, and provide sufficient |
20 | | family-based channels for migration in the future; and |
21 | | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to 1.8 million |
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| | SR0328 | - 4 - | LRB098 12201 MST 46263 r |
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1 | | immigrants, the sixth largest immigrant population of any state |
2 | | in the nation; and |
3 | | WHEREAS, Immigrants make up 13.5% of Illinois' population |
4 | | and 17.5% of Illinois' workforce and accounted for half of the |
5 | | State's population growth over the last decade; and |
6 | | WHEREAS, Illinois has a special pride as being one of the |
7 | | most immigrant-friendly states in the country, as evidenced by |
8 | | its deep commitment to successful programs such as the New |
9 | | Americans Initiative & Refugee and Immigrant Citizenship |
10 | | Initiative, Immigrant Family Resource Program, Parent Mentor |
11 | | Program and Uniting America Program; and
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12 | | WHEREAS, Illinois believes in the human dignity of all |
13 | | Illinois residents, regardless of immigration status, and |
14 | | recognize the importance of immigrants' many contributions to |
15 | | the social and economic fabric of the state of Illinois; and
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16 | | WHEREAS, Illinois, therefore, has a strong interest in |
17 | | immigration policy and the impact it has on immigrants seeking |
18 | | a new life in the United States; and
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19 | | WHEREAS, Immigration reform must occur in a comprehensive, |
20 | | thoughtful manner that builds the strength and unity of working |
21 | | people, keeps families together wherever possible, and |
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1 | | guarantees the same rights, obligations, and basic fairness for |
2 | | all lawful workers, no matter where they come from; and
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3 | | WHEREAS, The federal government has the exclusive |
4 | | authority to develop, implement, and enforce immigration |
5 | | policy under the United States Constitution, and the regulation |
6 | | of immigration is solely the responsibility of the federal |
7 | | government; therefore, be it
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8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL |
9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the President of the |
10 | | United States and the United States Congress are urged to enact |
11 | | comprehensive immigration reform and provide a practical and |
12 | | inclusive path to permanent citizenship that promotes fairness |
13 | | and justice, while also protecting and valuing families and |
14 | | upholding human dignity and mutual respect; and be it further
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15 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
16 | | transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker |
17 | | of the United States House of Representatives, the President of |
18 | | the United States Senate, members of Illinois' Congressional |
19 | | delegation, the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee |
20 | | Rights, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago.
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