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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The United States was founded as a nation of
3immigrants, a place where people could find economic
4opportunity and a better life, or escape persecution in their
5home country, and fulfill their hopes of a brighter future
6based on freedom and democratic ideals; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The cultural diversity of immigrants to the United
8States adds to the social fabric of this nation, and the new
9ideas and energies immigrants contribute to the economy
10strengthen the nation as a whole; and
 
11    WHEREAS, There are currently over 11 million undocumented
12immigrants residing in the United States, the vast majority of
13whom abide by the laws, work hard, and pay taxes; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Comprehensive immigration reform must provide
15law-abiding, tax paying immigrant workers and their families
16with an opportunity to obtain legal permanent residency and
17eventually United States citizenship through fair and
18reasonable requirements; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Undocumented immigrants are at risk of abuse by
20employers and live in fear of arrest and deportation; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Any new worker visa program must provide workers
2with all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United
3States, portability of visas so that workers can change jobs,
4and the ability for workers to petition for permanent
5residency; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Diversity Visa program was established by
7federal law in 1990 to provide an opportunity for 55,000
8immigrants each year from countries that send smaller numbers
9of immigrants to United States to immigrate legally; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Diversity Visa program has truly diversified
11the range of countries from which immigrants come to the United
12States and is one of the few options for African immigrants to
13come to the United States, as shown in many years where as many
14as half of all Diversity Visas are issued to immigrants from
15Africa; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Abolishing the Diversity Visa program would limit
17the opportunities for many immigrants, especially from Africa,
18to come to the United States lawfully; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The nation's immigration system is laden with
20backlogs and as a result, legal immigrants may wait decades for
21family reunification; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, At present, the "line" for legal immigration is
2about 4 million people long; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Family unity is a component of a strong economy,
4and reunification of families has been a key part of federal
5immigration policy for almost 50 years; and
 
6    WHEREAS, It is our country's best interests to create a
7streamlined process to resolve the backlog of existing visa
8applications and develop methods to ensure the efficient
9processing of future immigration applications in a timely
10manner, which will expedite reunification of families; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Keeping families, which includes husbands and
12wives, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters, together
13not only is the correct and moral thing to do but is also good
14for the economy because families provide a base of support that
15increases worker productivity and spurs entrepreneurship; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Illinois recognizes that immigration reform must
17protect the right of all families to stay together, regardless
18of immigration status, family structure, sexual orientation,
19gender identity, or marital status, and provide sufficient
20family-based channels for migration in the future; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to 1.8 million

 

 

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1immigrants, the sixth largest immigrant population of any state
2in the nation; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Immigrants make up 13.5% of Illinois' population
4and 17.5% of Illinois' workforce and accounted for half of the
5State's population growth over the last decade; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Illinois has a special pride as being one of the
7most immigrant-friendly states in the country, as evidenced by
8its deep commitment to successful programs such as the New
9Americans Initiative & Refugee and Immigrant Citizenship
10Initiative, Immigrant Family Resource Program, Parent Mentor
11Program and Uniting America Program; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Illinois believes in the human dignity of all
13Illinois residents, regardless of immigration status, and
14recognize the importance of immigrants' many contributions to
15the social and economic fabric of the state of Illinois; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Illinois, therefore, has a strong interest in
17immigration policy and the impact it has on immigrants seeking
18a new life in the United States; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Immigration reform must occur in a comprehensive,
20thoughtful manner that builds the strength and unity of working
21people, keeps families together wherever possible, and

 

 

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1guarantees the same rights, obligations, and basic fairness for
2all lawful workers, no matter where they come from; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The federal government has the exclusive
4authority to develop, implement, and enforce immigration
5policy under the United States Constitution, and the regulation
6of immigration is solely the responsibility of the federal
7government; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the President of the
10United States and the United States Congress are urged to enact
11comprehensive immigration reform and provide a practical and
12inclusive path to permanent citizenship that promotes fairness
13and justice, while also protecting and valuing families and
14upholding human dignity and mutual respect; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker
17of the United States House of Representatives, the President of
18the United States Senate, members of Illinois' Congressional
19delegation, the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee
20Rights, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago.