HR0081enr 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0081 Enrolled LRB103 25659 MST 52008 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION 81

WHEREAS, In 2022, a significant number of migrants arrived at the southern U.S. border seeking asylum within the United States and were authorized to enter as non-citizens for urgent humanitarian reasons; and

WHEREAS, The Governor of Texas and other elected officials began placing asylum-seeking individuals onto chartered buses and sending them to American cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago, without any communication to officials in those cities as to the timing of bus arrivals or the condition or number of those expected to arrive; and

WHEREAS, The City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois constructed an operation to welcome those asylum-seeking individuals arriving in the City of Chicago and to provide shelter, clothing, meals, legal services, healthcare, and other essential services after their long journey; and

WHEREAS, Unlike certain populations of recent immigrants, including those from Ukraine and Afghanistan, the asylum seekers arriving in Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. were not eligible for certain immigration remedies under federal immigration law and are therefore not eligible to apply for employment authorization documents allowing them to obtain legal employment within the United States for at least six months after arrival; and

WHEREAS, Business, civic, and social organizations seek to support these families and assist them in seeking employment and becoming self-sufficient; and

WHEREAS, The asylum seekers arriving in Illinois and across the United States are eager to work and to provide for themselves and their families; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the federal government to expand legal protections for asylum seekers without discriminating against those from the African diaspora and expedite authorization for them to join the workforce, provide for their families, and truly live the American dream; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we stand in support of policies that welcome and support immigrant communities across the United States and urge the federal government to act as swiftly as possible to modernize federal immigration law; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Illinois Congressional Delegation as a sign of our dedication to and support of this important issue.