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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has long welcomed immigrants
3to our State and valued the contributions of newcomers to our
4State's economic, social, cultural, and civic life; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has supported and encouraged
6legal immigrants in their desire to become United States
7citizens; and
 
8    WHEREAS In 2004, the State of Illinois began the New
9Americans Initiative (NAI), a partnership between the Illinois
10Department of Human Services and the Illinois Coalition for
11Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR); and
 
12    WHEREAS, NAI engages 31 community-based organizations to
13organize volunteer workshops, conduct outreach events, and
14provide immigration legal services to assist long-term lawful
15permanent residents in becoming United States citizens; and
 
16    WHEREAS, NAI works throughout the State of Illinois and
17with the broad diversity of the State's immigrant population,
18including Latinos, Poles, Russians, Chinese, Indians, Koreans,
19Filipinos, Arabs, Africans, and other immigrant and refugee
20groups; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Since 2005, NAI has organized 1,196 citizenship
2workshops that have engaged 19,723 volunteer community members
3and lawyers to assist 58,180 immigrants with their applications
4for United States citizenship; and
 
5    WHEREAS, NAI has also provided information regarding
6citizenship to 464,050 immigrants in 25 languages through
7outreach, a website (www.beacitizen.org) and a toll-free
8information line; and
 
9    WHEREAS, NAI led a campaign to increase the census return
10rate by knocking on 107,833 doors in 26 immigrant communities,
11a campaign that produced increases of up to 18% in return rates
12and will bring $348 million in additional dollars to Illinois
13over next 10 years; and
 
14    WHEREAS, NAI has emerged as a national model for effective
15citizenship assistance services emulated by other states and
16communities; and
 
17    WHEREAS, NAI was awarded the prestigious E Pluribus Unum
18prize in 2010 by the Migration Policy Institute as one of the
19nation's "exceptional initiatives that promote immigrant
20integration"; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Based on the success of NAI, ICIRR co-founded and

 

 

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1leads the National Partnership for New Americans, a new
2multi-state organization created to spread the citizenship
3model pioneered in Illinois; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
6SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we commend the Illinois
7Department of Human Services and the Illinois Coalition for
8Immigrant and Refugee Rights for their work on the New
9Americans Initiative; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the Illinois Department of Human Services and the
12Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to show our
13appreciation for their work on the New Americans Initiative.