Full Text of HJR0103 94th General Assembly
HJ0103 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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LRB094 19681 RLC 56180 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, On December 16th 2005, the United States House of | 3 |
| Representatives passed HR4437, a bill that would have drastic | 4 |
| consequences for nearly all immigrants to this country and | 5 |
| their families; and
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| WHEREAS, HR4437, which passed the House by a vote of 239 to | 7 |
| 182, would require the mandatory detention of all immigrants | 8 |
| without status until deportation, which could result in | 9 |
| vulnerable groups, such as children and torture survivors, | 10 |
| being jailed with hardened criminals; and
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| WHEREAS, HR4437 would make "unlawful presence" a crime and | 12 |
| an aggravated felony for immigration purposes, barring | 13 |
| undocumented immigrants from any future legal status and | 14 |
| authorizing local law enforcement to arrest these immigrants; | 15 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, HR4437 denies basic due process protections to | 17 |
| legal immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers such as by | 18 |
| authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the | 19 |
| Department of Justice to deny an immigrant legal benefits for | 20 |
| lack of good moral character based on a "discretionary finding | 21 |
| or other reasons"; and
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| WHEREAS, HR4437 creates strong criminal penalties for any | 23 |
| person or organization that assists persons without | 24 |
| documentation in the United States if the assistance is given | 25 |
| "in reckless disregard" of whether that person is without legal | 26 |
| status, but does not exempt emergency situations or situations | 27 |
| in which a humanitarian organization provides basic needs | 28 |
| assistance; and
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| WHEREAS, This punitive legislation would do little to solve | 30 |
| immigration problems in this country and in fact would make |
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HJ0103 |
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LRB094 19681 RLC 56180 r |
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| them worse by driving illegal immigration further underground; | 2 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, It is expected that the United States Senate will | 4 |
| consider this mean-spirited and counterproductive legislation | 5 |
| in March of this year; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 8 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we, the Governor, and members of | 9 |
| the Illinois General Assembly do hereby urge the United States | 10 |
| Senate to defeat HR4437 when that body considers the | 11 |
| legislation later this year, and do hereby urge the President | 12 |
| of the United States to veto such legislation if it is in fact | 13 |
| approved by the Senate; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to | 15 |
| the President of the United States, the President pro tempore | 16 |
| of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States | 17 |
| House of Representatives, and each member of the Illinois | 18 |
| Congressional delegation.
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