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1 | HOUSE 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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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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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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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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
9 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
10 | the President of the United States and the United States | ||||||
11 | Congress are urged to enact comprehensive immigration reform | ||||||
12 | and provide a practical and inclusive path to permanent | ||||||
13 | citizenship that promotes fairness and justice, while also | ||||||
14 | protecting and valuing families and upholding human dignity and | ||||||
15 | mutual respect; and be it further
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16 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
17 | transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker | ||||||
18 | of the United States House of Representatives, the President of | ||||||
19 | the United States Senate, members of Illinois' Congressional | ||||||
20 | delegation, the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee | ||||||
21 | Rights, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago.
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