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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In 2022, a significant number of migrants arrived
3at the southern U.S. border seeking asylum within the United
4States and were authorized to enter as non-citizens; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Governor of Texas and other elected officials
6began placing asylum-seeking individuals onto chartered buses
7and sending them to American cities, including Washington,
8D.C., New York City, and Chicago, without any communication to
9officials in those cities as to the timing of bus arrivals or
10the condition or number of those expected to arrive; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of
12Illinois constructed an operation to welcome those
13asylum-seeking individuals arriving in the City of Chicago and
14to provide shelter, clothing, meals, legal services,
15healthcare, and other essential services after their long
16journey; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Unlike certain populations of recent immigrants,
18including those from Ukraine and Afghanistan, the asylum
19seekers arriving in Chicago, New York City, and Washington,
20D.C. were not eligible for certain immigration remedies under
21federal immigration law and are therefore not eligible to
22apply for employment authorization documents allowing them to

 

 

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1obtain legal employment within the United States for at least
2six months after arrival; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The asylum seekers arriving in Illinois and
4across the United States are eager to work and to provide for
5themselves and their families; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we urge the federal government to expand legal protections for
9asylum seekers and expedite authorization for them to join the
10workforce, provide for their families, and truly live the
11American dream; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we stand in support of policies that
13welcome and support immigrant communities across the United
14States and urge the federal government to act as swiftly as
15possible to modernize federal immigration law; and be it
16further
 
17    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
18delivered to the Illinois Congressional Delegation as a sign
19of our dedication to and support of this important issue.