HJ0103 LRB094 19681 RLC 56180 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     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
 
6     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
 
11     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
 
16     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
 
22     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
 
29     WHEREAS, This punitive legislation would do little to solve
30 immigration problems in this country and in fact would make

 

 

HJ0103 - 2 - LRB094 19681 RLC 56180 r

1 them worse by driving illegal immigration further underground;
2 and
 
3     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
 
6     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
 
14     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.