Full Text of SR0100 102nd General Assembly
SR0100 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have, as | 3 | | a nation, been advised to adhere to all public health and CDC | 4 | | guidelines in order to prevent further spread; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, While most have yielded and exercised | 6 | | responsibility, there are marginalized groups of workers in | 7 | | essential sectors all across the State who are inadvertently | 8 | | exempt and unable to adhere to the advisory; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers, | 10 | | all of whom must leave their homes day in and day out to assist | 11 | | in the cultivation, harvest, and preparation of the food and | 12 | | produce we put on our tables, find themselves within this | 13 | | unprotected marginalized group; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The nature of this painstaking and backbreaking | 15 | | work, in addition to the equipment necessary to perform it, | 16 | | makes social distancing impractical and impossible for | 17 | | workers, which puts them at a heightened risk of contracting | 18 | | the COVID-19 virus; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Since mid-March 2020 through the remainder of his | 20 | | presidency, Donald J. Trump correctly analogized the fight | 21 | | against the COVID-19 virus as a war and used presidential |
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| 1 | | wartime powers to combat the virus while in office; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers, | 3 | | especially those who cannot practice social distancing at | 4 | | work, as well as their immediate families, are arguably | 5 | | mirroring the risks taken by our military personnel during the | 6 | | COVID-19 crisis; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Federal law currently grants the right to | 8 | | naturalization and citizenship to all English-speaking persons | 9 | | of good moral character who serve in our armed forces during | 10 | | wartime or hostilities, even when undocumented; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Nearly fifty percent of farm, agricultural, and | 12 | | manufacturing workers currently laboring during this pandemic | 13 | | crisis have been labeled essential workers by state and | 14 | | federal governments alike; it is our duty to reciprocate their | 15 | | sacrifice by assisting and providing them with a path to | 16 | | residency followed by a path to naturalization; therefore, be | 17 | | it
| 18 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 19 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress and | 20 | | the President of the United States to grant the right and | 21 | | privilege of United States residency to all farm, | 22 | | agricultural, and manufacturing workers who have served and |
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| 1 | | labored during the COVID-19 crisis; and be it further
| 2 | | RESOLVED, That this right and privilege of residency | 3 | | should be granted without regard to previous immigration | 4 | | status; and be it further
| 5 | | RESOLVED, That, in order to facilitate the identification | 6 | | of these essential workers, employers and their agents should | 7 | | be granted immunity from any adverse action for having | 8 | | employed, or otherwise acquired the services of, persons who | 9 | | were identified as being essential workers during the COVID-19 | 10 | | crisis; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 12 | | delivered to the President of the United States and the | 13 | | leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.
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