Full Text of HR0377 98th General Assembly
HR0377 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR0377 | | LRB098 12194 MST 46217 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 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
| 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 |
| | | HR0377 | - 2 - | LRB098 12194 MST 46217 r |
|
| 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 |
| | | HR0377 | - 3 - | LRB098 12194 MST 46217 r |
|
| 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 |
| | | HR0377 | - 4 - | LRB098 12194 MST 46217 r |
|
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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 |
| | | HR0377 | - 5 - | LRB098 12194 MST 46217 r |
|
| 1 | | guarantees the same rights, obligations, and basic fairness for | 2 | | all lawful workers, no matter where they come from; and
| 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
| 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
| 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.
|
|