CONTACT
Brandon Lee
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
773-271-0899 x200
blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
Federal DREAM Act, and Illinois TRUST Act would protect immigrants from deportation
Asian Americans Advancing Justice applauds today’s bipartisan introduction of the DREAM Act by Senator Durbin and Senator Graham. The bill would provide undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children a path to citizenship, and is a step in the right direction in fixing our broken immigration system. Along with saving the DACA program, Congress should offer pathways to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, not only students.
In addition to the DREAM Act and preserving DACA at the federal level, states also have the opportunity to consider policy that protects immigrants. Here in Illinois, the bi-partisan TRUST Act passed the legislature and is now sitting on Governor Bruce Rauner’s desk, waiting for his signature. Governor Rauner should sign this legislation immediately.
The Illinois TRUST Act, supported by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago and members of the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois, would draw a bright line between federal immigration enforcement and local police.
The immigration system is in need of many reforms to fix the decades of imbalanced and now inhumane treatment of immigrants who come to or are currently here in the U.S. We are heartened that the federal DREAM Act and state legislation like the Illinois TRUST Act offer steps towards creating an immigration system that treats immigrants with the fairness and dignity that all people deserve.
Andrew Kang, Legal Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago said:
“Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in Illinois, and that includes 60,000 Asian Americans who are undocumented. Governor Rauner has a unique opportunity to make Illinois safer for all immigrant families by requiring local police to focus on public safety and doing their jobs, rather than enforcing immigration law. No family should be afraid to dial 9-1-1 because of their immigration status. The Illinois TRUST Act is an essential piece of legislation for our community.”