Category: Press Release

The world witnessed a domestic act of terror and an ugly display of hate as white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. Yesterday, white nationalists turned their violent message into action as a driver plowed into a crowd of anti-racism counter protesters, killing one person and injuring several others.

After hundreds of community leaders visited their state legislators in Springfield and in district, thousands of residents called the Governor’s office, and two days after community leaders presented the Governor with over 3,600 postcards collected in just three weeks, the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois is proud to announce that Governor Bruce Rauner has committed to signing the Illinois TRUST Act (SB 31). The TRUST Act received bipartisan support in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

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.

We applaud today’s bipartisan introduction of the DREAM Act by Senator Durbin and Senator Graham. It’s a strong bill that would provide undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children a path to citizenship. The senators have stepped up to offer a solution when the DACA program is at risk of being terminated. We are dismayed that the president has already rejected this bill without having seen it.

Advancing Justice opposes the nomination of Eric Dreiband to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, which enforces key federal laws protecting voting rights, housing rights, and education access, and sets critical national guidelines around police reform and hate crimes.