The Viatorian Community stands with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his determination to make Illinois a “welcoming state.”
Just this morning, he signed three “Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois” bills, that had been advocated for by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:
- RISE Act (HB 2691): Provides access to financial ad for undocumented students, trans students, African American and other students who have had limited access to aid.
- Private Detention Facility Moratorium Act (HB 2040): Bars the state and local communities from entering into contracts for private immigration detention centers.
- Keep Illinois Families Together Act (HB 1637): Bars 287g agreements that deputize police to act as ICE agents.
Additionally, during at Gov. Pritzker’s press conference, he issued Executive Order 19-10. The order establishes a new Census Office within the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and a 12-member bipartisan, bicameral Census Advisory Panel.
“Now and always, Illinois will be a welcoming state for all of the people,” Gov. Pritzker stated. “We will not allow the census to be used as a weapon against us.
“Instead, we will protect every resident of Illinois, every resident,” he added, “and ensure a comprehensive and bipartisan process to get an accurate count.”