Due to collective efforts with our members positioning Illinois as a national leader in immigrant and refugee rights, ICIRR CEO Lawrence Benito has been named to Governor-elect JB Pritzker’s transition Committee on Equality, Equity, and Opportunity. The committee adopted the frame of making Illinois a "Welcoming State," a vision that ICIRR has pushed through our statewide Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois.

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Since its inception in 1986, ICIRR has been a national leader in the immigrant and refugee rights movement. With our diverse membership across the state, ICIRR has fought back against the vitriolic attacks of the Trump administration through organizing, legislative, and policy strategies. In the last two years we won passage of the Illinois TRUST Act, barred the state from participating in any discriminatory registry programs, secured millions of dollars for immigrant services, naturalized over 11,000 legal permanent residents, registered 27,000 new immigrant voters throughout the state, and contacted 100,000 new and infrequent immigrant voter leading up to election day. As co-convenors of the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois, we will keep pushing for policies that will make Illinois the most welcoming state for immigrants in the nation.

 

Due to our collective efforts with our members, ICIRR has been invited to participate in the Governor-elect's transition Committee on Equality, Equity, and Opportunity. In announcing the committee, Lieutenant Governor-elect Juliana Stratton said that “the Committee on Equality, Equity, and Opportunity will tackle civil rights issues in our state and work to ensure Illinois can protect children and families from dangerous policies from the federal government. Illinois is a welcoming state for all, and JB and I are committed to making sure every resident has access to opportunity and the tools they need to thrive.”

 

ICIRR CEO Lawrence Benito states,” I look forward to bringing the vision and perspective of our statewide membership as we work with our allies to shape the path forward around equity issues for the incoming administration, and ensure Illinois continues to truly be a welcoming state that respects and lifts up our immigrant and refugee communities.”

 

For more information: https://capitolfax.com/2018/11/19/new-pritzker-transition-committee-equality-equity-and-opportunity/