On Jan. 28, the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved resolution #21-0495, which calls upon the federal government to implement policies to protect the immigrant community and strengthen the immigration system in the United States.
Cook County Commissioner Alma E. Anaya hosted a virtual press conference to discuss the resolution and was joined by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, U.S. Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (4th District), Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), United African Organization (UAO),
Latino Policy Forum (LPF), and other immigration advocates. These organizations also collaborated in the development of the resolution and joined a collective sign-on letter of more than 65 diverse organizations throughout the county.
The resolution includes numerous implementation recommendations to protect the human rights of immigrants at the federal level, including establishing a process for family reunification, providing access to healthcare, affordable housing, and vital social services for the immigrant community, and divesting from the immigration enforcement, detention and deportation infrastructure.
For more, visit www.cookcountyil.gov/ .