Illinois governor Bruce Rauner joined Archbishop Blase Cupich, Senator Mark Kirk and other leaders of the Republican Party yesterday in proposing a plan for immigration reform that would expand the number of US visas available for agricultural, high-skilled and low-skilled workers.
“We must find a way together to get comprehensive immigration reform done and encourage hardworking honest families who want to be part of our community to become American citizens,” Rauner declared during an event held at St Ignatius College Prep. Legalization and a pathway to US citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are already living and working in the United States are also included in the proposal.
Senator Mark Kirk says that it is vital to enact comprehensive immigration reform to ensure that the 500,000+ undocumented immigrants living in Illinois can “come out of the shadows, put down permanent roots and invest in Illinois.” The Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) hosted the event, with the aim being to put pressure on Capitol Hill lawmakers to move forward on the issue of immigration reform.
Archbishop Cupich says that comprehensive immigration reform is about more than just the rights of individuals; in addition, it is about what is best for families, neighborhoods and entire cities. “It is also not just about the people who are undocumented but the moral values of a nation,” he insists. IBIC says that reform would increase the economic output of Illinois by as much as $1.8bn.