ICE raids in the central coast.

On March 10, 2017, Governor Rauner went on record stating publicly that Illinois and the country "should cherish our diversity and cherish our inclusion and always be a welcoming state as well as nation. We should make it much easier to come here and become citizens." We are encouraged by these words, yet troubled by his actions. Governor Rauner has yet to publicly support legislation that would make Illinois welcoming including HB 3099, 0426 and 2394. He has also zeroed out the Immigrant Integration Line Item from the state's budget which includes funding for refugee resettlement, and services that help Illinois residents become US citizens. Sign this petition to ask the Governor to back up his rhetoric and make Illinois welcoming by supporting these bills and an equitable budget now! Sign up to get involved with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights at www.icirr.org/riseup

I read the following the evening, on the CNN website, "Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly confirmed he is considering an initiative that would separate immigrant children from their parents if they enter the U.S. illegally. During an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Kelly said he would do "almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico and to the United States." When pressed by Blitzer about whether DHS personnel would separate undocumented immigrant children from their parents, Kelly confirmed he was considering such protocol. "Yes, I am considering, in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network, I am considering exactly that," he said. "They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents." Why it cannot happen is obvious. This is still the United States of America.

These families are fleeing violence in their home countries; the parents' primary goal is to protect their children. Separating the parents and children, putting them in different facilities, is cruel and violates all norms of child welfare.

I work with immigrants and their families as an ESL teacher and know that immigrants just want a better life for your children. We need compassion for them.

U.S. immigration agents detained 22-year-old Daniela Vargas just hours after she courageously spoke about her fear of deportation at a press conference. She was afraid because two weeks ago, ICE officers raided her home and detained both her brother and father while she hid, terrified, in her closet for four hours. Dany came to the U.S. when she was seven years old and was a beneficiary of the DACA program, which grants a legal status to undocumented immigrants. She is a manager at a small store and dreams of becoming a math teacher. Like many beneficiaries of the DACA program, Dany found that paying the nearly $500 in fees every two years was hard, and her DACA status expired. However, she saved up, got the money together, and her renewal application is now in the approval process. But because of this technicality, ICE tracked her down and put her into the deportation pipeline—just hours after she courageously spoke out about this issue.

If the bill passes the following will happen: Families will be broken up, lives destroyed. Local police will not have the time to protect their citizens. Trust between police and community will erode. Local governments will be held liable for damages if a released person commits a crime. Local governments will be held liable for damages if wrong person is detained, or gets hurt while in custody.

When my parents fled from communist Cuba to the US in the 90s, they depended on food stamps to feed my brother and me. I can’t imagine them having to decide between putting food on the table and staying in this country. It’s an impossible choice no parent should have to make. Donald Trump’s recently leaked draft executive order would cut off documented immigrant kids from essential benefits like food stamps and free and reduced lunch. In addition, it threatens families relying on these benefits with deportation. No child should go hungry based on where they or their parents are from. This executive order, targeting immigrants who entered the country legally, is racist, xenophobic and immoral. Trump’s characterization of immigrants as a drain on the country’s resources is categorically false. As parents, we must stand together to protect all kids from these attacks. The good news is that this executive order is still a draft. If millions of us speak out we can prevent it from ever becoming a reality. Please sign and share this petition today!

As a mom and an immigrant, my heart is breaking for the millions of families fearing deportation. No child should have to worry about ICE taking their parents away. That is why I pledge to: - Use my voice to speak out against Trump’s attacks on immigrant families - Use my resources to help keep immigrant families together - Use my influence to encourage others in my community to stand with immigrants Millions of families are now at risk from Donald Trump's new deportation policies. Immigrants have been targeted in places that were previously safe, like church-run homeless shelters and even domestic violence court. Many immigrant parents are living in constant fear that going to work or sending a child to school could lead to deportation. These executive orders are inhumane and cruel. Let’s show our immigrant friends and neighbors that Trump's policies do not reflect American values. Take the pledge and join my organization, ParentsTogether, in standing with immigrant families. Start to use your influence by sharing this pledge and encouraging others to stand with immigrants as well.

In detention, immigrants are often subjected to harsh conditions of confinement and denied access to phone calls, family contact. They are not provided legal counsel if they cannot afford it. They might not know they have legal pathways to stay in the country (such as seeking asylum), and often waive their rights without understanding what is happening. Immigration law is incredibly complex. Immigrants with legal counsel are 5-7 times more likely to be able to legally remain with their families. Every person deserves legal representation when the stakes are so high. Immigrants in detention include people who have been in the US for years as hard working members of the economy, as well as asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups including children, pregnant women, and individuals who are seriously ill.

We cannot lose the values that define us. Please help us keep a family from being ripped apart.

The immigrant community is being targeted by the new administration. In many communities, Senators, Governors, Mayors, Sheriffs and Police Department members, have come out to show their support for the community. Governor Cooper, we need your support. La comunidad inmigrante esta siendo atacada por la nueva administracion, recientemente senadores, gobernadores, alcaldes, alguaciles, y departamentos de policia han salido a demostrar su apoyo hacia la comunidad. Gobernador Cooper necesitamos su apoyo.