Please make one phone call now to restore crucial funding for immigrant services across the state. The Illinois Senate just passed a bill intended to restore programs eliminated on April 3 which include the Immigrant Services Line Item. At $6.67 million, the Immigrant Services Line Item (ISLI) within the Illinois Department of Human Services budget makes up less than .01% of the total state budget. ISLI funds two major programs:
- The Immigrant Family Resource Program provides information and assistance to families interacting with state agencies as they work toward self-sufficiency. The program engages immigrant serving agencies to help IDHS fulfill its legal obligations to provide language-appropriate services. Over the past 12 years it has connected more than 500,000 immigrants to vital safety net services and helped them navigate the challenging process of integration.
- The New Americans Initiative brings together immigrant serving organizations to promote US citizenship and provide citizenship application assistance. The program has helped more than 96,000 immigrants with their applications since 2005. Immigrants who become US citizens earn on average $7000 more per year than noncitizens, and pay more in taxes.
We must now tell the House Members we need their vote. Please call your state representative now and ask them to vote yes on SB274 Amendment 4 to restore funding for immigrant services.
TAKE ACTION: Please call your State Representative
“My name is ____ and I’m a member of Chicago Religious Leadership Network. I’m asking for Rep ____to support full restoration of the $26 million to the Fiscal Year 2015 budget including the Immigrant Services Line Item. Please vote yes on SB274 Amendment 4.”