ILLINOIS NEW AMERICANS EXECUTIVE ORDER Local Immigrant Integration Policy

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ILLINOIS NEW AMERICANS EXECUTIVE
ORDERLocal Immigrant Integration Policy
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Immigrants in Illinois

• Total Illinois population 12.4 million
• Foreign-born adults 1.7 million
• Immigrants 13.6 of the population
• US-born children of immigrants 1.5 million
• Immigrants and their children 26 of the
  population

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Immigrants the Economy

• 27 of Illinois Ph.Ds
• 26 of low-skilled workers
• 46.5 of all new home buyers in Illinois
• 80.9 of new home buyers in suburban Cook County

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Impact on Communities

• Increasing numbers in cities and towns
• Bring assets and create challenges
• Successful immigrants benefit towns, communities,
  and themselves

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What is Immigrant Integration?

• Promotes social mobility and inclusion
• Engages the immigrant and receiving communities
• Requires on-going discussion of social, economic,
  and political relations

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Why Immigrant Integration?

• Immigrants and refugees great assets
• Integration efforts unleash their potential
• Talents can be used for the benefit of all

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Examples of Integration in Illinois

• All Kids
• In-state college tuition for undocumented
  students
• Recognition of foreign government-issued
  identification
• Preschool for All
• New Americans Initiative
• New Americans Executive Order

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What is the Executive Order?

• Partnership
• Strategic planning by state government
• Institutionalizes conversation about the assets
  and needs of the immigrant community

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Why the Executive Order?

• In Illinois, we had many good integration
  programs
• No comprehensive plan
• Creates a process inside state government and
  through the Policy Council

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How Does It Work?

• Policy Council
• Governors Office of New Americans
• Interagency Task Force
• For the Benefit of All

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Issues

• Year One
• Citizenship
• English Acquisition
• Human Services
• Health Care
• Education

• Year Two
• Housing
• Home Ownership
• Police-Community Relations
• Workforce Development
• Entrepreneurship

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Implementation

• Focus is on relationships
• How can the state work with communities?
• How can municipalities plan for successful
  integration?

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We Want to Learn English

• Provides state funds to communities to offer
  English classes
• In work places, places of worship, local schools,
  community centers
• Tied to vocational training, citizenship, and
  other areas people use daily

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Communities as Partners

• Support of mayors
• Recommendations should reflect the voice of the
  community.
• Are we on target with the issues and solutions?
• Develop strong relationships between state,
  municipalities, and community organizations

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What Can Mayors Do?

• Develop programs targeted at immigrants
• Examples
• Dual language programs
• Analyze effectiveness of internal systems
• Outreach efforts recognizing immigrant
  communities
• Invite Office of New Americans to talk with the
  community

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Municipal-Level Executive Orders

• Partnership between mayors, funders, community
  members, immigrant community, community
  organizations
• Best if planning process is initiated along with
  programmatic goal
• Mayor should stay personally involved

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Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

• Develop an agenda on immigrant integration
• Build a strong relationship with the Governor
• Tie work to Executive Order Recommendations

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For More Information

• Lisa Thakkar
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights
• [phone] x. 23
• lthakkar_at_icirr.org

• Jose Luis Gutierrez
• Governors Office of New Americans Policy
  Advocacy
• [phone]
• JoseLuis.Gutierrez_at_Illinois.gov