Bill Text: IL HR0950 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Urges Congress and the President of the United States to grant the right and privilege of United States residency to all farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers who have served and labored during the COVID-19 crisis.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-01-11 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anne Stava-Murray [HR0950 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0950-Introduced.html


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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have, as
3a nation, been advised to adhere to all public health and CDC
4guidelines in order to prevent further spread; and
5 WHEREAS, While most have yielded and exercised
6responsibility, there are marginalized groups of workers in
7essential sectors all across the State who are inadvertently
8exempt and unable to adhere to the advisory; and
9 WHEREAS, Farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers,
10all of whom must leave their homes day in and day out to assist
11in the cultivation, harvest, and preparation of the food and
12produce we put on our tables, find themselves within this
13unprotected marginalized group; and
14 WHEREAS, The nature of this painstaking and backbreaking
15work, in addition to the equipment necessary to perform it,
16makes social distancing impractical and impossible for
17workers, which puts them at a heightened risk of contracting
18the COVID-19 virus; and
19 WHEREAS, Since mid-March, President Donald J. Trump has
20correctly analogized the fight against the COVID-19 virus as a
21war and has since used presidential wartime powers to combat

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1the virus; and
2 WHEREAS, Farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers,
3especially those who cannot practice social distancing at work,
4as well as their immediate families, are arguably mirroring the
5risks taken by our military personnel during the COVID-19
6crisis; and
7 WHEREAS, Federal law currently grants the right to
8naturalization and citizenship to all English-speaking persons
9of good moral character who serve in our armed forces during
10wartime or hostilities, even when undocumented; and
11 WHEREAS, Nearly fifty percent of farm, agricultural, and
12manufacturing workers currently laboring during this pandemic
13crisis have been labeled essential workers by state and federal
14governments alike; it is our duty to reciprocate their
15sacrifice by assisting and providing them with a path to
16residency followed by a path to naturalization; therefore, be
17it
18 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
19HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we urge Congress and the President of the United States to
21grant the right and privilege of United States residency to all
22farm, agricultural, and manufacturing workers who have served

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1and labored during the COVID-19 crisis; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That this right and privilege of residency should
3be granted without regard to previous immigration status; and
4be it further
5 RESOLVED, That, in order to facilitate the identification
6of these essential workers, employers and their agents should
7be granted immunity from any adverse action for having
8employed, or otherwise acquired the services of, persons who
9were identified as being essential workers during the COVID-19
10crisis; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12delivered to the President of the United States and the leaders
13of the U.S. House and Senate.
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