ILLINOIS NEW AMERICANS EXECUTIVE ORDER

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ILLINOIS NEW AMERICANS EXECUTIVE ORDER

• Jose Luis Gutierrez
• Director
• Governors Office of New Americans Policy and
  Advocacy

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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

• Immigrant comprise
• 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 the state, cities and towns
• Bring assets and create challenges
• Successful immigrants benefit towns, communities,
  and themselves

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Illinois Immigrant Integration Programs

• 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 between the State and community
• Strategic and proactive state government approach
• Institutionalizes conversation about the assets
  and needs of the immigrant community

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The Creation of Illinois Executive Order

• Governors Office of New Americans
• Interagency Task Force
• Illinois New Americans Policy Council
• National Advisory Panel
• Each of these bodies play a vital role in
  contributing coherent and strategic inputs
  directing immigrant integration policy

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Office of New Americans Policy and Advocacy

• Will coordinate the policies, actions, planning,
  and programs of the states government with
  respect to immigrant integration in Illinois, and
  the impact of immigration policy on Illinois.

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Interagency Task Force

• Will examine agency by agency how state
  government can address the rapidly changing
  population of the state.

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Interagency Impact

• Aging
• Children and Family Services
• Employment Security
• Human Services
• Healthcare and Family Services
• Public Health
• State Board of Education
• Board of Higher Education
• Illinois Community Board
• Total (57)
• Total State budget

• 509,392,400
• 1,326,244,500
• 284,832,100
• 5,433,933,100
• 16,044,457,300
• 405,022,594
• 8,749,051,322
• 49,692,300
• 417,636,423
• 33,220,262,039
• 58,000,000,000

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New Americans Immigrant Policy Council

• Consults broadly with immigrant leaders and host
  communities identify best practices make
  recommendations to the Governor on policies and
  programs of state government to equip immigrants
  with the necessary tools to become full
  contributing state residents and assist state
  agencies in developing plans to assist immigrants
  and their communities.

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The National Advisory Council

• Helps guide the work of the New Americans
  Executive Order. The Council consist of prominent
  national academics, business leaders, advocates
  and governmental practitioners who will lend
  their vision to the project and share the
  project's recommendations through their national
  networks.

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Why a 2 Year Process?

• The timeframe would allow the Partnership to
  systematically address serious issues and an
  functional work areas of State responsibility,
  policy, and program.

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Issues Focused

• 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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The Statewide Recommendations

• Develop Welcoming Center for Immigrants and
  refugees
• Ensure adequate language services are available
  to all Illinois residents
• Define standards for state subcontractors and
  vendors to provide culturally and linguistically
  appropriate services
• Develop a comprehensive linguistic and cultural
  competency training for all state staff
• Make vital documents language accessible for
  immigrans and refugees
• Increase outreach efforts to immigrants and
  refgues

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Pilot Illinois Welcoming Centers

• Opening of the 1st Illinois Welcoming Center in
  Melrose Park in August 27, 2007
• The Illinois Welcoming Centers innovative model
  eliminates systemic barriers that immigrants may
  have in approaching state services
• It provides direct services, direct referrals,
  offers information and provides access to state
  programs in one location.

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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
• Passed by Illinois General Assembly and signed
  into law by Governor Blagojevich

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Lessons Learned

• Its critical to have partnership between elected
  and government officials, funders, community
  members, organizations, and the immigrant
  community. 

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Lessons Learned

• Focus on the contributions of immigrants rather
  than focusing on the needs of immigrants

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Lessons Learned

• The internal and strategic planning is very
  important focus on the lower hanging fruit.  

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For More Information

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

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