SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, worked to provide local public schools millions in additional funding as a result of the monumental education funding reform passed last summer, protect immigrant communities from Donald Trump’s hateful agenda and fought to ensure critical services that lift up working families are funded during the spring legislative session.

“Education gives every child a foundation to succeed and provide for their families and community, which is why I supported a budget that provides millions in additional funding for our local schools,” Hernandez said. “Time after time, the governor has chosen to play political games rather than work with us to ensure every child receives the tools they need for a bright future.”

Hernandez worked to ensure that the Illinois Board of Education (ISBE) allocated the $21.9 million in additional funding local public schools were entitled to after months of unnecessary delay. Under the new formula, more state funds are being provided to districts with greater need. The Hernandez-backed Senate Bill 1947, not only fully funded Bilingual Education for first time in decades, it is providing schools in the 24th District the following in additional funding:

• J. Sterling Morton High School District 201— $9,130,867
• Cicero School District 99— $8,271,310
• Berwyn South School District 100— $3,040,904
• Berwyn North School District 98— $1,465,865

Additionally, Hernandez has worked tirelessly to fight back against Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda by being a lead sponsor of the Illinois TRUST Act, which are the strongest state-level protections in the country for undocumented immigrants, expanding protections for immigrants that are victims of crimes like domestic violence, and standing up for Illinois’ 42,000 Dreamers every step of the way since the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Hernandez also supported a bipartisan, balanced budget that cuts wasteful bureaucracy, reverses Gov. Bruce Rauner’s extreme cuts and invests the state’s limited resources in critical services like lifesaving cancer screenings for women, and the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps reduce the cost of childcare for working families.

“Donald Trump’s hateful agenda has devastated immigrant communities across the country, so we must continue fighting at the state-level to ensure families aren’t torn apart,” Hernandez said. “Much more work remains to be done and I encourage Governor Bruce Rauner to come out from the shadows where he has been hiding since Donald Trump became president and work with us to protect the immigrant community and support a budget that lifts up working families.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, issued the following statement after Gov. Bruce Rauner unilaterally zeroed out appropriated funding for Welcoming Centers and cut funding for Immigrant Integration Services by roughly half-a-million dollars:

“Once again, Gov. Bruce Rauner has decided to uphold President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. By unilaterally gutting funding for these vital public investments, the governor is snatching the American dream out of the hands of parents who moved here so their families could have a better life.

“Just a little over a month ago, in the Little Village, the governor stood in a room full of community members and advocates and told them that he has been on the side of immigrants his entire life. Yet, we still haven’t seen Gov. Rauner take a clear stance in opposition to Donald Trump ending the DACA program, even though 42,000 young people in Illinois will be under immediate risk if Congress fails to act. And now, he has gutted funding for vital services that help new immigrants become self-reliant, enabling them to earn more and contribute to our state’s economy.

“The Illinois TRUST Act was just the beginning and there’s more work to be done. If the governor is serious about his commitment to supporting immigrant communities, then he should reinstate funding for these vital services, and he should denounce Donald Trump for putting the livelihood of 42,000 young people at risk. Actions speak louder than words.”

CICERO, Ill.– State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which was put in place by former President Barack Obama after Congress failed to enact comprehensive immigration reform:

“The decision to end DACA demonstrates once again that President Donald Trump and the people he surrounds himself with belong to  an administration that lacks the empathy and compassion to protect the ideals and values of our country. By ending DACA, Donald Trump has put the lives of 42,000 hardworking young people in Illinois at immediate risk. If they lose DACA without permanent legislation in place, they will lose the ability to work legally and be subject to immediate deportation.

“Dreamers were brought into this country by their parents when they were infants. They were raised in this country, educated in our local schools, and often have no idea they’re undocumented until they apply for a job, college, or a driver’s license. They are community members, students, teachers, nurses, and engineers. They pay taxes, and contribute to our economy just like everyone else. They are American in every aspect except for one, on paper.

“Republican governors and elected officials across the country have come out against this shameful plan, but we have yet to see Gov. Bruce Rauner take a clear stance in opposition to it. As the governor of the state with the fifth largest Latino population, he cannot sit by idly while 42,000 young people in Illinois face the risk of being separated from their families. The Illinois TRUST Act was just the beginning and there’s more work to be done in order to ensure the rights of all people are protected. I urge Gov. Rauner to speak up for Dreamers and to denounce the plan for what it is, a sign of hate by the leader of his party.”

WESTCHESTER, Ill. –Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Chris Welch, D-Hillside, aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants with no criminal backgrounds from being detained by law enforcement and increasing trust between communities and local law enforcement was signed into law today.

“Our nation was built by generations of immigrants who came to the United States to build a better life for themselves and their families,” Welch said. “Illinois should be a leader in making sure that immigrants continue to be welcomed with open arms to our country. This legislation sends a loud and clear message to President Trump, Washington politicians and to the rest of the country that, in Illinois, diversity and inclusivity are valued over hate and intolerance.”

Welch is the Chief House Sponsor of Senate Bill 31, known as the Illinois TRUST Act, which would set reasonable limits on local law enforcement from engaging in the enforcement of federal immigration policies by:

• Barring local law enforcement from complying with an immigration detainer without a court-issued warrant,
• Prohibiting law enforcement from detaining or continuing to detain someone solely based on an immigration detainer or non-judicial warrant, and
• Prohibit stopping, searching, arresting, or detaining an individual solely based on their citizenship or immigration status.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), immigrant communities are more likely to report crimes and cooperate with police if they trust their immigration status will not be made an issue. Communities with more welcoming policies also show lower crime rates as undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. Welch’s Senate Bill 31 allows Illinois to join other states, including California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, to have restrictions in place which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agents.

“Immigrants in our community should not have feel unsafe when they go to work or take their children to school,” Welch said. “This legislation will ensure that proper legal procedures are being followed and provide peace of mind to members of our community.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –Committed to making Illinois a welcoming state, State Rep. Chris Welch, D-Hillside, and state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, respective members of the Black and Latino Caucus, unified their fellow caucus members to pen a letter to Gov. Rauner urging him to enact immigrant protections passed by the General Assembly at the end of May.

“In the era of Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions, it is crucial that we come together, and speak up for one another because an attack on one of us is an attack against all of us,” Welch said. “African-Americans and Latinos have made tremendous gains in the last few decades and we cannot let a misguided president roll-back that progress, which is why this legislation and the fact that the members who represent some of the most diverse districts in Illinois came together in solidarity for one another speaks volumes. Again, I urge Governor Rauner to make it clear to Trump and Sessions that he believes in an inclusive and forward-thinking Illinois.”

Welch and Hernandez were the Chief House Sponsors of Senate Bill 31, known as the Illinois TRUST Act, which would set reasonable limits on local law enforcement from engaging in the enforcement of federal immigration policies by:

• Barring local law enforcement from complying with an immigration detainer without a court-issued warrant,
• Barring law enforcement from detaining or continuing to detain someone solely based on an immigration detainer or non-judicial warrant, and
• Prohibit stopping, searching, arresting, or detaining an individual solely based on their citizenship or immigration status.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), immigrant communities are more likely to report crimes and cooperate with police if they trust their immigration status will not be made an issue. Communities with more welcoming policies also show lower crime rates as undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. With Senate Bill 31, Illinois would join other states, including California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, to have restrictions in place which limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agents.

“As the governor of the state with the fifth largest Latino population, Governor Rauner cannot turn the other way while acts of discrimination take place. Because in difficult times, we speak up and take action, on behalf of those that can’t speak up for themselves,” Hernandez said. “So, it is my sincere hope that Governor Rauner will let Donald Trump and his extreme allies know that in Illinois, the rights of all people are protected.”

Senate Bill 31 has been sitting on the governor’s desk for 14 days awaiting his consideration.