SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s visit to Springfield:
“Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, DHS is reported to have violated the rights of countless individuals, separated families, left unaccompanied children without access to counsel and undermined the right to due process granted to every person in the U.S. by our constitution.
“Echoing the xenophobic and nationalist sentiments perpetrated by the president, Secretary Noem has contributed to the dehumanization of immigrants across the country in order to justify a ruthless and unlawful agenda of mass deportation that has threatened the American ideals our country was founded on.
“On the contrary, here in Illinois, we believe in upholding the rights and freedoms of all our residents, regardless of their immigration status. Throughout the years, our state has taken great strides in securing the safety and prosperity of our immigrant communities – from ensuring they do not fear contacting law enforcement to strengthening workers’ rights and building equity in state programs regarding education, health care and much more.
“This feat can be attributed to our statewide coalition of staunch community advocates and organizations that have tirelessly fought for the betterment of our communities. On this 15th anniversary of Latino Unity Day, a milestone for our community, we will not stand for this publicity stunt with the sole purpose of intimidating our communities and undermining the significance of 15 years’ worth of advocacy on behalf of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus.
“This event staged by the federal government to disrupt our state functions, while ignoring the real issues hurting working families across the country, is to distract from the federal administration’s failure to meet the needs of the American people.”
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