Illinois Immigrant Impact Task Force (IITF)

Description

The Immigrant Impact Task Force (IITF) is a statewide effort to review, assess, and recommend a vision for the future of immigrant, refugee, and LEP communities in Illinois, created via SB 2665 the Immigrant Impact Task Force Act. The Immigrant Impact Task Force consists of 27 members representing a wide and diverse group of agencies, organizations, and residents from across the state. The Task Force members will share their perspectives, knowledge, and expertise to link to and leverage existing efforts already underway for immigrants in Illinois. The Task Force will engage and raise the voices of all Illinoisans to understand the realities, needs, and hopes within immigrant, refugee, and LEP communities both now and in the future.

Goals

  • Hold at least six Immigrant Impact Task Force meetings
  • Review thirteen issues provided by the Act targeting immigrant, refugee, and LEP persons
  • Request and receive from a State agencies or local governmental agencies information relating to the Act
  • Create a report based on established issues to present to the Governor and the General Assembly (May '22)

Statutory Authority

Created by Senate Bill 2665- Public Act  102-0236

Immigrant Impact Task Force Act (Signed on August 2, 2021)

* SB 2665 Text (pdf)

The Task Force shall examine the following issues: 

  1. what the State of Illinois is currently doing to proactively help immigrant communities in this State, including whether such persons are receiving help to become citizens, receiving help to become business owners, and receiving aid for educational purposes;
  2. what can the State do going forward to improve relations between the State and immigrant communities in this State;
  3. what is the status of immigrant communities from urban, suburban, and rural areas of this State, and whether adequate support and resources have been provided to these communities;
  4. the extent to which immigrants in this State are being discriminated against;
  5. whether the laws specifically intended to benefit immigrant populations in this State are actually having a beneficial effect;
  6. the practices and procedures of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency within this State;
  7. the use and condition of detention centers in this State;
  8. all contracts in Illinois entered into with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including contracts with private detention centers, the Illinois State Police, and the Secretary of State's Office, Division of Motor Vehicles;
  9. the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant communities, including health impact rates, employment rates, housing, small businesses, and community development;
  10. the disbursement of funds received by different agencies that went to immigrant communities;
  11. language access programs and their impact on helping immigrant communities better interact with State agencies, and whether existing language access programs are effective in helping immigrant communities interact with the State. The Task Force shall also examine whether all State agencies provide language access for non-English speakers, and which agencies and in what regions of the State is there a lack of language access that creates barriers for non-English dominant speakers from accessing support from the State;
  12. the extent to which disparities in access to technology exist in immigrant communities and whether they lead to educational, financial, and other disadvantages; and
  13. the extent to which State programs intended for vulnerable populations such as victims of trafficking, crime, and abuse are being implemented or need to be implemented.

Task Force Requirements

Training Requirements

Please visit the link above to view the training requirements for this Board/Commission/Committee/Task Force.

Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and the Open Meetings Act

State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430/) (pdf)

Meeting Notices, Agendas, & Notes

  • 4/17/2023- TBA

Membership

Appointment Who Appoints? Finalized Appointment
Member of the General Assembly President of the Senate 11th District Senator Celina Villanueva
Member of the General Assembly Speaker of the House 1st District Representative Aaron Ortiz
Member of the General Assembly Minority Leader of the Senate TBD
Member of the General Assembly Minority Leader of the House TBD
Representative of the Governor's Office Governor Ruth Lopez-McCarthy, Senior Immigration Fellow
Representative of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget Statute TBD
Representative of the Lt. Governor's Office Lt. Governor Ariana Correa, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Program Manager for the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity (JEO) Initiative
Executive Director of the IHDA; his or her designee Statute Liz Kersjes, Planning and Research Specialist
Secretary of Human Services; his or her designee Statute Lilian Jimenez, Associate Director at Office of Welcoming Centers for Refugee & Immigrant Services
Director of Aging; his or her designee Statute Amy Lulich, Senior Policy Advisor
Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; his or her designee Statute Vanessa Uribe, Office of Minority Economic Opportunity
Director of Children and Family Services; his or her designee Statute Daniel Fitzgerald, Chief Diversity Officer
Director of Public Health; his or her designee Statute Aniema Ekong,  Administrator
Director of the Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services; his or her designee Statute Jenny Aguirre, Assistant Director
Director of Human Rights; his or her designee Statute Steven Monroy, Director of Fair Housing
Director of Employment Security; his or her designee Statute Will Gomberg, Director's Office
Director of Juvenile Justice; his or her designee Statute Omar Jamil, Senior Policy Advisor
Director of Corrections; his or her designee Statute Latoya Hughes, Chief Inspector
Executive Director of the ICIJA; his or her designee Statute Peter Yuh, Associate General Counsel
Chair of the State Board of Education; his or her designee Statute Hector Rodriguez, Director of Government Relations
Chair of the Board of Higher Education; his or her designee Statute Nkechi Onwuameze, Associate Director
Chair of the Illinois Community College board; his or her designee Statute Nelson Aguiar, Associate Director English as a Second Language/Immigrants and Latino Issues
Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Governor Nancy Asirifi-Otchere, Executive Director, United Africa Organization
Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Governor

Inhe Choi

Executive Director ,HANA Center
Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Governor

Rebecca Shi,

American Business Immigration Coalition
Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Governor

Dr. Maggie Rivera

Immigrant Migrant Council
Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Governor

Jose Vera

Executive Director, Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project

 Appointments.Illinois.gov 

IDHS Administrative Support

Task Force Administrative Contact: Ruth Lopez-McCarthy - Ruth.Lopez-McCarthy@Illinois.gov