A report by two panels set up by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich calls for the opening of welcome centers with the purpose of aiding immigrants with the naturalization process.
The welcome centers would focus on English language acquisition, providing education, and orientating immigrants on health care resources available to them.
In November of 2005, Blagojevich signed the New American Executive Order. The executive order was intended to help develop a statewide system by which immigrants could become accustomed to their new lives in the U.S..
One year later, the New American Policy Council and the Interagency Task Force, two state panels that were created by that executive order, have released a report that outlines that a process.
The recommendations are driven by data compiled in the report released by the state panels that shows the increasingly important role immigrants play in the Illinois economy.
According to the report, immigrants make up 12.6 percent of the state population and 17 percent of its workers. The amount of new immigrants in Illinois rises by over 35,000 people per year.
It appears that rather than ignoring the growing immigrant community, state legislators are attempting to develop what is the potential for immigrants to become full contributing citizens, into a reality.
In order for these recommendations to take affect, the government would need to allocate $25 million dollars for the project, an amount that some critics of the proposal say the state government cannot afford.
As it stands, Blagojevich’s office has said that it will review the report, but no other statements have been released.
Among the other recommendations are to allow “highly-educated” and “highly-skilled” immigrants to transfer their professional credentials as well as help “low-skilled” immigrants obtain practical careers.
If implemented, Illinois would be the only state in the nation with such a comprehensive immigrant policy.