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Commitment of Support & Establishment of Task Force on Chicagoland Immigration & Disability Advocacy

 

Whereas, on average 61 million people living in the U.S. have a disability, and at least one billion people globally have a disability;

Whereas, at least 47 million people living in the U.S. hold immigrant status of various kinds;

Whereas, disability is also present among those who are immigrants, as well as among the families and friends of immigrants;

Whereas, immigrants with disabilities face significant systemic and social barriers to accessing basic necessities of life in the U.S. on par with others;

Whereas, immigrants with disabilities are not only present in all communities, but also present in places of incarceration, institutionalization, and/or detention;

Whereas, disability and immigration advocates in Chicagoland work in a unique systemic environment of local, county and state efforts to protect immigrants as a whole, as well as people with disabilities as a whole;

Whereas, disability and immigration advocates have paid witness to ongoing federal attacks on the basic human rights of all immigrants with disabilities;

Now therefore be it resolved: 

That we the undersigned commit to supporting the advancement of systemic and service solutions to protect and expand the human rights of immigrants with disabilities and their families; and 

That we the undersigned commit to establishing and supporting a Task Force to address solutions for immigrants with disabilities. 

Initial Co-Signers

Organizations:

  • Access Living
  • Arc of Illinois
  • Cambiando Vidas
  • Chinese Mutual Aid Association
  • Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC)
  • Healthy Illinois
  • Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
  • Lo Que Puede Venir
  • National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
  • National Immigrant Justice Center
  • UIC Disability Resource Center
  • Young Center for Immigrant & Children’s Rights

Individuals, with and without affiliation:

  • Alma Anaya, Cook County Commissioner, 7th District
  • Rachel Arfa, Equip for Equality 
  • Lily Diego-Johnson
  • Kennedy Green
  • Malini Goel
  • Mimi and Monica Hamada-Pena
  • Timotheus Gordon, Jr., Co-Founder of Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (DPOCC) 
  • Rooshey Hasnain, UIC-DHD ADOPT-PRIDE 
  • John Herring, Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL) 
  • Enrique Mendoza, Legal Council for Health Justice
  • Paul Ogwal, Caring Across Generations
  • Jae Jin Pak
  • Alberto Rosas
  • Shelly Richardson, Statewide Independent Living Council 
  • Naomi Salcedo, AFIRE Chicago 
  • Tedros Markos Tekle, UIC PRIDE