Updated 03-13-2025
2025 ICIRR Policy Platform
This upcoming year, ICIRR and our members will organize to pass pro-immigrant legislation and secure essential resources that benefit communities across Illinois.
Scroll down to learn more about ICIRR's 2025 Policy Platform. You can also see our wins in recent years by clicking the links below.
ICIRR 2025 Policy Platform
In summer 2024, ICIRR members engaged community members in a platform engagement process to determine what policy priorities our coalition would push for during the 2024 legislative session. You can download our full 2025 policy platform here.
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Win increased funding for Immigrant Services: The Immigrant Service Line Item (ISLI) provides funding for direct cash assistance to immigrants, citizenship application assistance, English classes, DACA and citizenship application fee waivers, and resource navigation for immigrants throughout Illinois. Since program costs are growing, we will seek an increase in funding for next year to catch up with those rising costs.
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Protect and expand healthcare for ALL in IL (Healthy IL): Illinois has created state-funded programs that provide medical coverage for low-income immigrants age 42 or older and children age 18 and younger, regardless of their immigration status. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) and Health Benefit for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) programs have been closed to new enrolled and subject to other cost-cutting measures since 2023. The governor’s proposed budget would zero out funding for HBIA, denying life-saving care for tens of thousands of Illinois immigrants. We will continue to defend these programs against harmful restrictions, and push to win additional funding to further expand coverage to include all other income-eligible immigrants regardless of their status.
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Progressive state revenue / Illinois Revenue Alliance (SJR 22 - Sen. Villa/ HJR 18 - Rep. Will Davis): Without expanded sources for state revenue, our ability to win programs that provide basic sustenance and economic justice for our communities (including several listed in this platform) will remain limited. We won an important victory for progressive revenue in 2024 when the General Assembly scaled back the “vendor discount” that retail stores can claim from their state sales tax collections, thus raising $160 million per year in revenue. We will keep pushing for permanent solutions that will generate more than $6 billion for the state, particularly from those who are better able to pay, so that all of our families will have the support they need to thrive.
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Fixing the Illinois TRUST Act (HB 2706 - Rep. Lisa Hernandez/ SB 2305 - Sen. Aquino): While the Illinois TRUST Act is one of the most protective state laws regarding police engagement in immigration enforcement, it can be improved even further to adapt to federal policy changes and close loopholes. For instance, we need to update who counts as an immigration agent in case the incoming administration deploys National Guard or military troops to conduct immigration operations. We can also better protect police data so it will not be used for immigration purposes.
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Safe Schools for All (HB 3247 - Rep. Jimenez/ SB 2065 - Sen. Villa) (partnering with MALDEF): The federal government has started a campaign targeting immigrant communities across the country and Illinois. Among the first actions of the second Trump administration was rescinding the Department of Homeland Security “sensitive locations memo,” opening the possibility of immigration enforcement directed at schools. In this environment, Illinois must take affirmative steps to ensure parents are not discouraged from sending and children are not discouraged from attending schools, as is their right.
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Post-conviction relief (Cook County Public Defender) (SB 1266 - Sen. Villa/ HB 3549 - Rep. Slaughter): Our criminal legal system still channels immigrants into the deportation pipeline despite several existing laws intended to protect them from removal. ICIRR worked with allies among public defender offices, progressive state’s attorneys, and immigrant advocates in 2024 to craft legislation to enable people with certain criminal convictions to ask to reopen their cases based on newly discovered evidence of innocence or lack of explanation of the immigration consequences of the conviction. We will support our allies as they push for this legislation in 2025.
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Outsourced medical care (HB 3593 - Rep. Avelar / Sen. Fine): Even if they have medical coverage, many people seeking medical services often receive large bills for services not covered by their insurance. We plan to build on our 2023 victory winning legislation requiring hospitals to screen patients for medical coverage eligibility by requiring that health care providers in hospitals are subject to the same fair billing and charity care laws as the hospitals themselves.
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Child Tax Credit (SB 2465 - Sen. Aquino): We and our allies in the Economic Security Illinois Coalition won an important victory in 2024 in creating the state’s first child tax credit. This credit will provide important support for low- and middle-income households with children, including many immigrant families who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to file their returns. We are pushing for some fixes–including a minimum benefit amount–to provide relief for families who need the support the most, those with little or no income.
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Win continued cash assistance for those who are ineligible for federal public assistance, and move toward a future guaranteed income program (CASH Act: SB 1561 - Sen. Fine / HB 2694 - Rep. Jimenez): Since 2020, ICIRR has administered the Immigrant Family Support Program (IFSP) to provide assistance to immigrant families who have been ineligible for COVID relief assistance and other public benefits. IFSP had received funding from federal ARPA dollars (which were exhausted in 2024) and state general revenue funds. The needs addressed by IFSP remain even as the COVID pandemic has subsided. We will push for further funding of this program beyond this fiscal year. We will also continue to advocate more broadly for a state-level guaranteed income program that can provide regular basic support for families in need.
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Support for new arrivals: Illinois has welcomed more than 48,000 people arriving from the southern border since August 2022, most of whom were transported by buses organized by the State of Texas. While the pace of arrivals has slowed since early 2024, the people who have already arrived continue to need shelter, food, medical attention, and other care. ICIRR continues to call for more federal leadership and resources for these people, and to advocate on the state and local level for continued support as these new arrivals move toward self-sufficiency in their new community.