L-R:Oberweis, Durbin, Cross, Rauner, Topinka, Edgar, Hastert at Coalition's 2014 announcement
This week's Illinois Chamber of Commerce's endorsement of Bruce Rauner for governor was no surprise to political observers, as the Chamber's policies promote job creation, lower taxes, less government regulations and free enterprise - all key issues that Rauner is running on.
But does the Chamber's endorsement indicate they're in tune with Rauner's position on immigration - an issue that is drawing more and more attention. The city of Chicago and its surrounding Cook County are effectively sanctuary districts, where law officials are restrained from asking a person his or her immigration status. Governor Pat Quinn's administration policy immigration law enforcement is akin to Chicago's.
How will a Governor Rauner enforce state and federal immigration laws? Rauner sums up his position like this:
...While my focus as governor will be my four point program of a growing economy, lower taxes, better schools, and term limits, I will also be a voice in favor of immigration reform and in support of vibrant immigrant communities in our state. I will advocate changing our broken national immigration system, to secure our borders and prevent more from entering our country illegally, but also to increase the number of those who can legally come here, and to treat those who are already here in a humane way that preserves families and integrates them into the mainstream of our economy and society. After all, that is the American way.
In April 2014, the Illinois Chamber joined the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, and several of the Illinois Republican Party's top officials - including Rauner - supported the coalition by their presence at a press conference.
John Rowe, Samuel c. Scott III and Doug L. Whitley | Image Source
What is the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition's position on immigration reform?
They favor the Democrat-majority Senate's reform proposals - the ones supported by both U.S. senators from Illinois - Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. Three of the Coalition's leaders - John Rowe, Samuel C. Scott III and Doug L. Whitley - wrote the following in a January 2014 Crain's op-ed:
The U.S. Senate passed an immigration bill with the support of our own Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. It provides more money for border security, allows immigrants already here to work, expands visa programs and provides an arduous 13-year path to citizenship. Hardly a free ride.
The House will act in its own way as it should, but it needs to act this year. Speaker John Boehner's recent comments on releasing his immigration blueprint this month, hiring Rebecca Tallent — a longtime immigration adviser to Sen. John McCain — and Mr. Boehner's public rebuke of tea party-backed opposition all indicate some serious commitment to getting immigration reform done this year.
As business leaders in Illinois, we welcome this move. Illinois is facing tough economic times. With an unemployment rate nearly 2 percent higher than the national average, common-sense immigration reform can help to jump-start our economy and get the state on the path to economic competitiveness.
The Coalition says American needs low- and high-skilled immigrant workers, immigrant taxpayers as well as consumers, entrepeneurs. It also says undocumented students should be able to develop careers in America if they attend school here. It advocates a "pathway to citizenship" and an end to wasteful and inefficient law enforcement.
