Immigrant Impact Task Force, Illinois

Board and Commission Details

Meeting Information

​The Task Force shall hold at least six meetings. The Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations based upon its examination of issues under subsection (d) to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2022.

Contact Name

Ruth Lopez-McCarthy

Contact Title

Senior Immigration Fellow, DHS

Contact E-Mail

Ruth.Lopez-McCarthy@Illinois.gov

Function

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.

Senate Confirmation

No

Compensation

None

Composition

The Task Force shall consist of 27 members appointed as follows: (1) one member appointed by the President of the Senate; (2) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (3) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; (4) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; (5) one representative of the Governor's Office; (6) one representative of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget; (7) one representative of the Lieutenant Governor's Office; (8) the Executive Director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority or his or her designee; (9) the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; (10) the Director on Aging or his or her designee; (11) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee; (12) the Director of Children and Family Services or his or her designee; (13) the Director of Public Health or his or her designee; (14) the Director of Healthcare and Family Services or his or her designee; (15) the Director of Human Rights or his or her designee; (16) the Director of Employment Security or his or her designee; (17) the Director of Juvenile Justice or his or her designee; (18) the Director of Corrections or his or her designee; (19) the Executive Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority or his or her designee; (20) the Chairman of the State Board of Education or his or her designee; (21) the Chairman of the Board of Higher Education or his or her designee; (22) the Chairman of the Illinois Community College Board or his or her designee; and (23) five representatives from organizations offering aid or services to immigrants, appointed by the Governor.

Authority

20 ILCS 5156


Member Names

Name Member Expiration Member Since Affiliation Appointed By Position Title County
Villanueva, Sen. Celina 01/08/2025 10/12/2021 President of the Senate Member Member
Ortiz, Rep. Aaron 08/25/2021 Speaker of the House of Representatives Member Member
Tracy, Sen. Jil Minority Leader of the Senate Member Member
Keicher, Rep. Jeff 08/17/2022 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Member Member
Lopez-McCarthy, Ruth 11/02/2021 Governor Representative of the Governor's Office Chair
Perez-Hall, Devany Statute Representative of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget Member
Reyes, Teresa Lt. Governor Representative of the Lt. Governor's Office Member
Kersjes, Liz Statute Executive Director of the IHDA; his or her designee Member
Jimenez, Lilian Statute Secretary of Human Services; his or her designee Member
Lulich, Amy Statute Director on Aging; his or her designee Member
Estrada, Rebecca 02/15/2023 Statute Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; his or her designee Member
Aguirre, Jenny Statute Director of the Dept. of Healthcare and Family Service; his or her designee Member
Fitzgerald, Daniel Statute Director of Children and Family Services; his or her designee Member
Amaal Tokars Statute Director of Public Health; his or her designee Member
Monroy, Steven Statute Director of Human Rights; his or her designee Member
Gomberg, Will Statute Director of Employment Security; his or her designee Member
Jamil, Omar Statute Director of Juvenile Justice; his or her designee Member
Hughes, Latoya Statute Director of Corrections; or his or her designee Member
Yuh, Peter Statute Executive Director of the ICJIA; his or her designee Member
Rodriguez, Hector Statute Chair of the State Board of Education; his or her designee Member
Onwuameze, Nkechi Statute Chair of the Board of Higher Education; his or her designee Member
Aguiar, Nelson Statute Chair of the Illinois Community College Board; his or her designee Member
Vera, Jose 09/08/2021 Governor Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Member
Asirifi-Otchere, Nancy 09/10/2021 Governor Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Member
Choi, Inhe 09/28/2021 Governor Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Member
Shi, Rebecca 11/02/2021 Governor Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Member
Rivera, Magdalena 10/13/2023 Governor Representative from an organization offering aid or services to immigrants Member McHenry