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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
SUBSTITUTE FOR 18-4466
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING OF 6/27/2018
ADDRESSING THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF IMMIGRANT CHILD AND FAMILY DETENTION AND CALLING ON THE U.S. CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO RESCIND THE "ZERO TOLERANCE" POLICY
WHEREAS, Cook County is a "Fair and Equal County for Immigrants," as defined in 07-R-240; and
WHEREAS, Cook County has demonstrated leadership and commitment towards upholding the rights of immigrants by being the first county in the nation to develop and approve a policy of how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers per Ordinance 11-O-73; and
WHEREAS, Cook County has benefitted culturally, socially and economically from the diversity of its residents, including over one million immigrants from throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, In April 2018, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum requiring all federal prosecutors along the Southwest border to adopt a zero tolerance policy for attempted entries as defined under 8 U.S. Code ? 1325; and
WHEREAS, There are migrant parents who have been criminally prosecuted as a result of this zero tolerance policy and are currently being detained in immigrant detention facilities in Illinois, despite their children being scattered across the country and thus further complicating the litigation of their asylum cases; and
WHEREAS, This has vastly expanded the criminalization of adult migrants, some of whom are presenting asylum claims and are now being criminally prosecuted before federal judges, instead of appearing in civil immigration proceedings, and has resulted in the separation from their minor children who have been erroneously labeled as unaccompanied alien children; and
WHEREAS, There has been a spike in separations after the issuance of the zero tolerance policy memorandum with nearly 3,000 children separated from their parents with an unspecified number of these children being sheltered in Chicago facilities wi...
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