Illinois Student Senate Resolution Against Racial Profiling

 Today at 5 p.m., The Illinois Student Senate will be voting on this resolution (Illini Union Room A). Please come and show your support!! A huge thank you to Teresa, Sam, Max, Rich Keith, Mike (of the Students Senate), ALL participating organizations like the iResist Coalition, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, the G.E.O., the Latina/Latino Studies Graduate Student Organization, Fellowship for Applied and Activist Research, Independent Media Center- UIUC Chapter, The Show, Letrell Crittenden- graduate advisor National Association of Black Journalism, and the iDream Coalition consisting of U.N.F.A.S., M.E.Ch.A, La Colectiva and allies.

ILLINOIS STUDENT SENATE

Senate Resolution (xx-xx-xxxx-01)

Statement for Justice and Against Racial Profiling

AUTHORS: Teresa Ramos, Sam Barghi

SUPPORTER(S): Max Ellithorpe, Rich Potter, Keith Taylor, Mike Boshardy

Whereas, the Illinois Student Senate is the “official voice of the student body” of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and as students are affected by local, state, and national issues,

Whereas, Illinois Student Senate is neither for nor against a particular set of immigration reform policies, but rather believes racial profiling is not a just or adequate response to a need for comprehensive immigration reform,

Whereas students and members of Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois experience racial profiling on campus and in the community, the cases of Oluwatofunmi Kaiyewu (MD student) and Kiwane Carrignton are the most recent, and research in the Ethnography of the University Initiative (EUI) shows how racial stereotyping on campus and in the community is a serious issues to students on campus, and


Whereas, racial profiling is an arbitrary and entirely subjective assessment which attempts to determine potential behavior, nationality, or legal status based on nothing more than an individual’s characteristics including, but not limited to, their phenotype, manner of dress, or use of language,


Whereas, according to a New York Times article in reference to SB1070, “The law would require the police ‘when practicable’ to detain people they reasonably suspected were in the country without authorization. It would also allow the police to charge immigrants with a state crime for not carrying immigration documents. And it allows residents to sue cities if they believe the law is not being enforced.”

Whereas, SB1070 offers no guidance on how these these law enforcement officials should determine whether a potential suspect has unlawfully entered the United States, and can be reasonably deduced that those of Hispanic or Latino decent, whether American citizens or not, can be targets of racial profiling and harassment,


Whereas previous laws like the State of Arizona’s HB 2281 further racial profiling and ethnic intolerance and impede the quality and excellence of Ethnic Studies units by not allowing faculty with “heavy accents” to teach, and this has an impact on students, faculty, and staff from many diverse ethnic populations including Latinas/os, and

Whereas, La Casa Cultural Latina and student and community organizations including La Colectiva, iDream, Latina/Latino Studies Graduate Student Organization, Fellowship for Applied and Activist Research, Independent Media Center- UIUC Chapter, The Show, Letrell Crittenden- graduate advisor National Association of Black Journalism have taken a stance against racial profiling,

Whereas, this is a historic opportunity for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to make a strong, definitive statement about racial justice,


Whereas, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stands in solidarity with all public institutions of higher education, including those within the State of Arizona, who firmly believe in the right to access an education absent of subjection to any form of racial or ethnic prejudices, where laws like SB1070 and HB2281 threaten that access, and

Whereas, the Illinois Student Senate works toward creating a more just campus and accepts that this is not possible without simultaneously working towards a more just society, and


Therefore let it be resolved that the Illinois Student Senate urges the President and Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign to review its financial relationships with the State of Arizona and with corporations based in Arizona and cease all funding of yet to be planned travel to the State of Arizona in an attempt to put pressure on the State of Arizona to repeals laws like SB1070 that attempt to sanction racial profiling, and


Let it be further resolved, the Illinois Student Senate recommends the Governor and Legislature of the State of Illinois to review its financial relationships with the State of Arizona and with corporations based in Arizona in order to cease these financial relationships until such time that the State or Federal government repeals law like SB1070, and


Let it be further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Office of the President and Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, to the Illinois State Senate, University of Illinois Police Department, Champaign & Urbana Police Departments, and the Office of the Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana, and the Urbana-Champaign Senate Finance Committee, and

Let it further be resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor of the State of Arizona and with any corporations we cease financial relationships with until the State of Arizona ends its attempts to authorize racial profiling.

I-Dream Stands in Solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters in the State of Arizona

In case final projects and research papers have you hiding under a rock these days, the I-Dream coalition just wants to share a short piece of information.

Arizona's Gov. Brewer signed SB 1070 yesterday. SB 1070 gives local police the authority to detain people whom they suspect are in the country without authorization, thus making it a state crime to not carry proper identification with you at all times and subjects people of color to questioning. Therefore, it is no surprise this bill has earned a reputation as "Juan Crow" (in remembrance of the Jim Crow state and local laws that essentially justified discrimination and segregation towards African Americans between 1876 and 1965). One only needs to take a closer look at Gov. Brewer's speech to note the underlying racism and hatred embedded in her support of this law, all in the name of equality and justice? How does that make sense, especially when they are exercising further militarization of the Arizona border? Maybe she did not get the memo back when the Sensenbrenner bill was introduced? (HR4437): NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL!

Nevertheless, OUR voices have not gone unheard. Students and youth, in particular, have been mobilizing in opposition. This past Tuesday, nine students chained themselves to the AZ state capitol building.Yesterday, approximately 2,400 high school students from all over Arizona participated in walk outs to join the thousands of people who have been protesting and rallying outside the state capitol building. Furthermore, actions are occurring all across the country! Have you heard of the Trail of Dreams? What about Chicago's coming out stories?

As you can see, the courage and bravery of youth across the country is inspiring and fueling us more and more! So, please, join us! There are several actions you can do with just the click of the mouse here!

Because ARIZONA CANNOT BE THE STANDARD! WE MUST ACT! STAND UP! BE HEARD!

Stay tuned for updates and upcoming actions!!

If you would like to help organize and make change, contact any I-Dreamer or email us at idreamillnois@illinois.edu

Coalition Meetings – Thursdays at 8:30pm at La Casa.

Wednesday, 6:30-8, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Rally!

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Rally

A couple of minutes of your time can change the lives of millions of students forever!

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Rally!
Help Support the D.R.E.A.M. Act!

Every year more than 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools across this nation, and they cannot continue to higher education because of their status and financial barriers. These students cannot give back to the country that has invested in them. Some have been top students in their schools, valedictorians, award winners, student body presidents and these students could also be our future teachers, nurses, lawyers and community organizers.

The Federal DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would grant qualified undocumented students access to federal loan and work study programs and serve as a pathway to citizenship for thousands of qualified students.

Today, we must stand together as a community and organize for the passage of the Federal DREAM Act.

Foellinger Auditorium
Dec. 9 2009
6:30 PM

Follow up by making a couple quick, but powerful phone calls at the Channing-Murray Foundation phone-bank. Stop in for a few minutes to call our legislators and immigration officials to demand policy that promotes human rights! Bring your cell phone and your voice!

Channing-Murray Foundation

1209 W. Oregon

12-8 PM

Come to learn, show your support, and find out how you can get involved in future movements for human rights and immigration reform--because a couple of minutes of your time can change the lives of millions of students forever!

Moving Along

“We never thought things would be moving this quickly.”

La Colectiva and the IDREAM Coalition at the University of Illinois held a forum and panel regarding the DREAM Act on April 23, 2009.

This event came to fruition as a result of hard work, organization, and more importantly active students. We started planning earlier this semester with the ultimate goal of drawing attention from our Congressman here in Illinois. We haven’t had much luck getting our Congressman, (R-IL) Timothy Johnson, to agree with us on previous issues so this time, instead of going to him directly, we decided to go through our university. We felt that if we could get our administrators and the University of Illinois to come out publicly and support the DREAM Act, we would be able to draw attention of not only Rep. Johnson, but also congressmen statewide.

But before we could meet with our administrators to ask them to publicly support the DREAM Act, we needed to gather support from other organizations, students, faculty/staff, and the community. We did so by forming a coalition known as IDREAM, which is currently comprised of other organizations such as M.E.C.h.A - UIUC (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan), UNFAS (Unidos Nuestra Fuerza Avanzara Siempre), G.E.O (Graduate Employees Organization), Jobs with Justice, etc.

We also meet with our Student Trustee Paul Schmitt and surprisingly enough; he also supported the DREAM Act.

So with all these organizations and individuals backing us up, we met with our Vice Chancellor Renee Romano. We spoke with her and asked for her support. She stated that she personally supported the DREAM Act, but she was not sure if she could publicly state her support in terms of making a statement as the Vice Chancellor. She assured us that she would speak with our Chancellor Richard Herman about supporting the DREAM Act.

A few weeks later, as we waited for a response, we introduced a resolution to our Student Senate, just like similar resolutions had been introduced at the University of Florida and at the University of Michigan.

And just a few days ago, V.C. Romano told us that she would be coming out publicly in support of the DREAM Act, not just personally, but as the Vice Chancellor. It had only been a few weeks since we had spoken to her, but we never thought things would be moving this quickly.

We held the forum last night and the guest speaker, Joshua Hoyt from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugees spoke about recent immigration legislations and the importance of being active. We also showed Tam Tran’s film “Underground Undergraduates”, which is very helpful because it humanizes the issue and shows actual students that are affected by the lack of having a legal status.

All in all, the event was a success and we hope that we motivated enough people to help support this cause. The resolution that was introduced last Wednesday will be voted on this coming Wednesday and we expect to have a large number of students at the meeting voicing their support.

Also, we have an upcoming meeting with Chancellor Richard Herman to discuss how else they can help us with the DREAM Act.

We urge students nationwide to do the same, even if it is too late to hold a forum as we get closer to summer vacation, you can still form a coalition of students, organizations, faculty/staff that can write letters to your administrators asking them to support this important cause. This is only the first step in a very arduous journey and there will be times when you feel discouraged and everything might seem hopeless, but keep in mind that you are not the only ones. There are others doing the same thing all over the country and that there is massive support for the DREAM Act. All we have to do is come out and show how much support there is.

Who We Are....

IDream is a coalition of students, organizations, faculty, staff, departments, etc. that all support the D.R.E.A.M Act. The DREAM Act was re-introduced in the Senate and House on March 26th, 2009. The DREAM Act stands for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors.

The DREAM Act is a bipartisan proposal, which would create a pathway towards legalization for thousands of young students who were brought to the United States years ago as children. These children have grown up alongside our children, within our communities. They have mastered the English language and despite many barriers, have graduated from a U.S. high school and gone on to be accepted into a 2 or 4 year university or opted to serve in the U.S. armed forces.

Educating undocumented youth from kindergarten through 12th grade only to banish them to a permanent underclass or deport them from the only home they know is bad public policy which rips apart our hard-working immigrant families, wastes taxpayer dollars, and makes little moral or economic sense.

The purpose of the IDream Coalition is to garner support from administrators, the University of Illinois, and our Illinois Congressmen.

Our coalition is growing everyday and if you would like to join IDream or if you have any questions, email us at idreamillinois@gmail.com

P.S.

Join our group on facebook and follow us on twitter!!!