ADVOCATES ARE PUSHING FOR EXPANDING ACCESS TO WORK PERMITS FOR MIGRANTS IN LONG TERM.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON AND OTHER PROPONENTS SAY EXPANDING WORK PERMITS WILL BOOST THE U.S.

WORKFORCE AND THE ECONOMY.

BUT OPPONENTS SAY LOCAL TAXPAYERS WILL HAVE TO PAY AND THEY SHOULD BE PROTECTED.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE LAURA ALYSSA IMMIGRATION ORGANIZER AT THE RECENT ACTION PROJECT.

AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM IS REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR AND A CHESS ME.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

NOW, SENATOR, I WANT TO GO TO YOU.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RISK THAT YOU SEE AN EXTENDED WORK PERMITS TO ALL UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS?

>> WELL, IT'S GOING TO DRIVE DOWN THE WAGES FOR THE AMERICAN WORKER.

AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE AMERICAN WORKER THAT DAY HAS DONE IT THE RIGHT WAY THE ENTIRE TIME AND THAT THE U.S. CITIZENS ARE GOING TO BE PENALIZE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO DRIVE DOWN THE WAGES FOR THEM.

FOR THOSE REASONS, I THINK WE NEED TO BE INCREDIBLY CAUTIOUS FOR ANY EXPANSIONS.

>> AND LAURA, GOING TO YOU FROM WHAT HE'S SAYING, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF EXTENDING WORK PERMITS TO ON DOCUMENT TO CITIZENS?

YEAH, THAT PROVIDE YES.

I DON'T THINK IT ACTUALLY BRING DOWN THE WAGES.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE DEFINITELY WANT THOSE FAIR WAGES TO BE UPHELD.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE FORMAL ECONOMY AND ARE PAYING TAXES, RIGHT, AND THAT LAWS FOR FAIR WAGES ARE UPHELD.

A LOT OF THE TIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITHOUT DOCUMENTS.

>> HAVE TO TAKE A JOB THAT PAYS LAST AND THAT IS MAYBE WORKING THEM MORE HOURS WITHOUT EQUAL PAY.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED AND THEY'RE ABLE TO GO AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS AS WORKERS ON MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE RIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN TIRELESSLY WORKED FOR WORKERS TO BE PROTECTED.

SO THAT'S WHAT A WORK PERMIT WOULD ALLOW US TO DO YOU ATTEND A MEETING LAST WEEK WITH THE MAYOR AND OTHER LOCAL LEADERS PUSHING THE HERE TO WORK CAMPAIGN.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS OF THIS INITIATIVE AND WHAT WAS THE SCENE LIKE AT THAT MEETING?

>> YEAH, THE THE PURPOSE IS TO EXPAND WORK PERMITS FOR ALL SPECIALLY 2 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNDOCUMENTED IN THE U.S. FOR NOW A DECADE TALKING ABOUT THE TIME THAT PEOPLE HAVE DOCUMENTED 16 YEARS.

>> SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOME PROTECTIONS.

I THINK IT WAS A WONDERFUL IT WAS WONDERFUL TO BE PART OF THAT MEETING TO SEE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS FROM THE PRIVATE INTO FAITH LEADERS TO CIVIC LEADERS ALL COMING TOGETHER AND SAYING THIS IS A PROTECTION THAT IS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE WHO HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE BEEN MAKING THIS COUNTRY WHAT IT IS NOW.

>> AND, SENATOR, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THE GOALS OF THE HERE TO PAIN COULD BACKFIRE.

>> WELL, I THINK THAT FIRST WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO SAY WHAT IT IS AND THEY'RE THEY'RE ILLEGAL.

IMMIGRANTS HAVE COME HERE REGARDLESS HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN HERE.

THERE ARE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND YOU CAN ADD MILLIONS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO THE WORKFORCE AND EXPECTED TO HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE WAGES FOR THE LEGAL CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE THAT RESIDE IN NOT ONLY OUR STATE BUT ALSO OUR COUNTRY.

BUT IF YOU IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND BEYOND THAT AND IF YOU THINK ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OR MIGRANT CRISIS IS BAD NOW, IF YOU FORMALIZE THAT YOU ARE LITERALLY OPENING UP THE FLOODGATES EVEN WORSE THAN THEY ALREADY HAVE, THAT THAT JB PRITZKER.

AND AND AND AND MAYOR JOHNSON OTHERS HAVE ESSENTIALLY ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET FOR MIGRANTS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COME STATE OF ILLINOIS AND WE JUST CAN SUSTAIN IT AND IT'S SIPHONING OFF RESOURCES FOR THOSE THAT HAVE HAVE LIT THAT LIVE HERE LEGALLY AND HAVE FOR FOR DECADES.

AND SO I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO PRIORITIES.

WE CERTAINLY HAVE EMPATHY.

WE ALSO HAVE A FINITE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS WE CAN SPEND IN THE STATE AND WE'RE CITING OFF BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR MIGRANTS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

THAT SHOULD BE YOU SHOULD BE USED FOR LAWFUL CITIZENS OF OUR STATE.

>> A LOT OF WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THAT?

BECAUSE THERE ARE UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING TAXES YET.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS CONTRIBUTING.

SO IT IS NOT ABOUT THAT.

AND THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THINK ABOUT THE WORKFORCE HAS ECOSYSTEM.

YOU NEED THOSE TO BE PICKING THOSE CROPS.

MANY PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOING TO PICK THOSE CROPS THAT THEN GOING TO BE SO THAT ARE THEN GOING TO GO TO RESTAURANTS, RIGHT?

ALL OF THAT IS A CHAIN WHERE YOU NEED PEOPLE WORKING.

AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH WORKERS IN THE U.S. TO FULFILL ALL OF THE VACANCIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

AND SO WE NEED AND THE GRANTS TO CALM ACTUALLY BE DONE.

HERE TO BE ABLE TO TO TAKE ON THOSE THOSE POSITIONS ARE THAT ARE OPEN AND ABLE TO THEM THAT GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE ECONOMY THE WAY THAT IT HAS WORKED FOR MANY YEARS.

>> AND SENATOR, WHAT IS YOUR INPUT ON THAT?

BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE WORKERS AND IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.

DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

>> I THINK IT'S INSULTING TO THE AMERICAN WORKER TO SUGGEST THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE TO COME PICK CROPS ARE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN WORKERS ARE THE BEST WORKERS IN THIS IN THIS WORLD.

AND CERTAINLY HAVE TO PUT THEM FIRST FOREMOST IN OUR POLICY DECISIONS.

AND SO LITERALLY MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LEGALLY GIVING THEM LEGAL WORK STATUS WITHIN OUR COUNTRY WILL NOT ONLY OPENED THE FLOODGATES ON OUR SOUTHERN BORDER FURTHER THAN IT ALREADY IS, BUT IT WILL ALSO DRIVE DOWN THE WAGES FOR THOSE FOR THOSE THAT I REPRESENT.

AND THAT FOR THOSE REASONS, I SIMPLY CANNOT SUPPORT IT.

>> AND ANOTHER QUESTION ARE AMERICAN JOBS?

ARE THEY AT RISK?

>> WELL, OF COURSE, ARE AT RISK, RIGHT?

I MEAN, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T LEGALIZING ILLEGAL ACTIVITY EXPECTED.

THOSE ARE NOT GOING TO SIPHON OFF JOBS FROM LEGAL TAXPAYERS AND U.S. CITIZENS.

AND SO IT IS NOT ABOUT AND THAT THE IT'S ABOUT IT'S ABOUT PRIORITIES.

AND I THINK AS A STATE AND A NATION, WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THOSE THAT HAVE DONE IT THE RIGHT WAY AND LEGAL CITIZENS, THOSE THAT THAT VOTE US INTO OFFICE.

AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T HAVE COMPASSION AND EMPATHY AND LEGAL PASSPORT FOR CITIZENSHIP, BUT THEY NEED TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.

AND WE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING BY RECORD INFLATION NUMBERS, HIGH GAS PRICES AND ETCETERA.

AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE WORKFORCE ENVIRONMENT EXPECTED TO HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE MOST VULNERABLE, WHICH IS WILL IMPACT THE MOST WAS THE POOR AND THE WORKING POOR THAT ARE HERE LEGALLY.

>> A LOT OF WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WHEN HE SAYS THE RIGHT WAY?

YEAH, I MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO BE UNDOCUMENTED.

I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN DHAKA WHEN I WAS 24 I IT WASN'T LIKE I WAS LIKE, YES, I WANT TO BE ON DOCUMENT TO READ.

THESE WAS A REALLY TOUGH CHOICE THAT MY PARENTS HAD TO MAKE IN ORDER FOR THEIR FAMILY TO STAY TOGETHER FOR THE FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE.

SO NOBODY WANTS TO BE UNDOCUMENTED.

NOBODY'S LOOKING FOR THAT.

IT IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.

AND WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

THERE IS NO PASS RATE LIKE I CONTINUE TO JUST HAVE A PROTECTION OF DHAKA BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ME.

THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 16, 2030, YEARS.

THEY DON'T HAVE A PAP TO ANYTHING, RIGHT.

SO WHEN I HEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO THE LEGAL WAY.

NOTHING HAS BEEN OPEN FOR PEOPLE.

I UNDERSTAND, RIGHT?

THEY CAME AND THE CROSS THE BORDER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE BEEN HERE, THEY'VE BEEN CONTRIBUTING.

SO IT IS TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT.

THERE HASN'T BEEN AN IMMIGRATION REFORM POLICY AMNESTY DURING REAGAN ERA 1986, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

WHAT'S NEXT FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM?

I MEAN, IF ANYTHING, IT'S BEEN HARDER, RIGHT?

WE HAD THE 1996 IRA IRA THAT MADE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAT PENALIZE PEOPLE FOR FOR CROSSING THE BORDER.

YOU KNOW, I YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING THAT THE SENATOR MENTIONED WAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT PUT HIM INTO OFFICE.

THERE'S A LOT OF MIXED STATUS FAMILIES.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS, 2 U.S. CITIZEN CHILDREN THAT ARE COMING OF AGE.

THEY'RE GETTING READY TO VOTE.

AND THOSE SAME PARENTS ARE STILL ON DOCUMENTED.

SO THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, A BIG DEMOGRAPHIC THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS THEY THESE ARE FAMILIES THAT WANT TO STAY TOGETHER AND ARE NOT ABLE TO STAY TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THEM AND SENATE ARE GOING TO YOU.

WHY SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM AND WHAT DOES IMMIGRATION REFORM LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

>> WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S A FEDERAL FIX THAT I'M ON THE STATE LEVEL.

SO I CAN ONLY SPEAK THE STATE LEVEL BECAUSE I'M NOT IN CONGRESS IN THE U.S. SENATE.

SO I PREFER THAT THE FEDERAL DEBATE FOR A FOR A FEDERAL LEGISLATOR.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM THE STATE LEVEL IS IF A MIGRANT OR LEGAL IMMIGRANT, YOU HAVE BETTER HEALTH CARE THAN ANY LEGAL CITIZEN IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

AND I THINK THAT'S RIGHT?

SO IF IF YOU'RE 65 YOU KNOW, ELDERLY WOMAN OR 70 OR 80, YOU PICK YOUR AGE, YOU HAVE A WORSE HEALTH CARE PLAN IN A MIGRANT OR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO CAME.

AND THINK THAT THAT'S RIGHT.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALSO SIGNED ACTUALLY GOVERNOR RAUNER OF THE TRUST ACT, ELIMINATING THE ABILITY FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNICATE WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES FOR THOSE THAT ARE BAD PEOPLE DOING BAD THINGS TO MOVE THEM ALONG AND WERE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WRONG.

AND SO FROM THE STATE LEVEL, WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY THE MAINTENANCE THAT ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TO OUR STATE THAT ARE TAKING AWAY THE RESOURCES, THE VITAL RESOURCES THAT WE NEED FOR THE U.S. CITIZENS AND THE LEGAL RESIDENTS THAT ARE VITALLY NEED THESE RESOURCES TRY AND START WITH >> I'M SORRY IN TRUMP, WE ONLY HAVE A FINAL SECONDS.

WANT TO GET LAURA QUICKLY HERE.

WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL YOU KNOW, IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTING TO THE TO THE STATE THAT INSURANCE THE SOUTHERNERS TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES ARE PAID BY IMMIGRANTS TOLD THEY SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM AND SO IT'S JUST IT'S THEY ARE NOT TAKING.

THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING BY THE BILLIONS AND THEY ARE PART OF THIS OF THIS GREAT STATE.

AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW INTEGRATE THEM INTO THE STATE WITH ANGULAR.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

PREMIER.