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1		SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The current national immigration policy provides
3		cruel and unusual punishment to immigrants with criminal
4		convictions; and
5		WHEREAS, Convicted immigrants, even those found guilty of
6		minor offenses, are being deported after they have paid their
7		debt to society; and
8		WHEREAS, These individuals are being deprived of their
9		families, their communities, and their country, often based on
10		cases with inadequate evidence and an improper defense; and
11		WHEREAS, This is apparent in the case of Miguel Perez, who
12		was a legal permanent resident and joined the Army after 9/11;
13		he served two tours in Afghanistan with distinction and left
14		the military with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and
15		brain injury trauma; and
16		WHEREAS, Miguel Perez was caught in a drug sting and was
17		convicted without proper representation; he was sentenced to a
18		long term in a state penitentiary and was then taken by
19		Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation; he
20		was held by ICE for one year pending his appeals and was then
21		deported to Mexico; and

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1		WHEREAS, Miguel Perez was eligible for Veterans Affairs
2		(VA) health care but found there was no VA facility in Mexico;
3		and
4		WHEREAS, Miguel Perez was only allowed to reenter the
5		United States after he received a full pardon from Governor
6		Pritzker; he has now achieved full U.S. citizenship; and
7		WHEREAS, The governors of New York and California have
8		issued pardons on an expedited basis in approximately 30 cases
9		in 2017; and
10		WHEREAS, ICE's aggressive actions can often be offset by
11		pardons, but this requires expedited action to avoid
12		deportation; therefore, be it
13		RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
14		ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
15		CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge Governor Pritzker to
16		immediately establish a commission for expedited pardons
17		associated with immigration-related action.