A bill to end Daca is making its way through the Illinois Senate, where it is likely to be signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner, the first Republican-controlled state to do so since former President Barack Obama was reelected.
The Daca Act would make Illinois the first state to end the program by Jan. 1, 2019, which would have a significant impact on Daca recipients in Illinois and across the country.
A group of Daca-dependent Illinois residents will likely sue the state over the Dacas abrupt termination of their status, arguing that the legislation violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, argues that the bill violates the federal Fair Housing Act by allowing Daca beneficiaries to remain in the program despite having the right to petition for a change in status.
The bill would end the federal government’s program for Daca workers, which began in 2018, which provides financial aid to those who need the help and gives them a place to live and learn.
Illinois’ House is expected to vote on the bill Thursday.
The measure would also require the state’s Department of Human Services to issue guidance to employers on how to process Daca claims.
It also would provide a process for the state to track Daca employment in order to determine if it is actually going to help a Daca worker.
Supporters of the bill said they would use the court system to fight the lawsuit, arguing the state has a strong record of supporting the disabled.
“The Illinois Legislature’s failure to do its job to provide Daca benefits to Illinoisans has cost hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans jobs, burdened state taxpayers and jeopardized our economy,” Sen. John Cullerton, a Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said in a statement.
“We are going to make sure the DACA program is reinstated in Illinois, and I am proud to be a part of this effort.”
The bill has been stalled in the House for months, but the Democratic-controlled chamber on Wednesday passed a separate bill that would end Dacabass.
State Sen. Mary Beth Connolly, D-Naperville, the bill’s sponsor, said the Dabaca workers have a “special place in our state and it should be treated as such.”
The Illinois House also approved a similar measure earlier this month that would stop Daca payments to employers who do not provide Dacass to their employees.