Updated 02-13-2026
2026 ICIRR Policy Platform
In 2025, ICIRR and our members worked to pass our S.A.L.T platform, because SALT melts ICE! In 2026, we’re continuing to advocate for the protection and rights of immigrants and refugees with a policy platform centered on securing and expanding resources for communities across Illinois.
Scroll down to learn more about ICIRR’s 2026 Policy Platform. You can read previous years’ policy platform below!
ICIRR 2026 Policy Platform
ICIRR members engaged in a platform engagement process to determine what policy priorities our coalition would push for during the 2026 legislative session. You can download our full 2026 policy platform here
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Win increased funding for Immigrant Services: The Immigrant Service Line Item (ISLI) provides funding for direct cash assistance to immigrants, citizenship application assistance, English classes, DACA and citizenship application fee waivers, and resource navigation for immigrants throughout Illinois. The General Assembly has approved $40 million for ISLI, a slight increase from previous years. We will seek a $1 million increase in funding to meet the needs of immigrant communities.
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Progressive state revenue / Illinois Revenue Alliance: Without expanded sources for state revenue, our ability to win programs that provide basic sustenance and economic justice for our communities (including several listed in this platform) will remain limited. Working with our partners in the Illinois Revenue Alliance, we won several changes that should generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional state revenue, as well as serious consideration of a digital ad tax and other measures. We need to keep pushing for revenue solutions that will generate billions of dollars for the state, particularly from those who are better able to pay, so that all of our families will have the support they need to thrive.
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Digital Ad Tax (SB 3353 - Sen. Robert Peters / HB 4894 - Rep. Norma Hernandez)
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Billionaire Wealth Tax (SB 3376 - Sen. Karina Villa / HB 5215 - Rep. Theresa Ma)
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Worldwide Combined Reporting (SB 3486 - Sen. Robert Martwick / HB 5318 - Rep. Maurice West)
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Corporate Loopholes (SB 3796 - Sen. Lakesia Collins / HB 5125 Rep. Lindsey LaPointe)
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Prevent surprise bills from third-party medical providers (SB 3976 Sen. Omar Aquino / HB 5390 - Rep. Dagmara Avelar): Even if they have medical coverage, many people seeking medical services often receive large bills for services not covered by their insurance. We can build on our 2023 victory winning legislation requiring hospitals to screen patients for medical coverage eligibility by requiring that external health care providers who provide care in hospitals are subject to the same fair billing and charity care laws as the hospitals themselves. We passed this bill out of the House committee in spring 2025, and can continue to push for this solution to prevent surprise medical bills.
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Strengthen hospital financial assistance (also known as charity care) policies for all uninsured by having a standardized charity care application, removing the requirement to apply for Medicaid, eliminating the asset test, and extending charity care approval for 1 year. (included in SB 3976 Sen. Omar Aquino / HB 5390 - Rep. Dagmara Avelar)
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Update the Illinois TRUST Act: While the Illinois TRUST Act is one of the nation’s most protective state laws regarding police engagement in immigration enforcement, we can improve it even further to adapt to federal policy changes and close loopholes. For instance, we need to update who counts as an immigration agent as this administration deploys other federal agents and the National Guard to conduct immigration operations. NOTE: The federal government has filed an appeal of the court ruling dismissing their lawsuit trying to block the TRUST Act. Making changes to the TRUST Act while the appeal is pending could undermine the state’s defense of TRUST.
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Restrict collection of immigration status information and sharing of personal data (SB 1995 - Sen. Graciela Guzman): Despite state laws restricting police communication with ICE, ICE has still gained access to personal information from government agencies and other sources. We can further restrict such access by
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requiring state agencies to remove from their data collection policies any requests for immigration information not otherwise required by law;
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amending our state Freedom of Information Act to limit the ability of ICE to use it to request police records and other information;
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restricting sharing data with third-party data-brokers, private companies that have sold access to this information to ICE. Our allies at Just Futures Law and Mijente have been pushing such a proposal with Cook County.
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Opening opportunities for post-conviction relief (HB 4367 - Rep. Justin Slaughter): Our criminal legal system still channels immigrants into the deportation pipeline despite several existing laws intended to protect them from removal. ICIRR worked with the Office of the Cook County Public Defender and the National Immigrant Justice Center to craft legislation to enable people with certain criminal convictions to ask to reopen their cases based on newly discovered evidence of innocence or lack of explanation of the immigration consequences of the conviction. As ICE continues to ramp up deportations and focus on people with convictions, this legislation is becoming more urgent.
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