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More than two months after taking the reins of one of the nation's most immigrant-friendly states, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has offered mixed signals about his stance on immigration.

He's publicly backed "comprehensive reform" and tells stories of his Swedish dairyman grandfather's immigration, but rescinded executive orders aimed at making the state more welcoming to immigrants. He refused to join other GOP governors in a lawsuit against President Barack Obama's immigration executive action, but proposed slashing roughly $8 million in services to help refugees and immigrants who want citizenship.

The contrasting views have left many immigration reform advocates in Illinois, including a leading Democratic congressman and a growing voting bloc, waiting for clarity.

"Like much of Gov. Rauner's agenda, it's a big question mark," Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights executive director Lawrence Benito said.

Rauner says he's "pro-immigration." He told a group of Latino business leaders in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood Friday that he'll be pushing Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. He didn't detail what he thinks that legislation should include, but said the U.S. should "help those folks who are here to become citizens." He didn't discuss his plans for the state.

And at an Illinois Business Immigration Coalition event earlier this month with Republicans, he talked about lessons gleaned from his grandparents' struggles and his choice of Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, born in Florida to Cuban and Ecuadoran immigrants.

"I think we have it backward in America. I think we make legal immigration almost impossible and we make illegal immigration relatively easy. I think we've got to flip that around," he told reporters the following day near Springfield.

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago -- known nationally for being an immigration activist and sponsoring immigration legislation -- said he wants to work with Rauner. Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said a meeting is planned for April.

"It's a mistake to not continue the very clear trajectory that Illinois has taken on immigration," Gutierrez said.

Rauner's lack of specificity on the issue has been particularly noticeable in Illinois, where foreign-born individuals make up roughly 14 percent of the population. Connected activists rallied nearly a half-million people to march Chicago in 2006. Illinois has since established a private scholarship fund for immigrant students living in the U.S. without legal permission, and in 2013 began offering drivers' licenses to immigrants living here illegally.

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Gov. Rauner's immigration message leaves advocates perplexed

More than two months after taking the reins of one of the nation's most immigrant-friendly states, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has offered mixed signals about his stance on immigration.

He's publicly backed "comprehensive reform" and tells stories of his Swedish dairyman grandfather's immigration, but he rescinded executive orders aimed at making the state more welcoming to immigrants. He refused to join other GOP governors in a lawsuit against President Barack Obama's immigration executive action, but he proposed slashing roughly $8 million in services to help refugees and immigrants who want citizenship.

The contrasting views have left many immigration reform advocates in Illinois, including a leading Democratic congressman and a growing voting bloc, waiting for clarity.

"Like much of Gov. Rauner's agenda, it's a big question mark," said Lawrence Benito, executive director of Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Rauner says he's "pro-immigration." He told a group of Latino business leaders in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood Friday that he'll be pushing Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. He didn't detail what he thinks that legislation should include, but he said the U.S. should "help those folks who are here to become citizens." He didn't discuss his plans for the state.

And at an Illinois Business Immigration Coalition event earlier this month with Republicans, he talked about lessons gleaned from his grandparents' struggles and his choice of Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, born in Florida to Cuban and Ecuadorean immigrants.

"I think we have it backward in America. I think we make legal immigration almost impossible and we make illegal immigration relatively easy. I think we've got to flip that around," he told reporters the following day near Springfield.

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago -- known nationally for being an immigration activist and sponsoring immigration legislation -- said he wants to work with Rauner. Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said a meeting is planned for April.

"It's a mistake to not continue the very clear trajectory that Illinois has taken on immigration," Gutierrez said.

Rauner's lack of specificity on the issue has been particularly noticeable in Illinois, where foreign-born individuals make up roughly 14 percent of the population. Connected activists rallied nearly a half-million people to march Chicago in 2006. Illinois has since established a private scholarship fund for immigrant students living in the U.S. without legal permission, and in 2013 it began offering driver's licenses to immigrants living here illegally.

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Rauner's immigration message leaves advocates perplexed

Silicon Valley Democrats Pursuing High-Skill Immigration Reform
Republicans along with many progressive groups oppose the reform, arguing that it #39;s a front for keeping wages low in the Information Technology sector by bringing in cheap labor from abroad.

By: TheRealNews

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Silicon Valley Democrats Pursuing High-Skill Immigration Reform - Video

Obama Immigration Reform.
Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) Who is eligible for the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program?...

By: The Law Offices Of Wana Saadzoi, Esq. LLC

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Obama Immigration Reform. - Video

U.S. Rep. Tony Crdenas, D-Calif., and Rep. Luis Gutirrez. D-Ill., will host a forum this weekend to discuss President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions despite the temporary injunction blocking the deferred action programs' implementation.

The workshop, emanating from Crdenas' San Fernando Valley district in California, is expected to notify immigrants and families if they are eligible for the imminent immigration policy changes created by Obama. Specifically, the undocumented immigrants attending the forum will have the opportunity to understand the requirements for the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) programs, which were announced by Obama last Nov. 20.

Obama's executive actions could temporarily defer deportation for nearly 4.9 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S., specifically before Jan. 1, 2010, and pending a criminal background check and payment of fines and taxes. Obama's executive action expanded DACA for applicants to receive a renewable three-year stay instead of two years. Parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in the country since Jan. 1, 2010, can request deferred action and employment authorization for three years as part of the DAPA program.

"Thanks to President Obama, millions of the people who work so hard as we rebuild this nation's economy will have a chance to stay and continue to do exactly that," said Crdenas in a statement. "It is important that everyone who wants to stay here understands exactly what will be required of them. I am so pleased that my colleague, Luis Gutirrez, will be helping me with this timely and important task."

Must Read: Study: Trillion Dollar GDP Loss If All Undocumented Immigrants Removed from U.S.

Gutirrez has been on a national tour promoting Obama's immigration executive actions. During a previous tour stop in New Jersey, Gutirrez said the immigration debate "is the civil rights movement of our time." He said in January, "This is our Selma and we will walk, we will march, we will be arrested, we will do anything and everything it takes to make sure families are protected in this nation."

An ongoing lawsuit, however, has temporarily blocked DAPA and the extended DACA program from going into effect. Twenty-six U.S. states, led by Texas, have sued to block DACA and DAPA. U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District Of Texas' Brownsville Division ruled in favor of the 26 states pending further hearings with the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 12, the Obama administration has filed an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the temporary injunction, but the appeals court denied the administration's request for an immediate lift of the ban. A hearing is scheduled about the immigration executive action lawsuit in Texas on Thursday.

Despite the lawsuit, Crdenas and Gutirrez noted they are confident the court will rule in Obama's favor and future applicants should still use the time to prepare their documents once the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency launch the programs.

The Crdenas and Gutirrez immigration forum is scheduled for March 21 from Panorama High School in Panorama City, California.

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Immigration Reform News 2015: Congressional Lawmakers to ...