The Illinois Young Republicans take a clear and principled stand: immigration must serve the people of Illinois—not undercut them. For decades, career politicians and corporate elites have used both illegal and excessive legal immigration to drive down wages, strain public services, and weaken the standing of American workers. We reject this broken system.
As George J. Borjas revealed in We Wanted Workers, immigration policy has too often been crafted to satisfy the demands of employers seeking cheap labor, while leaving working families to bear the cost. Illinoisans know this firsthand. Stagnant wages, diminished job opportunities, and overburdened communities are the direct result of an immigration system designed to serve elites instead of citizens.
Protecting Illinois Workers:
We stand with the working class of Illinois—those who rise early, work hard, and build our communities. Every unnecessary increase in immigration, whether legal or illegal, undermines their livelihoods. The promise of America is not infinite labor for corporations; it is fair opportunity for its citizens. We will not allow Springfield or Washington to trade away the prosperity of our people.
Against the H-1B Visa Program:
Illinois produces some of the brightest young minds in the nation. Our universities prepare students with the skills and vision to lead industries of the future. Yet corporations exploit the H-1B visa program to import foreign labor, undercutting wages and denying opportunities to our own graduates. This is unacceptable. We believe the first job offers, the internships, and the leadership roles in Illinois industry must go to American students who have invested their lives in this country. The future of the American workforce belongs to them—not to a system that treats them as expendable.
Security and Sovereignty:
Immigration is inseparable from national security. Weak borders and uncontrolled admissions invite exploitation—by cartels, traffickers, and hostile powers. Illinois must never be a sanctuary for chaos. A sovereign nation cannot exist without control over who enters, how many, and why. True leadership means enforcing that principle without apology.
Faith, Fairness, and Order:
We are not against immigrants—we are against a system that sacrifices citizens for the gain of elites. We welcome those who come lawfully and in manageable numbers that strengthen, not destabilize, our economy and communities. Compassion without order is not compassion at all—it is chaos.
A New Direction:
Our vision is bold and unapologetic: immigration must be restricted, measured, and placed firmly at the service of the American worker. The working men and women of Illinois deserve higher wages, safer communities, and a government that prioritizes them over special interests. Illinois students deserve first claim to the opportunities they have worked hard to earn.
This is our commitment: to restore integrity, sovereignty, and security to immigration policy. To put Illinois workers first. To protect the future of our young people. To end the exploitation of our people for the benefit of elites.
The Illinois Young Republicans will fight for this future—with faith, with courage, and with unshakable resolve.