Office of the City Clerk - Record #: R2016-464

• Record #: R2016-464
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• Intro date: 6/22/2016
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Human Relations
• Final action: 7/20/2016
• Title: Call for Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate Ecuador for temporary protected status and provide temporary immigration relief to eligible Ecuadorian nationals impacted by devastating earthquake
• Sponsors: Ramirez-Rosa, Carlos, Burke, Edward M., Sadlowski Garza, Susan, Reboyras, Ariel, Waguespack, Scott

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
7/20/2016	28842	City Council	Adopted	Pass
7/13/2016		Committee on Human Relations	Add Co-Sponsor(s)
7/13/2016		Committee on Human Relations	Recommended to Pass	Pass
6/22/2016	27968	City Council	Referred

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, on April 16, 2016, Ecuador experienced a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake which led to 660 deaths, injured over 16,000 individuals and displaced over 28,000 individuals; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that nearly 7,000 buildings have been destroyed and 560 schools have been affected, 166 of which suffered medium to severe damage; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that, in total, over 24,000 buildings and homes were damaged and, according to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, reconstruction efforts could cost close to $3 billion; and

WHEREAS, the country has suffered at least 23 subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks of different magnitudes causing major complications in the recovery efforts; and

WHEREAS, given this widespread devastation Ecuador fully meets the criteria of a country eligible for TPS; and

WHEREAS, according to the Pew Research Center, as of 2013, there were roughly 417,000 Ecuadorian-bom individuals living in the United States as U.S. Citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and visa holders; and

WHEREAS, according to the Migration Policy Institute, as of 2014, there were approximately 431,000 Ecuadorian-born individuals living in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Migration Policy Institute reports that there were roughly 146,000 undocumented Ecuadorians in the United States as of 2013, a number that government officials believe has grown to more than 200,000 individuals; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 60,000 Ecuadorian residents live in the Chicagoland and surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of TPS designated countries; and

WHEREAS, during the temporary designation period, eligible nationals may remain in the United States and may not be detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) based solely on immigration status, and may obtain employment and travel a...