A new bill in Illinois seeks to simplify the name change process, eliminating the requirement for public announcements in newspapers. While intended to benefit diverse groups, the measure has sparked debate over its potential impact on immigration enforcement.
On Monday, Illinois looked poised to make it easier for immigrants to change their name without fearing that their personal information could be used against them. A bill passed by the state Senate scraps the need for those seeking a name change to have to announce the move in a local newspaper, which was affecting privacy and safety, the bill's sponsor said.
While not specifically targeted at immigrants, the bill allows anyone living in Illinois for at least three months to change their name without having to publicly declare it. This drew criticism that migrants could change their name to avoid detection by authorities soon after arrival in the country.Illinois has welcomed several thousand immigrants since early 2022, when the border crisis began in earnest. New arrivals were bused from the southwest border to Chicago, among other cities. House Bill 5164 (HB5164) was put forward by Democrat state Senator Ram Villivalam. He said it would help domestic violence victims, or those seeking to affirm their gender identity, from having to bear the burden of paying for a public declaration of their new name. Additionally, by requiring residents to publish their name change, it relinquishes the privacy of such individuals and can be harmful to their safety or well-being,' Villivalam said in a press release Monday. The bill cuts the residency requirement for a name change from six to three months, while conditions prevent those required to register as a sex offender, a violent offender, murderer or arsonist across the U.S. from being allowed to change their name. As for keeping track of name changes, the legislation states that once a motion is granted, police and court records must be updated so authorities can track down individuals if necessar
IMMIIGRATION PRIVACY NAME CHANGE ILLINOIS LEGISLATION
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