Executive Director, Illinois Business Immigration Coalition
As Illinois Business Immigration Coalition’s executive director, Rebecca Shi works directly with a steering committee of 79 Illinois-based CEOs, University presidents, chambers of commerce and immigrant advocates to develop and implement strategy that support the passage of federal immigration reform. IBIC has been extraordinarily effective in moving the politics of the state, winning public bipartisan support from the majority of Illinois’s Congressional delegation for commonsense immigration reform. IBIC has helped to launch a sister coalition in Florida, IMPAC FUND.
In 2013, Rebecca led the passage of Illinois SB 957 – temporary visitors driver’s licenses (TVDL) with bipartisan support from the Illinois General Assembly. Signed by Governor Quinn and continued under Governor Rauner, the program has licensed and insured over 270,000 undocumented immigrant drivers in Illinois making the roads safer for all, protecting hardworking immigrant families, and injecting $30 million new dollars to the state each year. Rebecca also led the successful passage of “AllKids HB3756” to provide health coverage for all low income Illinois children regardless of their immigration status and the Illinois Trust Act SB 31 to enable local law enforcement to focus on community safety and not immigration enforcement in 2017. Rebecca worked closely with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City Council to strengthen its Sanctuary City ordinance by providing $1.3 million in public funds to assist immigrants in legal defense and family protection. Rebecca is skilled at building broad coalition of business, labor, faith, law enforcement, government and immigrant leaders to achieve practical immigration solutions that grows the economy, creates jobs, and protects hardworking immigrant families.
Rebecca’s organizing work in Chicago’s Chinatown community has led to an award winning new library, a new field house, a new district and the first Asian American representative in Illinois legislature. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Rebecca was named a “20 in Their 20s” by Crain’s Chicago Business, and a “Community Leader” by the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, Rebecca’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Crain’s Business Chicago, CNN, POLITICO, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, and other press outlets. Rebecca is an Edgar Fellow, serves on the board of Alivio Medical Center and UIC Asian American advisory board.