Governor Pat Quinn Tuesday unveiled Phase III of his New Americans project to make state services available more efficiently and effectively to new immigrants to the State of Illinois to the praise of Hispanic leaders including State Representative Lisa Hernandez.

Hernandez was one of the keynote speakers at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Melrose Park where Quinn announced the launch of the final phase of the program that makes state services available through one-shop stop locations to immigrants.

Denise Martinez, who ends her term soon as executive director of the Governor’s Office for New Americans (GONA) said the plans goal is to “bring about the successful integration of new Americans into the State of Illinois and State Rep. Lisa Hernandez is our point person who has introduced the legislation to make the Governor’s Office of New Americans an official state office.”

Hernandez praised Quinn’s efforts to support immigrants, citing his backing of the Dream Act and his adoption of legislation making driver’s licenses available to undocumented residents that will begin later this year.

“I want to recognize the Governor’s Office of New Americans and Gov. Pat Quinn for the leadership and artful way to find a balance between external and internal balance for investment in integrating immigrants into the State of Illinois,” Hernandez told the nearly 300 community activists and state officials who gathered at the church which serves as one of five Illinois Welcoming Centers.

“Through the Illinois Welcoming Center, I have witnessed firsthand the legislative intent, state investment and inter-agency collective work to make state government accessible to immigrants and their families.”

Hernandez told the audience of several specific instances where immigrants caught in the complex immigration bureaucracy have been able to resolve their problems with the new initiative’s assistance.

“There are countless stories that I know firsthand, but I want to focus on why this model works first because it is about the state investing in its own infrastructure to serve immigrants,” Hernandez said.

Through the Governor’s Office of New Americans, Illinois has become a national leader on matters of Immigrant Integration. The Office of New Americans, an office established by Executive Order to operate within the Governor’s Office, provides funding to community organizations throughout the State who directly serve immigrant and refugee families through their strategic collaborations with State Agencies and other institutions providing resources that will secure a successful integration into the State.

Hernandez noted GONA “offers over 100 services under the same roof, a one-stop comprehensive service center.” The Illinois Welcoming Center opened in Melrose Park at 1115 N. 23rd Street in Melrose Park in July 2007. A second center was opened in the summer of 2010 in North Riverside to also service Cicero, Berwyn, Lyons and surrounding communities.

Three more centers are planned, Quinn said. “We want to be the most welcoming state in the union when it comes to new immigrants coming to our state. Our diversity is our strength,” Quinn said.