Our Mission
The College Democrats of Illinois
is a student-run organization committed to advancing justice, opportunity, and democratic values across our state. By organizing, developing leadership, and building inclusive spaces statewide, we empower young people to engage in the political process and strengthen our democracy. We work alongside our communities to fight for equitable, evidence-based public policy to build the next generation of democratic leaders. In pursuit of this mission, the College Democrats of Illinois is committed to advancing policies that expand access to healthcare, invest in education and young people, uphold the dignity of immigrants, and promote a foreign policy rooted in human rights and accountability.
We believe that healthcare is a fundamental right and not a privilege. Every other developed society has recognized the importance of a universal healthcare system, and we at the CDIL believe in supporting the health and well-being of people over corporate profits. All people in the United States should have affordable access to physical and mental healthcare; that means lowering prescription drug costs, eliminating restrictions on reproductive healthcare access, investing in preventative care, and expanding healthcare services in rural or underinvested regions. In the richest country in the history of the world, we must eliminate healthcare disparities based on income, race, disability, or geography.
WE ALL DESERVE A HEALTHY SOCIETY
We believe investing in young people is an investment in the future. In today's America, so many young people are held back and left behind by economic inequality. That is why we advocate for policies that ensure every young person has the resources and opportunities to thrive. This means investing in education, like ensuring strong public K–12 schools regardless of where you live, creating programs for affordable higher education, whether college or career and technical education, and forgiving student loans so young people can charge into their careers without being held back. We will fight for teachers to be paid a fair and livable wage, and schools to provide exemplary civic education as well as provide life-saving mental health resources to our youth. Outside and inside the classroom, no kid should be going hungry, which is why we support reversing Trump's SNAP cuts and creating programs where every kid gets fed at school. The College Democrats of Illinois believe in expanding opportunities for our youth regardless of ZIP code, because education is both an economic investment and a democratic one.
We believe every person deserves dignity and due process. This nation's utilization of violence to kidnap and traffic non-violent undocumented immigrants has been nothing but abhorrent. Policies and practices aimed at separating family members, whether brothers from sisters or mothers from daughters, lack empathy and humanity and have no place in this country. The College Democrats of Illinois and its chapters are adamant about advancing policy that protects human dignity and ensures due process for all people in our country. The United States is a country built upon immigration, and we champion that legacy by supporting policies that expand pathways to citizenship, protect dreamers, and support immigrant communities in Illinois. Immigration enforcement must be reformed to ensure the humane treatment of people while creating a fair, efficient, and accessible immigration system that reduces the need for irregular migration and prioritizes accountability over punishment. Families deserve protection, not persecution.
ABOLISH I.C.E. AND HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNLAWFUL ABUSES
ACCOUNTABLE.
We believe the United States has a responsibility to uphold human rights and human life. The United States taxpayer should not be paying for military aid to countries that have little to no regard for civilian lives. The United States' support in catastrophic and genocidal wars needs to end. This means ending the forever wars that have defined U.S. foreign policy for decades, respecting every nation's right to democratically choose its own leaders without foreign interference or coups, and imposing military embargoes on governments that commit genocide or other gross violations of human rights. The College Dems of Illinois will fight for diplomacy, peacebuilding, and humanitarian aid to be prioritized over conflict. American foreign policy should reflect democratic values and international law, and civilian lives must be protected in armed conflict. The red on our star-spangled banner must not stand for the blood of innocent people.
These principles define not only the policies we advocate for, but the future we seek to build. Our platform is rooted in a simple belief: government should serve all people with justice, compassion, and accountability. Although CDIL isn't just trying to influence policy today, we are developing the people who will write policy tomorrow. Democracy is not inheriently self sustaining, every generation must protect and fight to improve it.
THE FUTURE OF ILLINOIS WILL NOT BE MADE BY THOSE WHO STAND ON THE SIDELINES,
BUT BY THOSE WILLING TO ORGANIZE AND SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES.