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Immigration reform has moved to the Senate. A comprehensive and
humane bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan
support. It would create opportunities for undocumented workers to
gain legal status and eventual citizenship. It is in stark contrast
to the bill Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is
threatening to bring to the floor that relies on border fencing and
harsh penalties for illegal immigrants.
The House of Representatives passed their own draconian immigration
reform bill last December. Widespread demonstrations in support of
immigrant rights have put a spotlight on this important human rights
issue and have set the stage for an intense Senate debate and vote.
Take action now!
Call the Capitol switchboard directly at 202-224-3121 where
you can ask to be connected to your representative's office. You can
also send an immediate message by e-mail through our online
Legislative Action Center.
Talking Points
- As your constituent and member of the Unitarian Universalist
Service Committee, I urge you to support comprehensive and humane
immigration reform by voting for the immigration reform legislation
sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.)
that was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and to oppose
enforcement-only bills like Sen. Frist’s S.2454.
- Immigrants are the life-blood of this country, providing
much-needed labor and keeping our economy afloat.
- There is bipartisan support for creating a path for hard-working
immigrants to gain legal status and to have the opportunity to gain
full citizenship.
- Immigration reform must be comprehensive, not enforcement-only
changes which would be ineffective and expensive.
- The House-passed bill would even criminalize any person or
organization who "assists" an individual without documentation "to
reside in or remain" in the United States with "reckless disregard"
of the individual's legal status, making them liable for criminal
penalties and five years in prison.
Background
Sen. Frist’s bill and the House-passed measure promise to strip
immigrants of their basic rights. They will subject immigrants to
onerous bond requirements or jailing before expedited deportation,
deepen border control strategies into the U.S. interior in new ways,
further militarize the border region, and take the criminalization
of immigration status to unprecedented lows.
The immigration debate reached an all-time high after Sept. 11, with
anti-immigrant forces using the tragedy as an excuse to promote
anti-immigrant sentiment and call for increased enforcement
(including placing military troops) along the U.S.-Mexico border.
But the fact is that since 1996 the government has consistently
taken an enforcement-only approach to immigration. Barriers, more
agents and more militarization of the border have not stopped
illegal immigration, but have instead shifted migration to ever
more remote and dangerous areas of the border, resulting in the
deaths of thousands of people from exposure and dehydration. |
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