[AAACE-NLA] A War on Immigrants?

[Debbie Yoho]

This alarming information is from another source--one of my Board
members--but I think it applies directly to our mission as adult educators
and is worth of consideration.  It is certainly a call to advocacy:

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Stop HR 10 Before Congress Expands the War on Immigrants!
Call Congress TODAY! See below for phone numbers
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In the past two weeks, right-wing members of Congress have
tried to sneak horrible anti-immigrant measures past the
public. These are not just any bills: If passed, they will
be the biggest attack on immigrants in almost a decade. 
Recently, both houses passed the "9/11 Commission
Recommendations Implementation Act." The version passed in
the House of Representatives -- HR 10 -- includes
immigration amendments that were never part of the
Commission's recommendations. Now, without further debate,
against the wishes of the Commission, and with complete
disregard for the rights of noncitizens, a group of 21
Senators and House members will conference behind closed
doors and decide whether to keep the anti-immigrant
amendments when it goes to President Bush to be signed into
law.
HR 10 would strip the few rights that noncitizens enjoy
under our Constitution, and tear millions more families
apart. It would write into law inhumane practices the
Department of Homeland Security has been using out of the
public eye and would reverse the few, hard-fought gains in
immigrant rights won over the last seven years.
Specifically, the proposed law would:
- Deny immigrants the right to have a court review a
deportation order--in effect, suspending habeas corpus for
the first time since the Civil War (Section 3009)
- Allow deportations to a country with no government
(Section 3035)
- Allow deportations to a country where immigrants fear
persecution (Section 3009) or torture (Section 3032)
- Allow more mandatory indefinite detentions (Section 3032)
- Allows Homeland Security to deport immigrants before
federal courts have decided on their case (Section 3009)
- Make it more difficult for people fleeing torture to gain
asylum (Section 3007)
- Restrict access to driver's licenses and use of consular
ID cards (Section 3006)
As The Washington Post recently editorialized, with the
elections only weeks away, the Republicans plan "to force
Democrats either to accept policy they would otherwise
oppose or to turn against the bill itself -- thereby
letting Republicans brand them as weak on terrorism." We
need your help NOW!
TAKE ACTION: CALL CONGRESS TODAY!
United for Peace and Justice urges you to take action to
stop this major escalation of the war on immigrants! So
far, House staffers have said that they have received 5000
comments in support of HR 10 and only 15 in opposition to
it. If we act now, we can change what they are hearing!
CALL the members of Congress below and tell them:
"I want you to remove ALL the immigration provisions of
HR10 from the final 9/11 Commission bill. The immigration
provisions strip people of basic Constitutional rights, and
will tear countless families apart without increasing
national security."
In order of importance, call:
1. Congresswoman Susan Collins from Maine (202-224-2523) -
She has the most influence over which version of the bills
pass.
2. Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut (202-224-4041) -
He is the ranking Democrat who needs to be told to stick
firmly to the Senate bill and reject the House's
anti-immigrant provisions.
3. Senator Mike DeWine (Ohio, 202-224-2315); Congressman
Sensenbrenner (Wisconsin, 202-225-5101); Senator Graham
(Florida, 202-224-3041); and Senator Voinovich (Ohio,
202-224-3353).
4. Your own Congressperson and Senators. You can call the
Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be
connected. Or look them up at http://www.house.gov and
http://www.senate.gov
5. As many of the other members of the Conference
Committee as you can - these are the only people who will
be deciding what sections of the bills will stay and what
will go from the final bill.
Senate Members of the Conference Committee
Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey, 202-224-3224
Norm Coleman, Minnesota, 202-224-5641
John Sununu, NH, 202-224-2841
Pat Roberts, Kansas, 202-224-4774
Trent Lott, Mississippi, 202-224-6253 
Carl Levin, Michigan, 202-224-6221
Richard Durbin, Illinois, 202-224-2152
John Rockefeller, West Virginia, 202-224-6472
House Members of the Conference Committee
Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., 2nd, 202-225-4401
Henry Hyde, R-Ill., 6th, 2020225-4561
David Dreier, R-Calif., 26th, 202-225-2305
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., 52nd, 202-225-5672
Jane Harman, D-Calif., 36th, 202-225-8220
Ike Skelton, D-Mo., 4th, 202-225-2876
Robert Menendez, D-N.J., 13th, 202-225-7919
EMAIL or FAX
(Go to
 
http://capwiz.com/aila2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=6540936
and write your message in the boxes provided.)
IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE, contact:
American Immigration Lawyers Association
http://www.aila.org/ 
National Immigration Forum http://www.immigrationforum.org/
Human Rights Watch
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/10/06/usdom9469.htm
Families for Freedom http://www.familiesforfreedom.org or
212-898-4121
For more info on the bills, Visit
 
http://www.immigrationforum.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=654


Deborah W. Yoho
Co-moderator, NIFL-Health Listserv
Past President, SC Adult Literacy Educators
Executive Director, Greater Columbia Literacy Council
2728 Devine Street,  Columbia, SC  29205
803-765-2555   Fax  803-779-8417   dwyoho at earthlink.net