DNC: America's Tradition as a Nation of Immigrants under Attack

[MaineDem]

December 15, 2005

America's Tradition as a Nation of Immigrants under Attack

This week, the House Republican Leadership is scheduled to take up HR 4437, The
Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005
which promises an unprecedented assault on immigrants both legal and
undocumented. Instead of dealing humanely and realistically with workers and
families who come to this country in search of a better life, the bill
represents the most punitive attack on immigrants in the United States in over
70 years. Further it threatens businesses large and small, and launches a
strong financial attack against employers.

Key Provisions on Republican Immigration Bill:

· Penalizes innocent acts of kindness: By greatly expanding the definition of
"smuggling," U.S. citizens, married to undocumented immigrants could be
convicted of "aiding aliens." Persons driving their child care workers to an
appointment or even good Samaritans driving someone to the hospital could be
convicted of "transporting aliens." The bill also forces churches, non-profits,
and others involved in workforce development to prescreen potential job
applicants before referring them to jobs, a procedure that is likely to result
in employment delays and possibly discrimination.

· Criminalizes and imprisons millions of immigrants. Women, children and
grandparents in the U.S. illegally would be subject to an "Aggravated Felony
Charge", deportation and imprisonment. Further it expands "mandatory
detention" for undocumented immigrants apprehended by federal authorities. By
greatly expanding indiscriminate "mandatory detention" for undocumented
immigrants apprehended by federal authorities, the U.S. government could have
to resort to drastic measures, such as building camps and prisons at an
unprecedented rate to hold those targeted for apprehension.

· Harms businesses and slows economic growth: The bill mandates that all
employers, of all sizes, and from all industries, comply with a government-run
electronic/telephonic verification system to ensure that all employees are
legally authorized to work. This system would cost at least $11.7 billion per
year, and most of the costs would be born by business. Employers big and small
need to hire workers quickly in order to meet the fast-paced demands of today's
marketplace. Reasonable regulations are necessary, but this approach would
cause millions of currently-employed Americans to spend weeks and months
clearing up "false negatives" due to inaccurate databases, during which time it
would be illegal to employ hire the worker. If an undocumented person is
hired, employers will be subject to fines up to $25,000 per person. Worse yet,
this program encourages discrimination because some employers will hesitate to
hire foreign born workers in light of potential delays and inconveniences.

· Restricts citizenship. The bill makes many deserving immigrants and refugees
ineligible for citizenship if they have ever been convicted of minor offenses
that occurred decades ago. Most of those negatively affected by this will
inevitably be American families, who as a result could face separation.

· Drives a wedge between local police and immigrants. By deputizing local law
enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws over the objections
of many such officials, immigrant communities will fear public safety
officials, whose primary job is to solve local crimes, not check immigration
papers. This would make communities less safe as people who live in immigrant
families become less likely to report crimes that they are witness to or are
victims of.

· Threatens Agriculture Industry: The ability to produce a safe and stable
domestic food supply is a national security issue for the United States.
Therefore, it is critical that as we reform our nation's immigration laws, we
give special consideration to the unique circumstances and needs of
agriculture. The pre-employment verification system imposed would decimate
labor-intensive agriculture in America. For every farm worker job we lose, we
will also lose 3 to 4 jobs in related economic sectors * equipment, inputs,
packaging, processing, transportation, marketing, lending and insurance * that
are supported by having the agricultural production here in this country.
These jobs are good jobs, filled by native-born Americans. If key perishable
agriculture and livestock sectors are forced offshore, we will find ourselves
relying on other countries for our food supply.

· Costly Penalties on America's Businesses: The electronic, employment
verification system envisioned by this bill will cost at least $11.7 billion
per year, and most of the costs will be born by business. Further, the
proposal includes uncapped and severe penalties against employers. The bill
applies to all employees, both those hired in the future and those currently on
the payroll hired in the past. It mandates that all employers, of all sizes,
and from all industries, comply with a government-run electronic/telephonic
verification system to ensure that all employers are legally authorized to
work. If in violation, paperwork violations will be fined up to $25,000 per
person.

Faith Communities Opposed to Border Protection

American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Amnesty International USA
Arizona Interfaith Network (AIN)
Episcopal Migration Ministries
Jesuit Refugee Services
Jesuit Conference of the United States
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Justice for Immigrants- Catholic Coalition
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
Presbyterian Church USA
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Groups Opposing Sensenbrenner Border Security Bill

ACLU
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American Bar Association
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Amnesty International USA
Arizona Interfaith Network (AIN)
Asian American Justice Center (AAJC)
Asian Pacific American community
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
Center for Community Change (CCC)
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
Church World Service/Immigration Refugee Program
Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR)
Community Alliance of Lane County (Oregon)
Episcopal Migration Ministries
Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC)
Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)
Hate Free Zone (HFZ)
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
Immigration Equality/National Council Lesbian Rights
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa and Nebraska (IRNIN)
Justice for Immigrants- Catholic Coalition
League of Rural Voters
LULAC
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
NALEO Educational Fund
National Capital Immigrant Coalition
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Law Center
National Immigration Project
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
National Latino Peace Officers Association
New Jersey Immigration Policy Network
New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)
People for the American Way (PFAW)
PFAW Oregon
Rights Working Group
Rural Organizing Project
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)
UNHCR
United Farm Workers
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
USCRI
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

Key Business and Labor Organizations
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
AFL-CIO
Alliance for Worker Freedom
American Council on International Personnel and Society for Human Resource
Management (Joint Letter)
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Nursery & Landscape Association
American Road and Transportation Builders Association
American Trucking Associations
Americans for Tax Reform
Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated General Contractors
HR Policy Association
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Franchise Association
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Manufacturers
National Club Association
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Utility Contractors Association
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Service Employees International Union (SEIU
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Society of American Florists
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

[mattclearing]

1. Happy to be the first to recommend this.

America's diversity is the source of its strength, not a hindrance to it.

[MrBenchley]

2. The GOP's anti-immigrant rhetoric is a naked appeal to racism

Good post..K&R

[mattclearing]

3. Kick.

:kick: