BUSH MAY SIGN DANGEROUS ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILL “HR 10” INTO LAW
At this moment, members of the House and Senate are meeting behind closed doors, in a Conference Committee, to settle their differences before the bill is submitted to President George W. Bush to be signed into law. H.R. 10 is the latest attack on immigrants since 9/11 under the so-called “War on Terror” which has really become a “War on Immigrants” at home. DRUM demands an end to this targeting of immigrants at home and to the U.S. government’s continued targeting and war on Iraqi civilians abroad which has already left over 30,000 Iraqis dead.
The anti-immigrant measures would strip the few Constitutional rights that immigrants have left, and tear millions more families apart. In particular, DRUM is most concerned that the bill will: radically expand drive-by-deportations in our homes, workplaces, places of worship and schools; deny immigrants the right to have deportation orders reviewed by a Court by eliminating habeas corpus; allow deportations to a country with no government or to a country where immigrants fear persecution or torture; allow more mandatory indefinite detentions; grant enforcement authority to local police for immigration violations; allow Homeland Security to deport immigrants before federal courts have decided on their case; make it more difficult for people fleeing torture to gain asylum; restrict access to driver's licenses and use of foreign identification including consular ID cards for immigrants in every state; and, increase border militarization and double the number of Border Patrol agents over the next five years.
Moni Alam, DRUM member and Bangladeshi immigrant, whose husband is facing deportation under Special Registrations, says, “Hasn’t this government already hurt us enough? If this law passed, millions of undocumented women, children, and families like us would live in more fear and more poverty because we can’t get ID’s to work or live in peace. We need the government to give us a legalization program that will let us live like human beings, not punish immigrant women, children, and families.”
In a public letter dated October 18, 2004 from the White House Administration to House and Senate members, Condoleeza Rice (National Security Advisor) expressed concern over the “overbroad expansion of expedited removal authorities…the provision addressing asylum…(and) overbroad alien identification standards imposed by the Bill”. It indicated that these sections, which may result in “unintended, adverse consequences”, should be modified or dropped altogether.
Further, the 9/11 Commission itself, in a letter issued on October 21, stressed that the immigration provisions "are not Commission recommendations" and stated that "we believe strongly that this bill is not the right occasion for tackling controversial immigration and law enforcement recommendations." That is, the House is manipulating an intelligence reform bill to sneak in harsh and unconstitutional measures which scapegoat and target immigrants rather than improving national security.
DRUM urges community members to call members of Congress and tell them:
"I want you to remove EVERY SINGLE immigration provision from the final 9/11 Commission bill. The immigration provisions strip people of basic Constitutional rights, and will tear millions of families apart. These provisions have NOTHING to do with national security."
Ask to speak with the Legislative Aid on the 9/11 Commission Bill in these offices:
1. Senator Mike DeWine from Ohio (202-224-2315) - Republican
2. Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut (202-224-4041) - Ranking Democrat
3. Senator Richard Durbin from Illinois (202-224-2152)
4. Senator Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey (202-224-3224)
DRUM—Desis Rising Up and Moving, located in Jackson Heights, Queens is a community-based organization of over 300 family and youth members, mostly South Asian and Muslim, directly affected by deportation, detention, and police harassment. Some of the information contained in this press release was obtained courtesy of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, San Francisco, California.
DESIS RISING UP & MOVING
72-26 Broadway, 4th Fl.
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Tel. (718) 205-3036
Fax (718) 205-3037
info@drumnation.org
www.drumnation.org