UPDATE

11/22/04

ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS

36 S. Wabash, suite 1425 · Chicago, IL 60603 · 312.332.7360 voice · 312.332.7044 fax · www.icirr.org

ICIRR Update

9-11 Bill Stalls in Congress

House Leaders Block Bill, Insisting on Anti-Immigrant Language

Over the weekend, Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives blocked a compromise bill to implement the recommendations of the 9-11 Independent Commission. Earlier in the weekend, negotiators from the House and US Senate agreed on a compromise bill that attempted to reconcile the different versions of the bill that each chamber had passed.

The compromise left out anti-immigrant language that the House had passed earlier that would

* bar states from issuing driver's licenses to the undocumented;

* severely limit federal acceptance of consular IDs and other documents, including birth certificates;

* make it harder for people fleeing persecution to seek asylum;

* expand the ability of low-level immigration officers to deport individuals on their own and with no chance for appeal; and

* close off review of many immigration court decisions.

These provisions had been opposed by the 9-11 Commission, and were left out of the Senate version of the bill.

Congress had hoped to finish the bill and adjourn for the year by this weekend. However, the House leadership blocked the compromise 9-11 bill after House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner insisted that the driver's license restrictions be included. Congress may come back to Washington DC in December to take up the bill again. We will provide further updates on this bill if anything further happens.

Thanks to everyone who already called your Senators and Representatives regarding this bill. Senator Richard Durbin deserves our thanks for standing firm in blocking the anti-immigrant provisions of the House bill from moving forward.

****WHAT TO DO****

Please call Sen. Durbin and thank him for helping to block the anti-immigrant sections of the House bill.

312 353-4952 Chicago office

202 224-2152 Washington office

Please also call House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who has blocked this important bill due to his House colleagues' insistence on including the driver's license provisions and other anti-immigrant language. Please tell him that he should move this bill forward without these provisions.

630-406-1114 district office

202 225-2976 Washington office

Thanks!

For more information, please call the

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, (312) 332-7360,

or visit www.icirr.org