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Forwarded from USCCB Migration and Refugee Services
Dear Colleague:
The U.S. Senate is to begin considering immigration reform legislation in early March. This represents a critical phase of the legislative process and looms particularly significant in light of the House-passed bill (H.R.4437) in December. The Senate must be encouraged to pass the comprehensive reforms embodied in the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005 (S.1033), introduced by Senators McCain and Kennedy. Unfortunately, some of the same forces that led to the anti-immigrant and restrictionist legislation in the House are at work in the Senate.
If we are to avoid the passage of legislation that criminalizes immigrants here without proper documentation and those who “assist” them, the Catholic networks must aggressively mobilize grassroots efforts to influence the Senate. It is essential that parishioners and others in the community be engaged in a concerted effort to inform Senators that anything less than the reforms sought by the Church will be unacceptable.
You are receiving this letter because you have the ability to conduct the kinds of mobilization required if we are to achieve success. I appeal to you to use your best efforts to get to the parishes, coalition partners in your area, and others to develop broad-based and robust advocacy directed to the Senate. You should also consider using the occasion of the Senate’s Presidents’ Day recess ( February 17 - 26, 2006) to arrange constituent visits with members of the Senate. Perhaps the State Catholic Conferences can be of assistance in such efforts.
Please be aware, also, that each bishop is receiving a communication from the Chairman of the USCCB Migration Committee, Bishop Gerald Barnes, encouraging him to become actively involved, including the possibility of meeting with the Senators while they are in their home states.
Attached are a set of talking points and a model letter that should prove useful to you. Please also access the resources on the website, www.justiceforimmigrants.org.
Thank you for your attention and for your commitment to achieving justice for immigrants.
Sincerely,
Mark Franken
Executive Director
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Talking Points on Senate Immigration Reform Action
- There is growing frustration over the lack of political will to fix our broken immigration system. It is increasingly clear to a broad cross-section of Americans that our current laws are outdated, ineffective and in serious need of repair.
- To truly fix the problems, however, will require a comprehensive approach, rather than the narrow, enforcement-only proposal adopted by the House of Representatives (H.R. 4437.)
- Our government has dramatically increased the amount of resources for border enforcement in recent years, yet has not addressed the legal immigration provisions of our nation’s laws. Consequently, desperate people who have limited or no legal means to come to the U.S. for jobs and to be with family have come clandestinely in record numbers.
- The Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437), recently passed by the House, is unacceptable and, ultimately, ineffective. The Senate must reject that bill. It would criminalize undocumented presence and criminalize those who would assist them, including those providing humanitarian assistance. It would also require the detention of families and children, trafficking victims, and other vulnerable people, and potentially deport asylum seekers to the very governments from which they fled persecution. The bottom-line is that this bill will not fix the problems or make our country any safer, but it would change our character as a nation in ways that we will regret.
As the Senate takes up immigration reform proposals, the following elements must be incorporated into the package for these efforts to be successful and to enjoy the support of a majority of Americans.
- Reform Must Be Comprehensive. To truly fix the immigration mess we cannot take a narrow, one-dimensional approach, as was contained in the recent House-passed measure (H.R.4437.) True and effective immigration reforms must deal with (1) the undocumented immigrants working and living in the U.S., (2) legal means to enter the country for work and to join family members, (3) enforcement strategies that are effectively targeted and that uphold human dignity. Moreover, U.S. multi- and bi-lateral international policies must encourage opportunities for people in their home countries to achieve a dignified living and not be compelled to migrate out of necessity.
- Provide a Pathway to Residency and Citizenship. The undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. must be given the opportunity to earn the right to remain in the U.S. if they satisfy certain criteria, including that they are not a security threat and not a criminal. Those who pass background and security checks should be eligible for permanent residence and citizenship, if they so desire.
- Provide Worker Visas and Protections. There must be greater legal means by which needed workers can be admitted, both temporarily and permanently, to fill available jobs. Such a workers visa program must adequately protect the wages and working conditions of U.S. and immigrant workers. Adequate and responsive legal avenues for migrant workers must be created so that they can enter and work in a safe, orderly, and dignified manner.
- Keep Families Intact. The debilitating and inhumane family visa backlogs that currently keep families separated for years must be eliminated and more visas made available to ensure family unity. The cornerstone of a strong society is the strength of the family. Thus, our immigration laws must ensure that family unity is facilitated and supported.
- Strengthen Security and Restore the Rule of Law. This can best be accomplished through a comprehensive overhaul of our immigration system that combines needed reforms -- a path to permanent status for immigrants here and expanded visa availability for those coming in the future -- with effective and targeted enforcement. Effective enforcement requires smart inspections and screening processes, fair proceedings, efficient processing, as well as strategies for cracking down on smugglers.
Conclusion:
The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005 (S. 1033), introduced by Senators McCain and Kennedy, should be supported, for it is the best proposal to date that embodies the comprehensive reforms proposed by the bishops.
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Model Letter to Senators
Dear Senator:
Knowing that the Senate is poised to take up immigration reform proposals soon, I write to strongly encourage you to reject restrictionist and narrow, enforcement-only proposals, in favor of reforms that will comprehensively fix our broken immigration system.
The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (S.1033), introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), provides such a comprehensive approach to solving the ills of the current system. It recognizes that law and border enforcement strategies will only be successful when our laws provide more responsive legal avenues for immigrant workers and those seeking to be with family. Anything short of this mix of strengthened enforcement and expanded legal channels for entry is doomed to fail.
Any serious proposals for reforming our immigration system must also deal with the record number and growing population of people who are here without proper immigration status. Rather than granting “amnesty,” we should offer an opportunity for these people who have been living in the shadows to come forward and earn the legal means of remaining.
I believe that if the American public were better informed about the nature of the current problems in our immigration system and offered reasonable solutions, as contained in the comprehensive approach described above, there would be strong support.
I appeal to you to exert leadership in this debate as it comes before the Senate and support the comprehensive reforms contained in the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. Through national leadership and moral courage, the Senate can chart a course for the future of our nation that maintains our ideals as a nation of immigrants, restores the rule of law, and protects the homeland.
Thank you for your consideration of my views.
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