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 Alert
White House Endorses REAL ID
Contact Bush, Durbin Now!
The White House has come out in favor of including the REAL ID bill in the Iraq emergency spending bill (HR 1268) without the REAL ID bill. The US House of Representatives had earlier passed a version of the bill with REAL ID attached, but the Senate had passed a version without REAL ID. The spending bill now goes to a conference committee, and the White House is now encouraging the conferees to include REAL ID in the bill.
The REAL ID bill had passed in the House on its own as HR 418. The bill, sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (Republican-Wisconsin) would have done the following:
Ø Hurt the most vulnerable victims of persecution, torture and trauma who seek protection and freedom in the United States, by placing them at the risk of being returned to face torture or death.
Ø Give the federal government unrestricted control over state issuance of driver’s licenses.
Ø Jeopardize the safety of domestic violence victims by eroding critical protections already passed by Congress.
Ø Punish individuals who in the past made well-meaning charitable contributions and subject them to deportation.
Illinois Senator Richard Durbin (Democrat) is one of the members of the conference committee. He had opposed REAL ID when the spending bill was in the Senate. He needs to hear from you now that he is in a crucial position of shaping the final bill.
***TAKE ACTION NOW!***
Please send a message to Sen. Durbin to encourage him to help keep REAL ID off the final spending bill. You can send an email to Sen. Durbin’s office by following this link.
Please also contact the White House to express your disappointment at its support for REAL ID. You can email the White House by following this link. Thanks!
For more information, please call the
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, (312) 332‑7360 x13,
or go to the TAKE ACTION section of ICIRR’s website, www.icirr.org.
