Tina, I too am both personally and professionally concerned. While word
on the street seems to be that it is unlikely the Senate will pass a
similar version of the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal
Immigration Control Act of 2005 (HR 4437) that was passed on Dec. 16,
2005, by a vote of 239 to 182, I am still stunned that such a draconian
bill passed and we have heard relatively nothing about it. In fact I
found the silence eerie. I was further distraught to learn that
vulnerable Democrats were threatened into voting for this bill for fear
of loosing campaign funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats’ campaign operation. Listed below
is a summary of what this bill calls for.

This bill and overall attitude just seems to just exemplify the current
atmosphere. Aside from being outrageous, what I want to know, however,
is where is the evidence that this political strategy brings in votes?
In my area, local businesses (not to mention service providers and
clinicians) are in an uproar that our generally moderate, fairly
pro-immigrant Republican Congressman voted from. Last night I saw on the
news that a Guatemalan construction worker was robbed and murdered as he
took a lunch break from building a house in a family neighborhood. All
of the neighbors interviewed talked about how hard he worked. And that
he was just trying to make a living….

The anti immigrant sentiment is coupled with a drastic dismantling of
health care/social service programs for the poor. Does the general
public really want this? I am not so sure. So my personal opinion is
yes, we need to marshal our forces to be much better advocates. These
are bleak times…

Amy K. Liebman, MPA
These are my personal opinions only.

*Bill Summary…*

* Make conviction of unlawful presence in the U.S. an aggravated
felony, which could make millions of undocumented immigrants
permanently ineligible for any legalization program.
* Make unlawful presence in the U.S. a crime — a shortcut to
authorizing state and local police to enforce federal immigration
law. Expand detention of non–U.S. citizens in removal proceedings.
In other words it would….*Deny Federal Funding to local Police
Departments* who, in the course of carrying out routine law
enforcement duties, refrain from assisting or cooperating with
Federal immigration law enforcement.
* Expand the definition of criminal “alien smuggling” in such a way
that anyone who assists an undocumented person to live or remain
in the U.S. could be charged with a criminal offense. In other
words…it would *C**riminalize Social Service Workers, Government
Officials, Clergy, and Legal Immigrant family members* for
“transporting, moving, harboring, concealing, or shielding from
detection a person outside of the United States knowing or in
reckless disregard of the fact that such person is an alien”
* Require the expedited removal of noncitizens (except for Mexicans,
Canadians, and Cubans) apprehended within 100 miles of the border
within 14 days of their arrival in the U.S.
* Gut due process protections and access to judicial review for
immigrants.
* Create a phone and Internet–based employment eligibility
verification system (EEVS) that not only all employers would be
required to use, but also those who recruit or refer individuals
for employment, including labor agencies and nonprofit group
* Dramatically expand passport and document fraud provisions and
penalties, expand mandatory detention to apply to more categories
of immigrants, broaden the aggravated felony definition, and
create new grounds of admissibility and deportability.

· Dramatically expand passport and document fraud provisions and
penalties, expand mandatory detention to apply to more categories of
immigrants, broaden the aggravated felony definition, and create new
grounds of admissibility and deportability.

· Require the construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

· Authorize state and local police to enforce federal immigration law.

· Withhold funds from state and local governments deemed to have
policies preventing their cooperation with federal immigration law
enforcement.

· Enter certain immigration information into the National Crime
Information Center database.

· Prohibit the use of Border Patrol uniforms made in Mexico.

· Eliminate the diversity visa program.

· Require that foreign embassies be notified when citizens of the
countries they represent have renounced their allegiance to foreign
countries and sworn allegiance to the U.S.

· Delay indefinitely applications for adjustment of status or other
immigration benefits if fraud by the applicant is alleged.






Tina Castañares wrote:
> Dear friends and colleagues,
> This is a message of personal concern. The national anti-immigrant
> sentiment seems to be growing, gaining in strength once again. All
> three so-far-declared Republican candidates for Oregon governor (in my
> neck of the woods) have this month made a major issue to the press of
> "the need to crack down on illegal immigration." This is but one of
> many examples, of course.
> Are others involved in our movement to serve migrant farmworkers with
> their health care needs as concerned as I am? What can we do to be a
> voice of reason? I find myself wondering whether there will be efforts
> to classify WIC and food bank services and perhaps even C/MHC services
> as off limits to "non-qualified immigrants, " just as Medicaid and
> TANF have been since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. Is there reason
> to feel reassured or unconcerned on this score, or do we need to
> marshall our forces to be better advocates?
> I would invite dialogue in these listservs on the subject rather than
> responses sent only to me.
> Sincerely,
> Tina Castañares, MD
> 637 Highway 141
> White Salmon, WA 98672
> 509 / 493-1600 voice
> 347 / 412-0087 fax
> tina.castanares@... <mailto:tina.castanares@...>
>
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