The rights of immigrants are greatly endangered.
Temple Israel's Social Justice committee has voted to oppose the stringent anti-immigrant provisions that are being forced into the omnibus bill on which the Congress is currently working. This legislation is supposed to implement the recommendations of the 9-11 commission for national security but these new anti-immigrant rules would cover far more ground than they should. For details, please read the text of the letter our committee has received from the American Civil Liberties Union:
From the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida
Subject: Anti-Immigrant Legislation
Congress continues to use the proposed intelligence reform legislation to provide cover for some of the worst anti-immigrant provisions in the last decade. These repressive provisions attack the court's ability to provide oversight over immigrant proceedings, allow the government to work with oppressive foreign governments against asylum seekers and stipulate new ID requirements that limit even legal immigrants' ability to get a driver's licenses.
Although the 9-11 Commission did not say the government needed to target immigrants, this bill would expand the government's ability to deport more people without a hearing. It would also allow the government to seize people who may have entered the United States outside the system in the last five years and throw them into a so-called expedited deportation process without the right to a lawyer or to at least make their case in court.
The government would -- with no check or balance on its powers -- be allowed to decide whether an individual is allowed to stay or be sent to another country, even ones like Libya, North Korea or Iran, as long as those governments "promise" not to engage in torture. And if for some reason the government cannot deport you, this Republican legislation would allow the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to put you in jail for the rest of your life without any ability to go to court to appeal your imprisonment.
Take Action! Urge Congress to oppose these radical and mean-spirited provisions.
