By Paul Bedard | June 23, 2015 | 10:50 am

Nearly 50 influential Big Labor unions and pro-immigration groups are warning the Senate to reject President Obama's free trade bill because changes made in the House would bar any president from opening the door expanding immigration and letting more illegals into the country.

In a letter, the groups decried a House decision to add the restrictions to the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, known as the "customs bill," that mollified anti-immigration forces and cleared the way for the House to vote for the president's free trade bill, sending it to the Senate for final action as soon as today.


Pro-immigration groups oppose the free trade bill because of restrictions on changing immigration laws. AP Photo

Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions and others had warned that the trade bills before Congress would give the president a free hand to change immigration laws, raising grave concerns among some conservatives, whose votes were needed to pass the trade bill.

Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, won changes to the customs bill that would bar the president from using trade deals and legislation to change immigration law.

Now there's a backlash from the pro-immigrant groups, though it is unclear how much sway they will have in the Senate.

Their letter:

Dear Senator:

We are writing you today to urge your vote against fast track and the entire package of trade bills that would advance this destructive policy. We are especially worried because you must now consider the amendments to the fast track bill that are incorporated in the accompanying Customs Bill.

Together, we have done great work to advance immigration reform and we thank you for your leadership in this important national movement. That is why we want to make sure you understand that Senate Republicans are using the Customs bill as a vehicle to further their anti-immigrant and anti-worker agenda through the fast track bill package. Their new amendments threaten to undermine the work we have done to advance meaningful immigration reform.

For instance, provisions added to the Customs bill (Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act) in the House now ensure that the TPP will:

Integrate anti-immigrant language prohibiting any immigration related obligations in trade agreements. Changes now amend the bill to "ensure that trade agreements do not require changes to the immigration laws of the United States or obligate the United States to grant access or expand access to visas under section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act." Efforts by Sen. Cruz to include a similar provision in the Senate bill failed.

Weaken Senate bill on Human Trafficking. As passed by the Senate, TPA provides that fast track may not be applied to any trade agreement that involves a country on "tier 3" of the human trafficking report. This bill would create an exception that would fast track trade agreements so long as the country has "taken concrete action," even though it continues to fall short of minimum standards. This provision appears to be inconsistent with the labor obligations Democrats have insisted upon, which require our trading partners to meet minimum standards regarding forced labor before Congress votes on a trade agreement (part of the congressional-executive "May 10th Agreement" of 2007).

We hope you will continue to lead the way toward meaningful immigration reform by taking a stand against fast track and the entire package of trade deals that will only further harm immigrant communities and set back our important efforts to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

Sincerely,

Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ)

Alliance for a Just Society

Arkansas United Community Coalition (AUCC)

American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

CASA (Deleware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia)

Causa Oregon (CAUSA)

Center for Popular Democracy (CPD)

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)

Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC)

Communications Workers of America (CWA)

Communidad Unidas (CU)/ Communities United

Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas (COFEM)

El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos

Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)

Idaho Community Action Network (ICAN)-Alliance for a Just Society (AJS)

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI)

Junta for Progressive Action

Latin American Coalition (LAC)

Maine People's Alliance

Make the Road New York

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)

Medical Mission Sisters Alliance for Justice

Michigan United

Montana Organizing Project (MOP)-Allaince for a Just Society (AJS)

National Employment Law Project (NELP)

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)

National Partnership for a New America (NPNA)

National Peoples Action

Nebraska Appleseed

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

New Hampshire Alliance for Immigrant Rights-MIRA

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)

One America (Washington State)

Pennsylvania Immigrant and Citizenship Coalition (PICC)

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)

Progressive Leadership Alliance

Progressive Leadership Alliance for Nevada (PLAN)

Promise Arizona (PAZ)

Rights for All People (RAP)

Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Justice and Peace Office

Somos Un Pueblo Unido (SOMOS)

Sunflower Community Action

Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)

Texas Organizing Project (TOP)

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/li...rticle/2566834