Thread: Civil Rights Groups: Senate Immigration Bill Not Good Enough

http://www.civilrights.org/issues/immig ... m?id=43942

Civil Rights Groups: Senate Immigration Bill Not Good Enough, Big Fight Expected in Conference

By Tyler Lewis
civilrights.org
June 5, 2006

After months of rallies, speeches, and political infighting, the Senate has finally passed an immigration bill. Civil rights groups say that while the bill is a valiant attempt at comprehensive immigration reform, it ultimately falls short in key areas.

The Senate bill, S 2611, was approved by a vote of 62-36 on May 25. It would beef up security along the Mexican border, require employers to verify the status of employees electronically, and provide a path to legalization for the nation's 12 million undocumented immigrants.

"Though the Senate bill does set out a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who now make significant contributions to our society, it is a convoluted road littered with problems," said Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR).

Civil rights leaders say that the bill simply does not go far enough in fixing the nation's broken immigration policies. They claim that the 800-page bill is disjointed and contains provisions that dilute the effects of one another.

Civil rights groups are particularly concerned about the "three-tiered legalization" plan in the bill. The Asian American Justice Center called the plan "unworkable," while the AFL-CIO called it "undemocratic, unjust and unworkable."

"The Senate bill ... threatens to make more people ineligible for legal status and undermines the value of the legalization program," said John Trasviña, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) Interim President and General Counsel.

In addition, groups are concerned about the provisions that strip immigrants of basic civil liberties protections and due process. S. 2611 would overturn Supreme Court decisions that prohibit immigrants from being locked up indefinitely; make it easier for the government to deport immigrants without judicial process; treat minor offenses as "aggravated felonies"; thrust much of the burden of enforcement on local police; and declare English the "national language," even though most immigrants already want to learn English.

The House bill, which would make any unlawful presence in the United States - even a visa overstay - a felony and would criminalize people who provide humanitarian assistance to unauthorized immigrants, is widely considered to be "deeply flawed" by the civil rights community.

The House and Senate must reach a consensus on the competing bills and send one compromise version to President Bush for signature. Observers believe that a compromise between the chambers is unlikely because both sides refuse to back down. House Republicans have said that any bill with legalization in it will never pass.

Civil rights groups are pushing for both chambers to strip out the more problematic provisions and enact a humane, comprehensive bill. "Unless these formidable and very troubling concerns are addressed in the House-Senate conference, the civil rights community has little choice but to oppose legislation that -- despite its accomplishments - will potentially damage the very spirit of American democracy," said LCCR's Henderson.

Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), said that "we intend to fight for changes to make it more workable, more effective."

It's not a civil rights issue, it's a legal issue. The Congress has the Constitutional right and responsibility to establish and enforce our immigration laws.

It is not a civil right to enter or remain, in the United States, without legal authorization