Thread: Concerns aired over immigration bill

Concerns aired over immigration bill
By Sanjay Bhatt
Monday, March 26, 2007


Local immigrant-rights leaders gathered today in City Hall to oppose several provisions in a U.S. House bill aimed at reforming the nation's immigration system.

Coming a year after a tough-nosed bill that raised the specter of mass deportations of illegal immigrants, the current House immigration bill introduced last week by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is more balanced but still troubles immigrant-rights advocates.

The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act, or STRIVE Act, would provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 12 million undocumented residents and their families and more than double the number of employment-based visas. The act also advances two key priorities of President Bush: A guest-worker program and stepped-up surveillance, detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants.

"Overall, this bill is a step in the right direction," said Pramila Jayapal, executive director of Hate Free Zone, a Seattle-based advocacy group that organized a news conference today.

"However, the bill still needs much improvement," she said in a statement. "We are particularly concerned that the bill includes disproportionate punishments for minor offenses, expands deportation without a hearing and encourages local law-enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ct27m.html

"Overall, this bill is a step in the right direction," said Pramila Jayapal, executive director of Hate Free Zone, a Seattle-based advocacy group that organized a news conference today.

Pramila, sweetie..........who's HATE FREE ZONE would this be?

Tad one sided, eh?

"However, the bill still needs much improvement," she said in a statement. "We are particularly concerned that the bill includes disproportionate punishments for minor offenses, expands deportation without a hearing and encourages local law-enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law."

They know these will never be enforced--never have been, never will be!

Coming a year after a tough-nosed bill that raised the specter of mass deportations of illegal immigrants, the current House immigration bill introduced last week by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is more balanced but still troubles immigrant-rights advocates.

Fine. Don't support it. Actually, any and all resistance against this horrible bill helps us. So, yes, I can... "feel your pain" - please DON'T support it.

Why not deport all illegals. If they committed crimes, they should be the first to go. Build the fence so they cannot come back.