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Immigrant groups speak out against congressional hearing






CONCORD, N.H. Critics of a congressional hearing on immigration tomorrow in Concord (New Hampshire) are calling the meeting a political ploy and a missed chance for open debate.

Labor unions, immigrant groups and the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union say they want a chance to talk about their vision of immigration reform. They want to see changes that would help reunite immigrant families, protect workers and provide illegal immigrants with a means of obtaining legal status.

They're upset that tomorrow's U-S House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Statehouse will allow only five invited witnesses to speak.

The committee, led by Wisconsin Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, is holding hearings across the country on immigration reform, an issue that has split Republicans and led to competing proposals in the House and Senate.

Sensenbrenner is one of the biggest backers of the House version, which focuses on border enforcement and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. He opposes plans to help illegal immigrants become legal, which are part of the Senate's proposal.

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