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Week
of
Oct
11
This Issue: Pro-Amnesty marches fall short; Opposition strengthening
Over the last several weeks, we've come to many of you - depending on your location and your interests - asking for phone calls and faxes. You can't be on the Hill to see and hear all the ways this makes a difference. Much of the activity on immigration is behind the scenes, so we can't report any specifics, but we can tell you that your efforts are having an impact.
Earlier this week, Roy had the chance to meet with a few Members of Congress who are solidly on the side of the American workers. He thanked them for all they've done the last several months in changing the mainstream perception that amnesty is inevitable. But to his surprise, they deflected his praise and instead poi nted to the continuous grassroots pressure on Congress as the true difference-maker.
Other opposition is also intensifying. The unions that represent federal immigration workers and immigration enforcement agents sent letters to House Members expressing their opposition to a new biometric entry/exit bill, H.R.3141, introduced by Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.). The bill would weaken current immigration law by delaying the implementing of a biometric entry/exit system and excluding non-pedestrian land ports. These ports account for 25% of foreign citizen traffic in and out of the United States.
Additionally, Kenneth Palinkas, the president of the USCIS union, warned Congress this week not to pursue amnesty or legal immigration increases before widespread problems within the agency are fixed. Palinkas said that USCIS currently lacks the support to safely screen and review applicant information, while it promotes a culture that puts illegal aliens and foreign citizens ahead of the interests of U.S. citizens. You can read more about his statements here.
The fight, however, is far from over. Earlier this week, Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), taking her cues from GOP Leadership, told Univision's "Al Punto" that amnesty remains a priority in the House this year. Rep. McMorris said "there's still time" and that "we must pass immigration reform."
But after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declared last week that the plan is to take any immigration-related bill passed in the House and to conference it with the Schumer-Rubio-Obama amnesty bill, S.744, the list of House Reps. urging House Speaker John Boehner to publicly announce he won't work with the Senate on a comprehensive immigration bill is growing.
With your help, we'll continue to keep the pressure on Congress until the threat of amnesty is gone.
chris chmielenski Fri, Oct 11th
