Thread: Urgent Action Required !!!!

From FAIR:

URGENT ACTION ALERT!!!

Call Your Senators Now and Ask them to Support Cornyn Amendment #1184!

The debate over the Senate Amnesty Compromise will resume fever pitch today as Senators have returned to Capitol Hill from the Memorial Day recess. Debate will continue on amendments all week and Senate leaders have indicated that a vote on final passage of the Bush-Kennedy bill will probably come Thursday or Friday of this week.

Today, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is expected to bring an amendment to the floor that would make important changes to the underlying bill by restricting the ability of aliens who have engaged in criminal behavior from receiving benefits under our immigration laws. This amendment has already received wide media attention and has become highly controversial because it further restricts the number of illegal aliens who can get amnesty. Among other things, Cornyn Amendment #1184 will:

" Ensure that aliens who have been convicted of certain crimes, such as gang-related offenses, failure to register as a sex offender, and alien smuggling while using a firearm, are ineligible for immigration benefits
" Provide that a felony-level conviction for illegal entry or illegal re-entry is part of the definition of aggravated felony and therefore a bar to admission
" Bar aliens determined to have committed terrorist acts from establishing good moral character-a requirement to gain permanent resident status under current law
" Provide that an alien is subject to deportation if the alien has been convicted of social security crimes (under 42 U.S.C. § 40 or identity fraud or theft under the criminal code (18 U.S.C. § 102.
" Ensure that those aliens ordered to leave the United States and who failed to do so are not given legal status
" Provide that an alien is ineligible for a Z visa if the alien:
o Is convicted of an aggravated felony,
o Failed to register as a sex offender as required by federal law
o Is convicted for high speed flight from an immigration checkpoint
o Is a terrorist or a threat to national security
o Is subject to a final order of removal for document fraud
o Is an absconder or have been previously removed from the U.S.

FAIR is urging all activists to call their Senators IMMEDIATELY and ask them to support Cornyn Amendment #1184. While these changes may seem obvious, the proponents of the Bush-Kennedy legislation have neglected to address them because they would reduce the scope of the amnesty program. In addition, Senate staff informs us that Senator Kennedy is going to offer a watered-down alternative to the Cornyn Amendment to try to give some Senators "political cover." Please insist that your Senators vote for Cornyn Amendment #1184 because it better provides for the safety of the American people.

A vote on Cornyn Amendment #1184 is expected TODAY or TOMORROW. Please call your Senators and and ask them to support this important amendment! To find the phone number of your Senators, click here.