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U.S. House Passes a Restrictive Immigration Bill Regular visitors of this section may remember that we posted a piece of news about H.R. 4437 bill (Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act.) several days ago. This bill is harsh and enforcement-only bill and harmful to immigrants. According to American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the House passed this bill on December 16, 2005, by a recorded vote of 239 ayes to 182 noes, and not voting 13. As we reported in earlier news, H.R. 4437 would criminalize unlawful presence; strip the courts of much of their remaining jurisdiction over immigration matters; gut the due process rights of aliens, permanent residents and United States citizens; expand expedited removal; broaden the definition of alien smuggling to include churches, employers, family members, and immigrant advocates; expand the definition of aggravated felony; create new grounds of deportability and inadmissibility; increase mandatory detention; militarize the border; and place limitations on eligibility for naturalization. In addition, lawmakers approved a number of damaging amendments, including elimination of the Diversity visa lottery; giving state and local law enforcement officials the "inherent authority" to enforce civil immigration laws (the CLEAR Act revisited); withholding grant funds from state and local governments that maintain a policy of protecting the confidentiality of immigrants; approving construction of more border fencing; and further increasing penalties for document fraud, crimes of violence and drug trafficking offenses, etc. "This bill does absolutely nothing to make our nation more secure", said Deborah Notkin, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Nor will it relieve the pressures at our borders. The debate on the House floor this week was a shameful assault on immigrants." In February or March 2006, the Senate will return to the immigration debate to discuss this bill. Hopefully, the House bill may be rejected and President Bush's temporary worker program may be added into the Senate's modification bill.
(12/20/2005) For more immigration news, please click here |
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