Tram Nguyen

Border Wall

Today, the Senate begins debate on their version of the House’s Secure Fence Act, which already passed. This bill requires that a 700-mile wall be built along the U.S.-Mexico border and for the Department of Homeland Security to establish “operational control” of the border before immigration reform can be passed.

Sensenbrenner’s nightmare House bill, HR 4437, also hasn’t gone away. In fact, he’s breaking off its provisions into pieces that may get tacked onto appropriations bills. This week, the House is also set to vote on three new enforcement bills that Sensenbrenner introduced - which carry things like indefinite detention, expansion of expedited removal, and police collaboration with immigration agents.

We’ve got to stop these disastrous bills! Call your senators and House representative. Here are talking points from the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:

* Oppose and vote against the proposed laws in the House and Senate that promote border militarization and draconian immigration law enforcement measures. This legislation only criminalizes immigrant workers, families and communities. These policies have created untold suffering; thousands of migrants have already died at the border.

* Support genuine legalization that protects and expands the civil rights, civil liberties and labor rights of immigrant workers, families and communities.

* More border walls and militarization, guest worker programs, and detention and deportations make our communities vulnerable to exploitation and abuses.

* Only legalization with full rights, labor protections, and family reunification will work.

Posted at 2:18 PM, Sep 20, 2006 in Permalink | View Comments