Last year, the United States House of Representatives passed enforcement heavy immigration reform legislation, HR 4437, which seeks to:

• Criminalize both, undocumented individuals and those who work to give them any aid, essentially criminalizing doctors, lawyers, teachers and religious figures
• Limit judicial review for immigration and deportation cases
• Give low level and local law enforcement authority to enforce immigration laws
• Permit indefinite detention of accused persons
• And many more alarming provisions

Two bills are currently being considered in the Senate: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s bill, S 2454, which is enforcement heavy and reinforces provisions from HR 4437 and an alternative to this bill that:

• Allows an earned path to legalization for immigrants through working, paying taxes, and learning English
• Measures that regulate wages and working conditions to protect workers from exploitation
• A way to keep families together
• The DREAM Act which would allow undocumented students to continue their post secondary education and learn legal status in the United States

ACTION REQUESTED:

Call Senator Durbin and Senator Obama and encourage them to continue supporting legislation that includes a path to legalization and a realistic fix to the broken system. It is very simple! When you call, the operator will:

1. ask for your name
2. Zip code
3. your comment

Senator Durbin’s office: 312 353-4952

Senator Obama’s office: 312 886-3506

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