Is The Immigration Proposal Too Harsh?
If Congress passes a harsh new immigration bill, many of our nation's immigrants could be declared criminals and their employers arrested as smugglers.
As an example, a Russian woman caring for her grandchildren in New York today might face civil charges for overstaying her visa.
Under the new proposal she could be criminally prosecuted.
A Zimbabwean man who fled torture in his homeland could be locked up in an Illinois county jail for no other crime than seeking asylum in the United States.
A Boston mother could be arrested and convicted as a criminal for hiring an undocumented housekeeper from Central America.
Every day we all work with immigrants struggling to find safe haven, and I see how they enrich our city culturally and economically. A bill sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), and already passed by the House, would devastate all major cities by depleting the immigrant labor force, tearing apart families and turning away refugees fleeing persecution.
The legislation would classify many undocumented immigrants and lawful permanent residents as “aggravated felons” for minor civil infractions and misdemeanors, subjecting them to deportation and imprisonment and depriving them of the right to a hearing.
Employers and private citizens-including religious workers-would be at risk of criminal prosecution if they aid or transport an undocumented immigrant. And the legislation would require mandatory detention for all immigrants and asylum-seekers entering the country.
A more realistic and comprehensive bill, sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), aims to secure our border and make this country safer by strictly enforcing immigration laws. Supported by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the legislation includes a new worker visa program and improvements in legal immigration procedures to reunite families more quickly.
The McCain-Kennedy bill would allow immigrants to remain vital members of our communities. And it would permit employers to offer jobs to good workers without fearing arrest.
