Action Alert: CALLS needed WED, May 15, THURS,
May 16 & FRI, May 17
On
Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17, the Senate Judiciary Committee will
consider amendments relating to refugees, asylees, and other vulnerable
populations in the bipartisan immigration bill, S. 744. In addition, they will
continue to consider amendments on worker visas and interior enforcement.
Committee members need to hear from people of faith across the country - not
just those who live in their states - about the impact these amendments will
have on our communities. Please call all day Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday.
Please
call 1-866-940-2439 to speak with the office of a specific Judiciary Committee
member.*
"As
a person of faith, I urge the Senator to OPPOSE
Graham Amendment #1 and ALL Grassley amendments, which would prevent refugees
and asylum seekers from seeking safety and protection,
and would needlessly expand immigration detention.
Also,
I urge the Senator to SUPPORT all amendments by Senators Franken, Coons, and
Blumenthal, which would improve the lives of vulnerable populations, including
survivors of domestic abuse."
Below is a sample script. If
you get an answering machine, please leave a message. More information on the
amendments is below. Please refer to each amendment by sponsor NAME and NUMBER.
All day Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, staff will be reporting to Senators on
the number of calls for and against each amendment.
OPPOSE
GRAHAM
AMENDMENT #1
This
amendment would terminate protection for refugees, asylees and stateless
persons living in the U.S. if they return to their country of origin. People who return to their country of origin are often risking
their lives to see a dying loved one, aid with the care and protection of their
children, or advance human rights.
ALL
GRASSLEY AMENDMENTS
These
amendments (specifically #25, #26, #27, and #52) would strike all of the
positive refugee and asylum provisions from the base bill, including provisions
that would improve access to life-saving protection for religious minorities in
Iran and stateless people currently without legal protection. Grassley #52 in
particular would delay positive changes to the asylum and student visa
provisions in the bill by falsely conflating them with the Boston Marathon
bombings. Grassley #40, #41, #47, #51 and #53 weaken due process and broaden
the use of immigration detention. Also, Grassley #73 and #74 would negatively
impact temporary workers.
ALL
SESSIONS AMENDMENTS, Lee #16, #17, #19 and Hatch #19, #20
These amendments would
prevent vulnerable populations, including those who have sought asylum but been
denied, from relief and protection if they have ever attempted to use a false
passport. Also, these amendments would
enable employers to
violate the rights of temporary workers by not requiring standard labor laws. Sessions #3, #10, #12, #17,
#33, #34, and #39 would penalize immigrants who use public assistance programs;
increase minimum bond amounts; encourage racial profiling and local
anti-immigrant ordinances; and indefinitely stall the temporary worker program.
SUPPORT ALL FRANKEN, COONS AND
BLUMENTHAL AMENDMENTS
These amendments, specifically Franken #7 and #9; Coons #6, #8,
#12, and #13; and Blumenthal #2, #7, #8, #13, #14, #17, and #18, would help
survivors of genocide and domestic violence; protect children and vulnerable individuals
and improve oversight in detention and deportation proceedings; allow asylum
seekers to work while they await their hearings; codify ICE policy restricting
immigration enforcement actions at schools, hospitals, and places of worship;
help temporary workers; and expand access to the pathway to citizenship.
*Please note that
you likely will not be connected with your own Senator's office through
this number, unless they are a specific Judiciary Committee member. This is the
best way to raise our voices at this moment. Judiciary members know they are
responsible to ALL of us as they consider amendments. Feel free to call 1-866-940-2439 multiple
times to connect with all priority members. To call directly, see the Committee
list at www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm.
For more information go to www.interfaithimmigration.org.
Follow the markup
live at a link provided at www.judiciary.senate.gov. On Twitter, use
#CIRmarkup, #SJC (senate judiciary committee), #timeisnow,
#p2c (path to
citizenship).You can also tweet at Judiciary Committee
members: @SenatorLeahy,
@SenFeinstein, @ChuckSchumer, @SenatorDurbin, @SenWhitehouse,
@amyklobuchar, @alfranken, @ChrisCoons, @SenBlumenthal, @maziehirono,
@ChuckGrassley, @OrrinHatch, @SenatorSessions, @LindseyGrahamSC, @JohnCornyn,
@SenMikeLee, @tedcruz, @JeffFlake
