NNIRR Enforcement and Justice Project

Take Action on Sensenbrenner's Anti-Immigrant Bill! (HR 4437)

en espanol

On Tuesday, December 6, House Judiciary Committee Chair, Representative James Sensenbrenner, introduced the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act," (HR 4437) a nasty and draconian bill meant to make immigrant and refugee communities suffer even more.

Sensenbrenner's proposed law promises to strip immigrants of their remaining basic rights. This proposed law will subject them to onerous bond conditions or jailing before expedited deportation, deepen border control strategies into the U.S. interior in new and nefarious ways, further militarize the border region impacting border communities's and migrants' rights, and takes the criminalization of immigration status to unprecedented lows.

ACT NOW, Call in: Say No to Sensenbrenner's Bill!
Today, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, the House Judiciary Committee will "mark up" this bill. We must weigh in with our opposition to this legislation, while demanding legalization that defends and upholds our communities civil rights and civil liberties, provides labor protections, reunites families, addresses the backlog and provides generous options to permanent residency and citizenship.

* Call members of the House Judiciary Committee (listed below) TODAY and urge them to vote against the bill. Share this email and information with your colleagues, friends, and family to call today.

Among other provisions, the bill:
* Continues expanding the same border enforcement and militarization strategies that has resulted in over 4,000 migrant death since 1994.
* Expands the expedited deportation program
* Drastically expands the definition of an aggravated felony (deportable offense).
* Requires mandatory detention for all immigrants apprehended at ports of entry or along international borders until removal or a final decision in their case.
* Sets a minimum bond of $5,000 for anyone with a Notice to Appear.
* Overturns the Supreme Court's ruling in Zadvydas which limits long-term detention.
* Renders immigrants affiliated with gangs deportable and inadmissible, mandates their detention, bars them from asylum or Temporary Protected Status; gives the AG authority to designate gang members for immigration purposes.
* Limits immigrants' access to the circuit courts by creating a special review process for federal court appeals of immigration cases.
* Makes undocumented immigration status a crime
* Makes certain provisions of the REAL ID Act retroactive
* Includes Day Labor Sites in the employment verification system
And more.

MAKE THE CALLS NOW!

* All House Judiciary Committee members are listed below. Please call as many Committee members as you can before Thursday 10am eastern.
* Your call will have more impact if the member is your Representative (or Represents a district where your members or your family live)
* Flood the lines of the House Judiciary Committee!

* TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
- I am against H.R. 4437, the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act" and I URGE you to Stop this law from passing.
- This legislation will result in gross rights violations and creates huge obstacles to genuine legalization reforms that would benefit our communities.
- The Sensenbrenner bill deepens the decade-old border enforcement stratregy which has been disasterous and costly.
- Sensenbrenner's immigration enforcement proposal will not work and only result in more migrant deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border and lead to the erosion of our civil liberties and civil rights.
- I urge you to oppose H.R. 4437 during tomorrow's mark up in the Judiciary Committee. It is the right thing to do.

House Judiciary Committee members' name and phone numbers:

Republicans
James Sensenbrenner (WI-5th)--(202) 225-5101
Henry Hyde (IL-6th)--(202) 225-4561
Howard Coble (NC-6th)--(202) 225-3065
Lamar Smith (TX-21st)--(202) 225-4236
Elton Gallegly (CA-24th)--(202) 225-5811
Bob Goodlatte (VA-6th)-- (202) 225-5431
Steve Chabot (OH-1st)--(202) 225-2216
Dan Lungren (CA-3rd)--(202) 225-5716
William Jenkins (TN-1st)--(202) 225-6356
Chris Cannon (UT-3rd)--(202) 225-7751
Spencer Bachus (AL-6th)-- (202) 225-4921
Bob Inglis (SC-4th)-- (202) 225-6030
John Hostettler (IN-8th)-- (202) 225-4636
Mark Green (WI-8th)-- (202) 225-5665
Ric Keller (FL-8th)-- (202) 225-2176
Darrell Issa (CA-49th)--(202) 225-3906
Jeff Flake (AZ-6th)-- (202) 225-2635
Mike Pence (IN-6th)-- (202) 225-3021
Randy Forbes (VA-4th)-- (202) 225-6365
Steve King (IA-5th)-- (202) 225-4426
Tom Feeney (FL-24th)-- (202) 225-2706

Democrats
Trent Franks (AZ-2nd)-- (202) 225-4576
Louie Gohmert (TX-1st)-- (202) 225-3035
John Conyers (MI-14th)-- (202) 225-5126
Howard Berman (CA-28th)-- (202) 225-4695
Rick Boucher (VA-9th)-- (202) 225-3861
Jerrold Nadler (NY-8th)-- (202) 225-5635
Bobby Scott (VA-3rd)-- (202) 225-8351
Melvin Watt (NC-12th)-- (202) 225-1510
Zoe Lofgren (CA-16th)-- (202) 225-3072
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18th)-- (202) 225-3816
Maxine Waters (CA-35th)-- (202) 225-2201
Marty Meehan (MA-5th)-- (202) 225-3411
William Delahunt (MA-10th)-- (202) 225-3111
Robert Wexler (FL-19th)-- (202) 225-3001
Anthony Weiner (NY-9th)-- (202) 225-6616
Adam Schiff (CA-29th)-- (202) 225-4176
Linda Sanchez (CA-39th)-- (202) 225-6676
Adam Smith (WA-9th)-- (202) 225-8901
Chris Van Hollen (MD-8th)-- (202) 225-5341