Immigration Work Begins

I utilized the 'Act For Change' letter writing campaign to sent a letter to my Senators. I'll be doing my research on this topic for my dissertation, but as it stands now, I cannot support the type of legislation that is being put forward by certain members of Congress; it is both unethical and undermines the greater liberal order. I am curious to see how and to what extent my views will change as a result of my work.

A Letter to my Senators:

I'm writing to urge you to oppose the immigrant punishment bill scheduled to come before you this week.

The bill, which focuses ONLY on harsh enforcement and heavier penalties, does nothing to address the root causes of our immigration problems. Making felons out of millions of undocumented workers is just not a workable solution. As I'm sure you're aware, the House version of the bill also punishes humanitarian organizations that try to prevent migrants from dying of thirst in the desert, and conference negotiators could easily slip this provision back into the final bill at the last minute. Other provisions under discussion –- including requirements that churches verify the legal status of anyone to whom they provide assistance –- are equally troubling.
Borrowing from David Stoll, please

• "Stress ethical and humanitarian objectives by giving priority to refugees fleeing from persecution.
• Streamline and restructure provisional work programs that open the U.S. to temporary workers who take jobs that U.S. residents don't want, while guaranteeing the basic rights of these workers to organize and receive worker benefits such as unemployment compensation.
• Protect the most vulnerable economic sectors from an influx of low-wage competition.
• Lower legal immigration flows to sustainable levels.
• Protect the basic human rights of all U.S. residents, legal or not."

Please oppose the immigration punishment bill, and take the time to come up with a more workable and less punitive solution. I look forward to hearing from you with your views on this matter.
Sincerely,
Me