Letter to President Bush Urges Changes in Recent Administration Policies
October 29, 2002
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the
United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington,
D.C. 20500
Dear President Bush:
The undersigned organizations
write this letter because of our concerns about measures your Administration
recently has proposed, supported, and implemented that have harmed America’s
newcomers and are contrary to our country’s tradition as a nation of immigrants.
We believe it is critical for our government to protect us from those who would
do us harm. It is equally important that we distinguish between the few who mean
to harm us and the vast majority of newcomers who come to embrace this nation
and the American Dream.
We applauded the positive statements you made
after the terrorist attacks that were instrumental in binding our nation
together. Since then, however, many of your Administration's initiatives have
left immigrant communities nationwide feeling besieged and isolated, targeted
innocent people who have come to this country to reunite with their families and
fill our labor market needs, and caused many to question America’s commitment to
its core values. These initiatives have broadly targeted immigrants, refugees,
and visitors and have provided few, if any, advantages in the battle against
terrorism, when what is needed is to pinpoint and isolate a handful of persons
who come to do us harm.
We are especially concerned about the following
troubling measures:
- Your Administration advocates moving our immigration functions within the
proposed Department of Homeland Security. Placing immigration within the new
department sends the signal that all immigrants are potential terrorists, not
people coming to this country to help build America. Moreover, you have advanced
proposals that would bury all federal immigration functions within the largest
proposed division of the new Homeland Security Department. Taking a deeply
troubled Immigration Service and melding it into such a massive division with
tens of thousands of employees is a recipe for failure for our immigration
adjudications and enforcement functions and will not meet our security needs.
You also have supported restructuring these functions within this new department
in a way that would make problematic the effective, efficient, coordinated and
fair provision of services and lead to differing interpretations and
implementation of the law at our borders and interior. Moreover, you have
proposed measures that would severely weaken the independence and impartiality
of our immigration courts.
- Over 1,200 immigrants were detained after September 11, with some still in
detention. The vast majority of these people have not been charged with criminal
or terrorism-related activities. Your administration is keeping the identities
of these people secret, and is putting them through secret immigration
proceedings.
- As many as seven million hardworking, taxpaying workers are threatened with
losing their jobs as the result of initiatives of the Social Security
Administration (SSA). The SSA's efforts appear to run counter to the goal you
articulated with Mexican President Vicente Fox to match willing workers and
employers.
- The Department of Justice recently announced that it would begin enforcing a
change of address notification requirement, with deportation a possible penalty.
While at first blush such a requirement seems both reasonable and necessary, the
punishment does not fit the violation. It makes no sense to make enforcement of
this obscure law a priority given that the Immigration and Naturalization
Service is unable to handle the huge volume of forms or record the information
it receives.
- The Department of Justice is requiring the fingerprinting, photographing and
registering of nationals of certain countries. This measure offers little
protection against terrorism while subjecting individuals to a lengthy and
complicated procedure. This measure will subject innocent people to arrest and
deportation for failure to report on time to authorities. It also will waste
precious resources because it would be applied to people who already have been
screened and determined to be admissible to the U.S.
- Without justification or explanation, the Department of Justice appears to
have changed a long-standing legal opinion so that state and local law
enforcement now have "inherent authority" to enforce civil and criminal
violations of immigration law. Among other consequences, this change will make
it more difficult for police to build trust in immigrant communities and will
discourage immigrants from coming forward with information that might make us
safer.
- Your Administration has dramatically curtailed the admission of refugees
into this country, despite the fact that refugees are among the most carefully
screened people admitted into our country.
- Many consular and INS officials appear to be finding excuses to deny as many applications as they can. These officials are using flimsy reasons to deny applications to qualified individuals in a wide range of areas, including citizenship, family unification, international studies and employment.
As we move forward, we must do so as a nation united. Sadly, the policies
mentioned above have split us apart, just as we need to pull together. These
policies are engendering an atmosphere of fear within immigrant communities, and
an atmosphere of distrust and hostility toward those born abroad. Rather than
isolating terrorists, these policies are isolating newcomers.
We call on
you, President Bush, to change these policies so that, as a nation of
immigrants, we will protect and enhance our values, freedoms, and traditions
while making our country more secure.
Sincerely,
National
Organizations
ACORN, Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now
American Civil Liberties Union
American Friends Service
Committee
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Asian Pacific American
Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association for Residency and Citizenship of America
(ARCA)
Coalition of Hispanic American Citizens
Farmworker Justice Fund,
Inc.
Hmong National Development, Inc.
Immigration and Refugee Services of
America/U.S. Committee for Refugees
Japanese American Citizens
League
Justice For Detainees
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Mennonite Central Committee, U.S.
Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund (MALDEF)
National Asian Pacific American Legal
Consortium
National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support
National
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Coalition
for Haitian Rights
National Council of La Raza
National Employment Law
Project
National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Law
Center
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers
Guild
Presbyterian Church, USA, Washington Office
Puerto Rican Legal
Defense and Education Fund
Salvadoran American National Network
Sikh
Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART)
Southeast Asia Resource Action
Center
Union of Needletrade Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE)
Local Organizations
African Community Center, Denver,
Colorado
African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri, St. Louis,
Missouri
All Saints' Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia
Asian American
Community Service Association, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma
Asian Law Alliance, San
Jose, California
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California,
Los Angeles, California
Association of Haitian Women, Dorchester,
Massachusetts
Boston University School of Social Work, Refugee and Immigrant
Training Program, Boston, Massachusetts
Brazilian Women's Group, Somerville,
Massachusetts
Bridge Refugee & Sponsorship Services, Inc., Chattanooga,
Tennessee
Catholic Agency for Migration and Refugee Services, Garden City,
Kansas
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Salina, Kansas
Catholic Charities,
Diocese of Santa Rosa, California
Catholic Charities Immigration Clinic,
Jackson, Mississippi
Catholic Charities, Immigration Counseling Services,
Dallas, Texas
Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, Baltimore,
Maryland
Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services of San Jose,
California
Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, Washington,
D.C.
Catholic Charities Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Miami,
Florida
Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, Hartford,
Connecticut
Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi,
Texas
Catholic Charities of Idaho, Boise, Idaho
Catholic Charities of
Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
Catholic Charities of Orange County, Santa
Ana, California
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, San Jose,
California
Catholic Charities, Springfield, Office of Social Concern,
Springfield, Massachusetts
Catholic Charities of St. Petersburg, Immigration
Program, St. Petersburg Florida
Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc.,
Nashville, Tennessee
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and
Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Catholic Community Services of Baton
Rouge, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Catholic Community Services, Refugee
Resettlement and Immigration Assistance Programs, Newark, New Jersey
Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Office of Hispanic Ministry, Jackson,
Mississippi
Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Refugee and Immigration Services,
Richmond, Virginia
Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, Peace & Justice
Commission, Salt Lake City, Utah
Catholic Immigration Services, Springdale,
Arkansas
Catholic Social Service of Phoenix, Immigration Program, Phoenix,
Arizona
Catholic Social Services, Refugee Resettlement Program, Mobile,
Alabama
Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
California
Center for Battered Women´s Legal Services, New York, New York
Centro Presente, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
Centro Salvadoreno,
Hempstead, New York
Chhaya CDC, Queens, New York
Chinese American
Citizens Alliance, Houston, Texas
CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
The Christian Council of
Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia
Civil Liberties Task Force of
the American Civil Liberties Union of
Massachusetts, Boston,
Massachusetts
Coalition of Hispanic American Citizens, Anaheim,
California
Committee on Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality, Austin,
Texas
The Cooperative Feeding Program, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
CWS/EMM
InterReligious Council Sub Office, Binghamton, New York
The D.C. Employment
Justice Center, Washington, D.C.
DeKalb Rape Crisis Center, Multicultural
Outreach Program, Decatur, Georgia
Detroit Province of the Jesuits, Social
Ministry Office, Detroit, Michigan
Diocese of Kalamazoo Immigration
Assistance Program, Kalamazoo, Michigan
East Boston Ecumenical Community
Council, Boston, Massachusetts
Eirene Immigration Center, New Jersey
El
Rescate Legal Services, Los Angeles, California
Episcopal Hispanic Ministry,
Washington, North Carolina
Esperanza Community Housing Corps, Los Angeles,
California
Everett Memorial United Methodist Church, Memphis,
Tennessee
The 15th Street Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, New
York, New York
Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Miami, Florida
Foreign
Born Information and Referral Network, (FIRN), Columbia, Maryland
Greater New
York Labor-Religion Coalition, New York, New York
HACOS of Atlanta (Haitian
Community Service Center Of Atlanta), Decatur, Georgia
Haitian-American
Grassroots Coalition, Miami, Florida
Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington,
Seattle, Washington
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights,
Chicago, Illinois
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Chicago (HIAS Chicago),
Chicago, Illinois
Hispanic Apostolate/Immigration Legal Services, Joseph
Center,
Baltimore, Maryland
Hispanic Catholics of Northern Louisiana,
Shreveport, Louisiana
Hispanic Office of Legal Assistance of Hilton Head,
South Carolina
Holy Cross Catholic Church/Hispanic Ministry, Kernersville,
North Carolina
Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International
Union, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Idaho Community Action Network, Boise and
Burley, Idaho
Idaho Office for Refugees, Boise, Idaho
Illinois Coalition
for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Chicago Illinois
Immigrant and Refugee
Rights Project, Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban
Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Immigrant Defense Project, New York State Defenders
Association, New York, New York
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (Maine),
Portland, Maine
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILCR), San Francisco,
California
Immigrant Rights Network of Iowa-Nebraska, Omaha,
Nebraska
Immigrants' Assistance Center, Inc., New Bedford, Massachusetts
Institute for Cultural Partnerships, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
InterChurch
Refugee and Immigration Ministries (IRIM/Illinois). Chicago,
Illinois
Intercommunity Center for Justice and Peace, New York, New York
Interfaith Refugee Ministry, New Bern, North Carolina
The International
Center of the Capital Region, Inc., Albany, New York
International Institute
of Akron, Ohio
International Institute of Boston, Boston,
Massachusetts
International Institute of New Jersey, Jersey City, New
Jersey
The International Institute of San Francisco, San Francisco,
California
International Institute of St. Louis, St. Louis,
Missouri
Iraqi House in Nashville, Tennessee
Irish Immigration Center,
Boston, Massachusetts
The Irish Immigration & Pastoral Center of
Philadelphia, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Irish Immigration Pastoral Center,
San Francisco, CA
Jewish Community Action, St. Paul, Minnesota
Jews for
Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), New York, New York
Justice For
Detainees, Brooklyn, New York
La Fuerza Unida, Inc. Glen Cove, New
York
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Massachusetts Chapter,
Brighton, Massachusetts
Lutheran Social Service, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Make the Road by Walking, Brooklyn, New York
Massachusetts
Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), Cambridge,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition(MIRA
Coalition), Boston, Massachusetts
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., Maui,
Hawaii
Maxwell Street Legal Clinic, Lexington, Kentucky
Meto Office of
Urban Ministries (UMC), Memphis, Tennessee
Mexican American Bar Association
of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California
Michigan Migrant Legal
Assistance Project, Inc. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Migrant & Refugee
Outreach Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta,
Atlanta, Georgia
The Missouri Association for Social Welfare, Jefferson City,
Missouri
Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, Inc., Utica, New
York
Montana People's Action, Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula,
Montana
Nationalities Service Center of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest,
Lincoln, Nebraska
New Jersey Immigration Policy Network, Newark, New
Jersey
The New York Immigration Coalition, New York, New York
The
Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
Notre Dame Immigration
Clinic, South Bend, Indiana
Oregon Action, Portland and Medford,
Oregon
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Brooklyn, New York
Pacific
Gateway Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Peace and Justice Committee of Benedictine
Sisters of Cullman, Alabama
Political Asylum/Immigration Representation
Project, Boston, Massachusetts
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada,
Reno, Nevada
Refugee & Immigration Services, Roanoke,
Virginia
Sacramento Refugee Ministry, Sacramento California
Saint
Anselm's Cross Cultural Community Center, Los Angeles, California
St. Julie
Asian Center, Lowell, Massachusetts
Services, Immigrant Rights &
Education Network, San Jose, California
Social Action Committee of the Park
Slope United Methodist Church
Society of Jesus, New York Province, New York,
New York
South Asian Network (SAN), Los Angeles, California
Southeast
Asian Community Center, San Jose, California
Springfield Catholic Charities,
Office of Social Concern, Springfield, Massachusetts
Sunflower Community
Action, Wichita, Kansas
Tahirih Justice Center, Falls Church, Virginia
TB/Refugee Health Program, Carson City, NV
Texas Council on Family
Violence, Austin, Texas
This African Community Resource Center, Inc. Los
Angeles, California
United Methodist Resources for Ministry, Inc., Memphis,
Tennessee
Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, Colchester,
Vermont
Vietnamese Center for Culture & Education, St. Louis,
Missouri
Washington Citizen Action, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington
Young
Korean-American Service & Education Center, Inc. (YKASEC), Flushing, New
York
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