Representative Jose Serrano (D-NY) is expected to offer two amendments at today's 5:00 P.M. House Appropriations markup. The first, as you know would permanently extend the Section 245(i) provision. The second amendment would effectively ban state and local law enforcement from helping the INS in any cases other than criminal law enforcement. In April, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he wanted to enlist the aid of state and local police around the country to help with interior enforcement of immigration laws. However, Serrano is vehemently opposed to this idea and has said that he will do everything in his power to stop local police from apprehending illegal aliens.
Serrano recently said, "If immigrants, whatever their status, fear that any contact with the police can lead to probing questions and demands for proof of status, crimes will not be investigated and criminals will not be caught." Serrano is pushing this when federal authorities cannot locate over 300,000 illegal aliens with pending deportation orders and when between 9-11 million illegal aliens are residing in the U.S.
The committee will reconvene at 5 p.m. to continue debate on the Supplemental Appropriations bill. If you have not already done so, please call the House Appropriations Committee members and tell them you are opposed to both of Serrano's amendments. Please visit our Press Release for further information on state and local law enforcement. And visit our previous Action Alert for further information.
If Bush sneaks this through, he's through; recent polls be damned.
"[Proposition]187 is the last gasp of white America in California. And people say to me on the Senate floor when I was in the Senate, why do you fight so hard for affirmative action programs? And I tell my white colleagues, you're going to need them." -- Art Torres, Chair, California Democratic Party
This may be Bush's last gasp, too.
It could get interesting around here in a little while!!