ACTION ALERT

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE AND ASK FOR THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE SAVE ACT OF 2007

Background.   Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC) has introduced the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act.   The legislation (H.R. 4088) has 112 cosponsors, approximately half Democrat and half Republican.  In the Senate, Senator Mark Pryor (R-AR) and Senator Mary Landrieu introduced identical legislation prior to the Thanksgiving recess (S. 2368)   To date, there are no cosponsors.

The SAVE Act is an enforcement-only bill that would expand the Basic Pilot program for employers to verify the status of their immigrant workers and increase resources for both border and interior enforcement, including an expansion of detention space.  The legislation would also authorize funds to train state and local authorities to enforce immigration law.  It does not include a legalization program, a worker program, or reforms to family immigration.

It is possible that, without objections from constituents, the SAVE Act could move legislatively in the upcoming year.

Call to Action.   It is important that Senators and Representatives hear from their constituents that an enforcement-only approach to immigration reform is flawed and should not be pursued.  Senators and Representatives who have co-sponsored the legislation especially should hear opposition from their states or districts.

Click here to find out if your Representative has signed the discharge petition for the Shuler-Tancredo (SAVE Act) bill that would allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote.

• If your Representatives have signed the petition, please contact them and express your disappointment.
• If your Representatives have not signed the petition, please urge them not to.

What does this have to do with my faith? Our faith teaches us to uphold the dignity of every person and to act in solidarity with our brothers and sisters worldwide, especially the poor. The U.S. Catholic Bishops have clearly stated that immigration policy should be designed to enhance and affirm the basic protection of human dignity and human rights.

What is the problem with the Shuler-Tancredo bill? The Shuler-Tancredo bill, H.R. 4088, only addresses issues concerning immigration enforcement and will fail because it does not fix the wider problems with our broken legal immigration system. The U.S. Catholic Bishops believe that, if enacted, this bill will drive undocumented immigrants and their families further underground, creating a hidden society of persons without full rights in their communities. It also would strengthen the operation of unscrupulous smuggling networks that exploit desperate migrants looking for work in the United States.

What is the Church's position on immigration reform? The Catholic Bishops of the United States have repeatedly urged Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform that not only addresses border security and strengthens immigration enforcement but also requires undocumented immigrants to legalize their status and deals with future immigration flows. For more information visit the Justice for Immigrants website

For more information contact:  Chris West, Director of Field Operations, JFI

1-800-235-2772 ext. 7454; cwest@crs.org