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China News Digest - US Regional Services (Bo Xiong) --------------- Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 16:42:22 -0500 (EST) From: ACCA National HQ To: acca-2@accaic.org Subject: National Committee on Immigration News Release #9528 **************************************************************************** Association for Chinese Community Affairs(ACCA) Public Broadcasting System Made possible by generous support from http://www.superprism.net/ **************************************************************************** >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> National * Committee * on * Immigration <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< News Release #9528 Saturday, November 18, 1995 ============================================================================ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= The National Committee on Immigration is a coalition of Chinese Students, Scholars & Professionals who work against the anti-immigration bills +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ============================================================================ 1. News from NIF, S. 1394 markup delayed..................................63 2. Sample letter to Senator Immigration Subcommittee on S. 1394...........56 3. Sample letter to House Republican Leadership on HR 2202................42 4. Sample letter to your Senator on S. 1394...............................52 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ 1. News from NIF, S. 1394 markup delayed..................................63 _From: Maurice Belanger, National Immigration Forum Following is the text of our immigration advocacy alert of November 16, which some of you received by fax. It is an update of Senator Simpson's legal immigration bill, S 1394. MARK-UP OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL S. 1394 DELAYED--A bit of good news was delivered to advocates who were bracing themselves for the start of mark-up on Sen. Alan Simpson's (R-WY) legal immigration bill, S. 1394. The Senate Immigration Subcommittee, which was scheduled to begin its mark-up of the bill on Wednesday, November 15th, has pushed the date back to Wednesday, November 29th. It is expected that at the end of the mark-up Sen. Simpson will make a motion to join S. 1394 to his enforcement bill, S. 269, which was already passed by the Subcommittee earlier this year. From there, Sen. Simpson will move the combined bill to the full Senate Judiciary Committee for a mark-up that in many ways could resemble the recent House Judiciary Committee mark-up of H.R. 2202. Like its House counterpart, the Senate Judiciary Committee will have to consider a weighty bill, that makes sweeping changes to virtually all facets of immigration policy. A combined S. 1394 and S. 269 bill will include not only substantial reductions in legal immigration numbers and the elimination of close family categories, but also a proposed verification system and harsh procedures for asylum seekers, to name just some of its provisions. Without doubt, if S.1394 advances to the Senate Judiciary Committee joined with an enforcement bill, it will strengthen the efforts of the proponents of the House bill, H.R. 2202. As we saw in the House, legislation that mixes the issues of legal and illegal immigration makes it harder to stop significant changes in legal immigration numbers and family categories, as well as soften the provisions related to controlling illegal immigration. The best prospect for changing the course of current legislative action rests in stopping S. 1394. If the Senate subcommittee blocks Sen. Simpson's legal immigration bill from advancing, S. 269 will get the Judiciary Committee's full attention, and efforts to ameliorate its harsh provisions will be enhanced. ADVOCATES SHOULD CONTINUE TO WORK AGAINST S. 1394 BY CALLING AND WRITING MEMBERS OF THE SENATE IMMIGRATION SUBCOMMITTEE--This two week delay in the mark-up of S. 1394 has come at an opportune moment. Advocates should take advantage of this time, and redouble their efforts to get as many people as possible involved in battling the legislation by encouraging them to call members of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. The Subcommittee is small. There are only four Republicans (Sens. Simpson, Grassley, Specter and Kyl), and three Democrats (Sens. Kennedy, Simon, and Feinstein). Primary emphasis in advocates' efforts to defeat the bill should focus on Sens. Specter (R-PA), Kyl (R-AZ), and Feinstein (D-CA). We need at least two of these members to stop the bill in Subcommittee. Start calling and writing now, and continue throughout the entire period that S. 1394 is being marked up by the Immigration Subcommittee. Just as a reminder, the mark-up is now expected to begin on Wednesday, November 29th, and will probably last through Thursday, November 30th. The Forum will keep you posted on developments throughout the mark-up process. Your message should be to vote "NO" on S. 1394! The bill is anti-family, anti-immigrant, and harms American interests. Congress should not mix the issue of legal immigration with the issue of illegal immigration by joining S. 1394 with S. 269. ============================================================================ 2. Sample letter to Senator Immigration Subcommittee on S. 1394...........56 >From OCA [Date] The Honorable [full name of senator on immigration subcommittee] Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator [last name of senator]: I am writing in protest to Senator Simpson's S.1394, which calls for the drastic reduction of legal immigration. S.1394 would eliminate the preference categories for married and unmarried adult children and siblings of U.S. citizen. Also, the bill would, for the first time, place a quota on parent of U.S. citizens and make it more difficult for parents to immigrate to the U.S. These eliminations and reductions would have a devastating impact on the APA community, as nearly 55% of Asians utilize the family preference categories to immigrate to the United States. In addition, no provisions are provided to take care of the backlogs in the categories targeted for elimination. Of the 1.6 million siblings on the fourth preference backlogs, over 1 million persons are from Asian countries. Furthermore, I understand that Senator Simpson plans to join S. 1394 to his previously introduced illegal immigration bill, S.269 at the full Judiciary Committee level. I urge you to persuade Senator Simpson not to do so, as legal and illegal immigration are two very distinct issues and should not be mixed. Because of past discriminatory U.S. immigration policy, Asians only have been able to come to the U.S. in significant numbers since 1965. Since then, the APA community has made significant economic, social and cultural contributions to the United States. Passage of S.1394 would send a message to the APA community that our contributions were meaningless. As a U.S. citizen of Asian descent, I urge that you vote against S.1394. Thank you for your consideration. I look foreword to your response. Sincerely, [Name] [Address] [Telephone] Immigration Subcommittee members: Alan Simpson (Chair, R-WY), 202-224-3424 (O), 105 DSOB Charles Grassley (R-IA), 202-224-3744 (O), 202-224-6020 (F), 135 HSOB Jon Kyl (R-AZ), 202-224-4521 (O), 202-224-2207 (F), 702 HSOB Arlen Specter (R-PA), 202-224-4254 (O), 202-224-1229, 530 HSOB Edward Kennedy (D-MA), 202-224-4543 (O), 202-224-2417 (F), 315 RSOB Paul Simon (D-IL), 202-224-2152 (O), 202-224-0868 (F), 462 DSOB Dianne Feinstein(D-CA), 202-224-3841 (O), 202-228-3954 (F), 331 HSOB ============================================================================ 3. Sample letter to House Republican Leadership on HR 2202................42 >From OCA [Date] The Honorable [Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay] U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear [Speaker of the House Gingrich, Majority Leader Armey, Majority Whip DeLay]: In October, HR 2202 was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee. Also known as the Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995, HR 2202 is a massive immigration bill that seeks to address two very big and distinct issues: legal immigration and illegal immigration. I urge you to address legal and illegal immigration separately. These are both complex issues which raise some very different and difficult questions that must be reviewed carefully. Mixing the two issues only will lead to confusion. Legal immigrants have played a great role in the building of this nation. Although it only has been since 1965 that Asians have been able to come to this country in significant numbers, Asian Pacific Americans have made significant contributions to the U.S. economy, culture and society. HR 2202's call for the drastic reduction of legal immigration is not necessary and deserves more time for clear and substantive discussion. As a U.S. citizen of Asian descent, I urge you to split HR 2202 when it goes before the House floor, so that only the illegal immigration aspects of the bill are discussed and voted on. Thank you for your consideration. I look foreword to your response. Sincerely, [Name] [Address] [Telephone] ============================================================================ 4. Sample letter to your Senator on S. 1394...............................52 [Date] The Honorable [first and last name of your senator] United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator [last name of senator]: I am writing to protest S.1394, Senator Alan Simpson's "Immigration Reform Act of 1995." S.1394 calls for the drastic reduction of legal immigration, mainly by eliminating the married and unmarried adult sons and daughters, and siblings of U.S. citizens categories. In addition, the bill will, for the first time, set a quota on parents of U.S. citizens, as well as make it more difficult for parents to immigrate to the U.S. Furthermore, no provisions are provided to take care of the millions of people waiting in the backlogs. If passed, S.1394 will have a devastating impact on the Asian Pacific American community. Since 1965, when Asians were finally able to come to the United States in significant numbers, nearly 55% of Asians have utilized the family preference categories. Of the 1.6 million siblings of U.S. citizens waiting in the fourth preference backlog, over one million persons are from Asian countries. S.1394 is an insult to the Asian Pacific American community. The bill tells us that during the past thirty years, our many contributions to the U.S. economy, society and culture mean nothing. This sentiment is starkly similar to that of the Chinese Exclusion era. [Insert personal story here that explains how your family has contributed to the U.S. economy, society, etc. or a story of how you are waiting for a relative to come here] I also am very concerned that Senator Simpson plans to join S.1394 with his illegal immigration bill, S.269 at the full Judiciary Committee level. Legal and illegal immigration are two very distinct issues and should not be mixed. As a U.S. citizen of Asian decent, I urge that you strongly voice your opposition to S.1394. Furthermore, I urge that you persuade Senator Simpson not to join S.1394 with S.269. Thank you for your consideration. I look foreword to your response. Sincerely, [Name] [Address] [Telephone] **************************************************************************** Editor of this issue: Yi Yan **************************************************************************** ============================================================================ To (un)subscribe our acca-l mails, please write to acca-2-request@accaic.org with "sub" or "unsub" in the "Subject:" field, from your individual or local network redistribution account. You may also send your local redistribution address to hr1915@math.luc.edu. Committee on Immigration needs everyone of your support to protect our community and rights. ACCA's HR1915 infor-center is at http://www.superprism.net/~acca or ftp://wabbit.superprism.net/pub/acca or gopher://wabbit.superprism.net:70/11/acca National Chair of ACCA, Mr. Lin Huang ============================================================================ In Germany, they came first for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist; then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew; then they came for the Trade-Unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Trade-Unionist; then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I am a Protestant; then they came for me, and by that time no-one was left to speak up. --- Martin Niemoller --- ============================================================================