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China News Digest - US Regional Services (Bo Xiong) --------------- Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 17:11:05 GMT Reply-To: ifcss Sender: Newsletter on Chinese Community From: ifcss Subject: HQ709 Comments: To: pbs-l@ifcss.org, council-l@ifcss.org Comments: cc: china-nt@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list CCNL Status: R &=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&= HEADQUARTERS NEWSRELEASE * HEADQUARTERS NEWSRELEASE * HEADQUARTERS NEWSREL &^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^ * * * N E W S R E L E A S E 7009 * * * _________ August 1, 1995 __________ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[[[[[[ ______ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ _________ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[[[[[ [[[ [[[[[ [[[[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[[ [[[[[ ______ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ ____ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[ [[[[ [[[ [[[[ [[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[ &^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^ IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20005 Tel: (202) 347-0017 Fax: (202) 347-0018 &=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&= Package on Anti-Immigration Bill HR 1915 ---------------------------------------- 1. Update Information on Congress Anti-Immigration Bill HR 1915 The IFCSS Headquarters is briefed by a national lobby coalition, in which IFCSS holds her membership, about the latest development of the bill in Capitol Hill on July 31. Senator Alan Simpson, WY, of Judiciary Committee is speeding up his legislation process in one Senate Bill which is mainly targeting both non-immigrant and immigrant visas. He claims he is going to introduce his bill to Full Senate Judiciary Committee prior to Congressional recess. There emerges another trend in Senate that the bill S269, targeting the welfare benefits of illegal immigrants, could be combined with Simpson's bill. Meanwhile, so far it's known that there have been sixteen members of the House Judiciary Committee who would co-sponsor the Smith's H.R. 1915, out of total thirty-five members. Good news is that still there hasn't been majority of members sponsoring this bill; but the bad thing is that Smith may still be able to gain the majority after the recess. It all depends. IFCSS President Xing, Zheng attended two conferences of major coalition teams in Washington D.C., on July 31, to discuss the latest developments and the corresponding strategies. There are more than forty national organizations participating in the conferences for joint efforts. We address parts of the strategies reflected in the following attached sample letters, and more will be released in next IFCSS Headquarters News Release. Since the Smith bill is so huge containing restrictions and reductions in incredible volumes, strategies are very important for coordinated actions. Please follow the IFCSS - released agenda to take actions immediately, and more information will be released in coming packages. 2. IFCSS Task Force is soliciting the stories and experience of "new immigrants", Chinese students and scholars and professionals, studying and working in the U.S.A. These materials will be very precious and important for lobbying Congress members, showing them the successful stories of new immigrants in order to rebut the blames and complaints from those critics against the current U.S. immigration policies. Please send your "short stories" to ifcss@center.net, or mail to IFCSS Headquarters. IFCSS will compile all the solicited materials, including photographs, after making copies, and send them to the Capitol Hill. IFCSS also encourages CSS to send these stories to District Offices of Congress members in their own States. The Headquarters especially welcome local CSS organizations and CSSAs, to appeal to their members and organize the "drive" to collect the materials. Be united, we can make us stronger! 3. IFCSS Task Force provides the sample letters for CSS communities as following. Please feel free to distribute to all public nets you know and friends' addresses. All other lobby groups from CSS community please feel free also to make use of these sample letters for promoting the participation of grassroots. The first set of sample letters are designed to address both family-related immigration, business-related immigration issues and general concerns to either Congress members, or news media and local administrative officials. Please read the contents, and add some personal stories, or materials which could be easily derived from the supplement documents in next package. All the letters to Congress members could be sent to both their D.C. office and their District office by fax or mail (please make a phone call for fax number if it's not listed) in last IFCSS HQ News Release. It is the IFCSS HQ's request for all CSS who receive this and related packages, please keep them in your mailbox, for multiple use later on. If there is any question, please send your mail to: ifcss@center.net, or call 202 347 0017. Thank you for cooperation. 4. Sample Letters for Grassroots' Immediate Actions %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Sample Letter I: For General Use The Honorable [Congress Member] U.S. House of Representatives [or Senate] Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Representative Last Name [or Senator Last Name] I am a Chinese student [professional], and right now troubled by the growing tendency of some lawmakers in the U.S. to blame immigrants for problems we did not create. Specifically, I write to you to express my opposition to the legislation moving through Congress to reduce legal immigration and refugee admissions into the United States. H.R. 1915 and legislation soon to be proposed by Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming will make it very difficult for families to be reunited, and the opportunities for legal immigrants to be employed greatly reduced. If you carefully look into the immigration issue, the new immigrants like us trained in U.S. institutions, actually have created more job opportunities, but not squeeze the U.S. citizens out of the job market; As for family reunion immigration, H.R. 1915 mandates that U.S. citizen can bring in their parents only if the majority of their children already in this country. Keeping families forever separated does not seem appropriate in a nation that seems intent on strengthening families. Throughout America's history, legally admitted immigrants have been a source of strength and vitality to this nation. We are honored, and proud to be part of the latest newcomers to the U.S., and have confidence that we too will make this a stronger and more dynamic nation. We ask you to please resist attempts to keep families separated, and reduce the job opportunities for international scholars and professionals, resulting in robbing this great nation of talented, energetic people who want only to pursue the American Dream. Thank you for considering these comments. Sincerely Yours, Name, Address, District. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Sample Letter II: For General Use Date The Honorable (Congress Member) U.S.House of Representatives, Washington D.C. 20515 Re: H.R. 1915 - Reform of Legal Immigration Dear Congress Member: Deeply concerned about the negative impacts, I am writing to urge you take a firm stand against the House bill H.R. 1915. Basically, H.R. 1915 is a product of the anti-immigration sentiment, which I believe does not reflect the mainframe thought of American people. Based on the false assumption that is was the immigrants who caused the slow down of economic growth, the authors of this bill want to cut the number of immigrants dramatically. I strongly oppose such wrong proposal based on the wrong judgments. Looking back into the history, immigrants has always been contributing positively to the economic growth of this country and its social development as well. One could hardly imagine how could it possible for American to achieve its prosperity without immigrants. While the drafters of H.R. 1915 claim that immigrants cost U.S. economy, there is no convincing study supports such assertion. Please vote NO for H.R. 1915. Sincerely Yours, Your Name, Address and District. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Sample Letter III On Employment-based Immigration And H.R. 1915 Date The Honorable (Congress Member) U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. Re: H.R. 1915 - Reform of Legal Immigration Dear Congress Member: We have just learned about Congressman Lamar Smith's immigration reform legislation, H.R. 1915 and the effects it could have our institution 's (company's) ability to recruit and employ certain essential international personnels. Our institution's (company's) academic achievement (economic growth) and success depends in part on our ability to employ certain foreign born individuals who [insert here the importance or the occupation of the professionals, researchers, managers or executives in your institution or company]. While we support responsible efforts to reform U.S. immigration policy, we were disturbed to learn that H.R. 1915 attempts to revise the laws regarding illegal immigration at the same time it reforms legal immigration. We urge you to support the separation of legislation regarding illegal immigration from reform of legal immigration. Any attempt to enhance control of illegal immigration and to reform legal immigration in the same bill will cause unavoidable confusion and misunderstandings and is likely to result in harmful changes to the legal immigration system. I hope you will urge Congressman Lamar Smith and Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde to treat the issues of illegal and legal immigration separately in two separate bills and to make control of illegal immigration the first order of priority. Secondly, we are concerned over specific provisions that we have uncovered through our preliminary review of H.R. 1915: [Include and elaborate on provisions that apply to your concerns from the following release] We hope that you will give these concerns your immediate attention. We fear that as we look more closely at H.R. 1915, we will uncover many other problems that need correction. Please obtain a commitment from Mr. Smith and Mr. Hyde that the legislation will not be approved until there is a chance to be provided for more responsible amendments. Thank you for your immediate attention to these concerns. Sincerely Yours, Your Name, Address, District %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Sample Letter IV: On Family Union - related Immigration And H.R. 1915 Date The Honorable (Congress Member) U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congress Member: I am greatly concerned over the anti-immigrant views that are being expressed in Congress. These views, if passed in proposed legislation House bill H.R. 1915, will place severe limits on the right of American families or families of permanent residents to be together. Our country's current immigration laws permit U.S. citizens or permanent residents to sponsor their loved ones into this country in limited numbers. Drastic cutbacks in the ability of American and permanent residents' members to reunite will weaken these families and deprive our nation of one of its most important resources. [Put your story here. Describe how important it is from your experience that families continue to stay together. Describe the benefits family immigrants bring to the family unit, the community. For example, cite a family business that play a beneficial role in the community, or the participation of the immigrants in community affairs, etc. if there is any] Reductions in family immigration would force families to remain separated, perhaps forever. I therefore ask that you oppose restrictions on our current family immigration policies, as they will only harm our culture and our communities. I understand that Congress may be voting on immigration reduction bills, such as H.R. 1915, very soon. I ask that you communicate my concerns directly to the House [Senate] Judiciary Committee Chairman, Mr. Henry Hyde, so that they are aware of these concerns as they schedule committee votes in the coming weeks. Sincerely, Yours, Your Name, Address, District. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Sample Letter V: To News Media, Institutions' Leaders, Mayors and Governors Date Dear [Name]: I am certain that you are aware that there is a growing backlash against immigrants in this country. This backlash may very soon take the form of legislation that will dramatically restrict legal immigration for years to come. Of the most urgent concern is the Smith Bill, H.R. 1915, which is currently pending in Congress. This bill would slash family immigration to the United States all the way down to 330,000 (the present number is about 480,000)! Under this bill's provisions, adult children and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens could no longer immigrate at all! Immigration by spouses and children of lawful permanent residents would be limited to 85,000 visas per year. Parents would only be allowed to enter if 50% of their children lawfully reside in the U.S. and if those children purchase pre-paid health insurance for the parent. This harsh immigration reduction bill has been "marked up" by the House Immigration Subcommittee on July 20. It was tentatively scheduled for full Judiciary Committee action on August 1 but now is postponed until the mid - September due to the vigorous lobby. The Senate may soon have a company bill, and Congress could enact this legislation soon after they return in September. It is imperative that every person who opposes such drastic reductions in legal immigration let Congress know that these proposals are unacceptable! Members of Congress will be in their home districts in August. We urge you to set up a meeting with the Senators and Representatives during this recess. If you cannot arrange a visit, we urge you to write a letter expressing the concerns. Thank you. [You could add your own story and voice on your own needs as a person with family from abroad; your own voice in support of continued immigration]. Sincerely Yours, Your Name and Address ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Due to unexpected and unpaid huge amount phone bill, the long distance phone line at the IFCSS HQ office was cut off by MCI. You still can call the HQ office but we will be unable to return the call before the service is resumed. We apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. ********************************************************************* * PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. 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