Advocacy Update
July 2006

LIRS Continues Vigorous Advocacy on Material Support and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
By Milton Roney, LIRS Director for Legislative Affairs

LIRS and our partner networks continue to advocate vigorously on “material support” and comprehensive immigration reform. We are grateful to those of you who have joined with us in these important efforts, and invite others to make their voices heard on these issues.

Overly broad security provisions in the Patriot Act and the Real ID Act make vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers unintended victims of the war on terrorism. The material support provisions affect anyone who has given any amount of money or goods to any armed group—including groups resisting oppressive regimes and factions who extort “donations” with threats of violence. The unintended consequence of these provisions has been a de facto amending of the 1951 Refugee Convention—the international standard on the status and welfare of refugees. In practical terms, our government is denying safety and freedom to refugees and asylum seekers who, before the current provisions, would clearly have qualified for protection. Advocates continue to educate members of Congress about the need for a legislative solution to this issue. We made a strong attempt to get language about material support into recently passed legislation, but unfortunately did not succeed. We are advocating for Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) to hold the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on material support. On the House side, Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA) is working on language to introduce in a stand-alone bill that provides a legislative fix. To further educate policymakers, we are arranging congressional visits for a refugee whose life has been disrupted by this difficult issue. Your tireless efforts in support of legislative change continue to be critical.

The Senate passed S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, on May 25 by a vote of 62-36. On the plus side, the bill contains many of the provisions that LIRS has advocated for, including a temporary worker program and a path to legalization for most of the 11 million undocumented currently in the country. Unfortunately, it also contains some harsh enforcement provisions that reduce judicial review and access to due process and it funds increases in border fencing, detention bed space and number of border patrol agents. The next step is for S. 2611 to be considered in conference along with House bill H.R. 4437. It is currently unclear when this will happen, although House leadership has indicated that they would like to conference before the November election. Any compromise with the harsh provisions of H.R. 4437 will not be favorable to the provisions that LIRS supports. Anti-immigrant groups are organizing massive call-in campaigns. LIRS will continue to advocate for policies that unite families, protect human rights and worker rights, end the marginalization of the undocumented, and provide a path to permanency for immigrants who contribute to America’s economy and culture.
 
We thank you for your persistent prayers and advocacy regarding these two major issues. We especially thank the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for its strong statement regarding comprehensive immigration reform.

Read past Advocacy/Washington Updates.