Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 10:21:16 -0500
Sender: Progressive News & Views List <PNEWS-L@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject: Bashing Immigrants

From: Ilana Tal <ilatal@ort.org.il> If I were an American then I would be ashamed!

Forwarded message:
From: Anthony W. Murawski <amurawski@igc.apc.org>


Senators Mount Attack on Legal Immigrants

By Anthony Murawski. 20 November, 1995

The Washington Post reported on November 9 that certain members of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration have proposed, as part of a welfare reform bill, that legal immigrants (both permanent residents and naturalized U.S. citizens) be prohibited from receiving various forms of federal assistance - such as Pell grants and Social Security - that are available to native-born U.S. citizens. According to the Washington Post, "it appears likely that Congress will approve some measures under which millions of legal immigrants, perhaps even citizens, will lose their right to receive a wide array of public benefits, from food stamps and cash to job training, non-emergency health care, and financial aid for college." A chief proponent of these restrictions is Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on immigration.

Such restrictions are an egregious violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of Equal Protection, and are, needless to say, deeply offensive. Especially shocking are the remarks of Richard Day, chief counsel for the Senate immigration subcommittee. In justifying these restrictions, Mr. Day reportedly told the Post, "If [a] South Korean family with three kids had said to U.S. officials [before applying for visas], 'We're going to need to have Pell grants to get the kids through school,' how many Americans would think, 'There isn't enough around so native-born kids can go to college, we shouldn't be admitting people who are going to need that.' " It amazes me that Mr. Day could suggest that we should discriminate against permanent residents and naturalized citizens because, in his opinion, the U.S. public thinks of these citizens as somehow "less American" than native-born citizens. Mr. Day's remarks also suggest that he agrees with the bigoted views he attributes to Americans in general.

(1) Urge your senators to vote against any version of a welfare reform bill that contains these kind of outrageous anti-immigrant provisions. See the list below for email addresses of senators. (If your senators do not have email addresses, you can call the Capital Switchboard. When you are connected to your senator's office, state that you are a constituent and ask to speak with a staff member about your concerns. The number is 202-224-3121).

(2) Contact the ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Joe Biden (DE) and urge that Richard Day, chief counsel for the Senate immigration subcommittee, be fired for his deeply disturbing remarks which advocate the second-class status of legal immigrants unless he issues a public apology. (Senator Biden's email address is: joe_biden@biden.senate.gov)

Note: If you would like an electronic version of the Washington Post article, send me an email message.

Sincerely,
Anthony Murawski
(An irate private citizen in Virginia).

United States Senate Email Addresses [. . .]


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