Over 100,000 Protest Immigration Bill

Hundreds of thousands of people converged on the streets of Los Angeles today in protest of The House of Representatives bill that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border. (watch video)
H.R. 4437, known as the Sensenbrenner Bill after its author, the bigoted Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

The abhorrent disregard of men and women who are pillars of everyday American society is well-documented in many places. In fact, the country of Mexico will not even stand for it. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) calls it “anti-faith based.”

The Senate is to begin debating the proposals on Tuesday and as the bill has already passed in the House, it is high time to see to it that this does not pass the Senate. Call your Congressman.
Should H.R. 4437 be signed into law, the items bulleted below will be in effect:
source: via TalkLeft and AlterNet.

• Continues expanding the same border enforcement and militarization strategies that has resulted in over 4,000 migrant death since 1994.
• Expands the expedited deportation program
• 11 million undocumented immigrants would be declared “aggravated felons” for having come to this country to do back-breaking work at low wages in order to feed their families.
• Priests, nuns, health care workers and other helpers would be threatened with jail time for assisting the undocumented.
• Local police would have to enforce federal immigration laws, undermining community policing strategies meant to build confidence between police and immigrant communities.
• Day labor sites would be shut down by federal law, overruling the hard work of activists and enlightened local communities attempting to solve problems caused in part by Congressional inaction on comprehensive immigration reform.
• Seven hundred miles of walls would be built between the United States and our friendly neighbors to the south, an act that has touched off a diplomatic crisis with Latin America.
• Drastically expands the definition of an aggravated felony (deportable offense).
• Requires mandatory detention for all immigrants apprehended at ports of entry or along international borders until removal or a final decision in their case.
• Overturns the Supreme Court’s ruling in Zadvydas which limits long-term detention.