SAVE: Fight The Latest False Immigration "Solution"
In the absence of real immigration reform, members of Congress are now pushing proposals that would punish undocumented workers, separate their families, and destroy whole communities. The latest to emerge is the so-called SAVE Act, which was introduced on November 6th by Rep. Heath Shuler, a former Pro-football player and freshman Democrat from North Carolina. SAVE would do the following:
- Mandate 8,000 new detention beds (above and beyond the current 20,000), including a new facility for detaining entire families;
- Require 8,000 new Border Patrol agents over the next five years (there are now 11,000);
- Turn at least 250 local and state police officers across the country into immigration cops.
- Require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to issue no-match letters to any employer with even one no-match, and share no-match information with DHS;
- Force all employers to participate in the badly-flawed E-Verify program for checking the status of new hires and current employees;
Missing from this bill are any means for hardworking undocumented immigrants to gain legal status, or any mechanism for major parts of our economy to find the new workers they need.
In addition to Shuler, at least 44 Democratic House members have signed on as co-sponsors of SAVE, including Rep. Melissa Bean from Illinois’ 8th District. Two Illinois Republicans, Rep. Peter Roskam (6th District) and Rep. Don Manzullo (16th District) are also cosponsors.
Please call your US Representative and tell him or her that you oppose the SAVE Act. Tell your representative that punitive bills like SAVE are not real reform, and that our nation needs comprehensive reform that will reward the hard work of undocumented immigrants by enabling them to earn legal status.
If you live in Illinois, send a fax saying NO to the SAVE Act.