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Summary of Sensenbrenner Bill - H.R. 4437

On December 6, 2005 House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the “Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005” (H.R. 4437). It was passed by the House Judiciary Committee along party lines on December 8, and it passed the entire House of Representatives by a vote of 239-182 on December 16. The bill includes many horrendous provisions that criminalize immigrants, deny due process rights, and harm U.S. businesses, communities, and families.

Among its many provisions, H.R. 4437 would:

• Make it more difficult for legal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.
• Disrupt American communities and put all Americans at risk by broadening the definition of smuggling to include anyone who aids or transports an undocumented immigrant.
• Make everyone who comes to the U.S. to work subject not only to deportation but also imprisonment.
• Disrupt the U.S. economy by creating an overly broad and retroactive employment verification system without creating legal channels for needed workers to work lawfully.

The House of Representatives also passed amendments to the bill that would authorize construction of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, eliminate the diversity visa lottery system, and authorize all state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws.

H.R. 4437 does nothing to resolve our nation’s immigration problems. We hope that the Senate will consider more rational and realistic immigration solutions in 2006.

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