Anti-Refugee Provisions Struck from Intelligence Bill - More Battles Expected in 2005

December 21, 2004

Anti-Refugee Provisions Struck from Final Intelligence Bill -
New Battle Expected in 2005

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http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/refugees_911bill_thankyou/ind5ud84277jemx
Thank Members of Congress for Saving Asylum

Earlier this month, the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved
the "Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004,"
which enacts most of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
As a result of a House-Senate compromise, a number of misguided
provisions included in the House-passed version were dropped
from the final bill. Those provisions - which would have harmed
refugees and resulted in sending people back to face torture -
had not been recommended by the 9/11 Commission. The
congressional leadership of both parties and the White House
opposed efforts to include the anti-refugee provisions in the
final legislation.

We want to thank all of you who wrote in to urge that these
harmful provisions be dropped. We also want to ask you to thank
the bi-partisan group of Members of Congress who played a key
role in opposing these provisions. This group includes Senators
Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Richard Durbin
(D-IL), and Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Representatives Jane
Harman (D-CA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Chris Smith (R-NJ).

Despite this victory for America's commitment to protecting the
persecuted, Human Rights First remains very concerned that House
Members, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner
(R-WI), will continue their efforts next year to advance
provisions that target refugees and torture survivors. In fact,
Chairman Sensenbrenner announced his intention to attach such a
package onto the first "must pass" legislation introduced in
January.

We will need all of you to help us fight against these new
attempts to pass legislation that will harm refugees.

Additional Information and Background

The provisions that had been included in the original House bill
would have put the lives and safety of victims of torture and
other persecution at risk. The bill would have allowed
non-citizens - including those who are likely to face torture -
to be deported without an immigration court hearing; would have
made it much more difficult for genuine refugees to prove their
asylum cases; and would have deprived victims of torture and
other persecution of meaningful judicial review. With your help,
these provisions were struck from the final legislation.

The final bill does include a requirement that the General
Accounting Office (GAO), Congress' investigative arm, conduct a
study and report, "to evaluate the extent to which weaknesses in
the United States asylum system and withholding of removal
system have been or could be exploited by aliens connected to,
charged in connection with, or tied to terrorist activity." In
addition, the bill includes other immigration-related provisions
and a provision authorizing a dramatic increase in the number of
beds available for immigration detention.

To learn more about the bill and opposition to it visit our
website.
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/ct/h7wVaMs1EPqp/

Take Action!!
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/refugees_911bill_thankyou/ind5ud84277jemx
Please thank Members of Congress for Saving Asylum

Please encourage your colleagues to join us in this effort, by
signing up for this newsletter.

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