UFW Call to Arms

The United Farmworkers of America (the group started by Cesar Chavez) has issued a call to action regarding a new anti-immigrant bill that was passed by the House of Representatives under strict party lines. The Republicans are gearing up for a nasty battle and hope to score some political points using hatred and racism

On Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005, the House Judiciary Committee passed along strict party lines the measure by Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). This GOP-sponsored bill, H.R. 4437, would among other things make the crime of being here illegally an "aggravated felony," meaning the entire undocumented population, including 1.6 million children, would be permanently barred from the U.S.

Extreme provisions buried in the bill would target legal immigrants, citizens and those applying for citizenship--taking away basic rights like a day in court and a meaningful defense.

H.R. 4437 subverts America's most deeply held values, including a day in court, checks and balances, and freedom from unjust and arbitrary detention. Instead of fixing our broken immigration system, this bill will make matters worse by turning millions of decent, hard-working people into criminals, driving them further underground and pushing more workers into the black market of smugglers and criminals.

What we need is a system allowing people already here to earn the right to stay by continuing to perform work crucial to the U.S. economy, reforms such as the bipartisan, broadly supported AgJobs bill, cosponsored by both Democrats and Republicans.

Link to full information as well as sample letters to send to your Representative.

The full House will be voting on this soon. Please take action!