Met with some congressional staffers yesterday and took the opportunity to ask about the SAVE Act, which the GOP is itching to get pushed through the House for a vote to create a wedge issue for the election campaign. Pro-migrant bloggers have been concerned that the enforcement-only campaign would be pushed forward with this egregious piece of legislation - continuing to separate parents from their children, incarcerate entire families without due process, etc.

According to my primary source, who asked to remain anonymous, the Dem. leadership is pushing back hard among members of the caucus to prevent additional signers to the discharge petition - going so far as to characterize defiance on this issue as defiance against the will of the Speaker's office. This is good news, though I encourage people to continue to contact their congresswomen and men to ask them to avoid the trap that is being laid by the GOP.

Enforcement-only initiatives are the modern day versions of Operation Wetback. They create situations that encourage human rights abuses, racial profiling, and political divisiveness. It's encouraging to hear that the House leadership sees the Orwellian-named Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE) Act for what it is, but pressure should continue to be put on them to keep it off the floor for a vote.

Here is a link to the ACLU's letter-writing tool to contact your member of Congress.

[Editor's Note] Reworked the post a bit

Labels: immigration, SAVE Act