Congress: Stop Locking Up Immigrants and Throwing Away the Key

June 1, 2011

Update 6/3: The Judiciary Committee did not get to HR2932 bill today, but it’s still scheduled to come up as early as 10 days from now.  Keep calling!

Texas Detention Facility
Texas Detention Facility, ©Amnesty International

As early as tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee may vote on H.R. 1932, a bill that will extend mandatory and indefinite detention of immigrants and strip them of their rights to due process.

Under the guise of a bill to protect U.S. citizens, the “Keep Our Communities Safe Act” is an attempt by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) to make new populations of immigrants — including asylum seekers and long-time lawful permanent residents — subject to mandatory detention during removal proceedings. It also imposes punitive and indefinite detention if a person with a removal order is unable to secure a travel document — despite the fact that this is a political and diplomatic issue in which she or he has no control.

Congress needs to hear from you that you respect human rights, due process and the constitution, and you don’t want H.R. 1932 to become law. Pick up the phone now and urge members of the House Judiciary Committee to vote no on H.R. 1932.

Let’s stop draconian legislation that subjects immigrants to a constant barrage of human rights violations. H.R. 1932 does not target dangerous criminals alone, obliterates safeguards against arbitrary detention, will create an even larger landscape for human rights abuses, and is not fiscally responsible. Urge the Judiciary Committee to vote no!

If a member of the House Judiciary Committee lives in your state, we urge you to contact him or her and ask for a “no” vote on H.R. 1932.

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AZ) (202) 225-2506
Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) (202) 225-4576
Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ) (202) 225-3361
Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) (202) 225-4695
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) (202) 225-5464
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) (202) 225-3072
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) (202) 225-6676
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) (202) 225-2201
Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) (202) 225-5811
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) (202) 225-3906
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) (202) 225-5716
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) (202) 225-3001
Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL) (202) 225-2706
Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) (202) 225-1252
Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson (D-GA) (202) 225-1605
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) (202) 225-4426
Rep. Michael Quigley (D-IL) (202) 225-4061
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) (202) 225-3021
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) (202) 225-5126
Rep. Melvin L. Watt (D-NC) (202) 225-1510
Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) (202) 225-3065
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) (202) 225-5635
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) (202) 225-2216
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) (202) 225-2676
Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) (202) 225-3731
Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) (202) 225-2615
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) (202) 225-6030
Rep. Stephen I. Cohen (D-TN) (202) 225-3265
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) (202) 225-3816
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) (202) 225-3035
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) (202) 225-6565
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) (202) 225-4236
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) (202) 225-7751
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) (202) 225-8351
Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) (202) 225-6365
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) (202) 225-5431
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) (202) 225-5101