January 21, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: Immigration: Santa Cruz Sentinel: Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Colombia: Special Report: Sam Farr: Sam Farr: Archived Stories: January 21, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Colombia: Politics: Congress: Immigration: Santa Cruz Sentinel: Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill

By Admin1 (admin) (adsl-70-240-139-65.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.240.139.65) on Thursday, February 02, 2006 - 9:15 am: Edit Post

Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill

Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill

"It's one of the worst bills that has ever passed the House," said Farr. "It would require states to build jails where millions of undocumented workers would be imprisoned while being processed for deportation. Congressman Sam Farr of California served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia in the 1960's.

Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill

Rep. Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill
By TOM RAGAN
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

WATSONVILLE — Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, spoke out against a strict federal immigration bill Friday, comparing the measure to the sort of discrimination that thousands of interned Japanese-Americans endured during World War II, rolling his eyes and sarcastically saying of the bill's supporters: "What a great way to win friends and gain influence."

The congressman's comments came during a get-together in Watsonville in which several City Council members submitted their wish list to Farr and a pair of his state counterparts: Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, and Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas.

The Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, known as HR 4437, passed the Republican-dominated House in mid-December by a 239 to 182 margin.

The piece of legislation has been highly controversial, especially among farmers who rely on illegal immigrant labor to harvest their crops across the country.

Labor shortages, they say, are the direct result of stepped up enforcement along the border, which can often translate into higher prices at grocery store produce departments.

That's why many farmers also oppose the extension of a border fence in Arizona and Texas, one of the bill's proposals tacked on at the last minute by conservative Republicans.

Farr said he thought it was "ridiculous" that the bill would "make it a felony" for those who hire illegal immigrants, or for those who harbor them, noting if a church takes care of illegal immigrants, its members are subject to being convicted of a felony.

"It's one of the worst bills that has ever passed the House," said Farr. "It would require states to build jails where millions of undocumented workers would be imprisoned while being processed for deportation.

"It's worse than what we did to the Japanese-Americans during World War II."

The good news, however, is that the bill has to pass the Senate, and most likely won't in its original form, according to Jessica Schafer, a spokeswoman for Farr.

"It's going to be a while before the Senate comes up with its own bill," she said. "But there's virtually no way it's going to pass the Senate as is."

The more conservative and hardline Republicans say the bill is just the thing to put a stop to illegal immigration, which is costing federal and state governments millions of dollars each year in social service and health service demands.





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Story Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Colombia; Politics; Congress; Immigration

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