Willow's Pagan Place
Protect Refugees!!!!
Pass the Refugee Protection Act
On November 17, 1999, Senators Leahy and Brownback introduced the "Refugee Protection Act" (S.1940). Senators Feingold, Kennedy, Kerry, Jeffords and Lautenberg joined them as co-sponsors.
The bill is designed to roll back provisions of a 1996 immigration law that mandates immediate (expedited) removal of aliens arriving at US ports of entry without valid papers or with fraudulent papers unless the arriving then demonstrates a fear of return to their home country. A low level immigration inspector makes the decision with no right of appeal to a judicial officer.
Because persons fleeing persecution are least likely to have proper papers from the very government that is oppressing them, they are vulnerable to expedited removal. Most vulnerable are victims of torture, including women who have been raped or otherwise sexually assaulted. Experience with such victims shows us that they are often afraid or even unable to talk about what has happened to them, especially to men in government umforms. These people are most at risk of being wrongly turned away at our borders. The Refugee Protection Act (S. 1940) ends the use of expedited removal except when there is an imnugration emergency as declared by the Attorney General. Even in those circumstances the bill adds protections to minimize the chances that a true refugee will be turned away. The bill also makes clear that a person seeking asylum need not always be detained, but in certain circumstances can be freed from detention to pursue their asylum claims. It also establishes a "good cause" exception to the law that requires that an immigrant file a claim for asylum within one year of coming to the US. Senators Leahy and Brownback have sent a letter to all their Senate colleagues asking them to join them as co-sponsors of the bill.
Act NowI Please contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor and support S. 1940--the Refugee Protection Act.
Call: The Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 Fax: Call your Senator's office and ask for the fax number.
Write to: Senator United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Talking Points: *Please cosponsor and support The Refugee Protection Act (S. 1940). The US is turning away refugees who are fleeing torture and state persecution because they fled without proper documents, or because the government that they are fleeing stripped them of their documents.
*Low~level inspection officers currently make life-or-death decisions as to whether a refugee will be granted asylum or not.
*The Refugee Protection Act wili ensure that better trained professional immigration judges will evaluate refugees' plea for asylum, and it will establish additional safeguards to protect those fleeing persecution.