action alert - Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture! & National Call-In Day to STOP Congress from Passing Anti-Immigrant Bil
action alert - Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture! & National Call-In Day to STOP Congress from Passing Anti-Immigrant Bills!
courtesy working for change - act for change! [edited]
Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture!
action alert from
ActForChange.com - the resource center for people with progressive values.
Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture
To take action on this issue, click this link or copy and paste it into your
browser:
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=21387
===================================================================
courtesy Institute for Public Accuracy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institute for Public Accuracy
915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
___________________________________________________
PM Monday, September 18, 2006
End of Habeas Corpus?
While the Warner-Graham-McCain bill has gotten substantial attention
with regards to its Geneva conventions provisions, the Center for
Constitutional Rights has criticized both the bill and the
administration's proposal as gutting habeas corpus.
McCain and Graham were questioned separately about this yesterday, by
Sam Husseini of the Institute for Public Accuracy, as they left the
studios of Sunday morning talk shows in Washington. McCain replied
that he was not familiar with those provisions of the legislation.
When Graham was asked if the bill, as the Center for Constitutional
Rights has charged, "would prevent anyone taken into U.S. custody --
anywhere in the world, past, present or future, innocent or not --
from ever having their case heard in a court of law," the South
Carolina senator replied: "That is a complete false statement."
Graham added: "Every person tried as a war criminal will now be able
to appeal their conviction if there is one through our federal court
system. ... Everywhere we hold someone there are rules in place to
appeal their status as enemy combatants."
For video and transcript of the remarks by McCain and Graham, see:
.
MICHAEL RATNER, via Mahdis Keshavarz, mahdis@riptideonline.com,
http://ccr-ny.org
President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Ratner said
today: "The Warner-Graham-McCain bill denies habeas corpus to all
aliens held outside the United States and currently in U.S. custody.
And 'outside' includes Guantanamo.
"However in the case of those who have been found to be unlawful
enemy combatants by Combatant Status Review Tribunal (combatant
status review panels used at Guantanamo) it gives a meaningless court
of appeals 'review' -- a review that examines whether or not the U.S.
complied with its own procedures -- but not ... a real court hearing
with factual development as habeas corpus requires.
"For those aliens detained outside the U.S. that have not had
CSRT hearings -- the high majority -- in facilities like Bagram in
Afghanistan, the Warner bill simply abolished habeas or any other
court review.
"The consequences are breathtaking. The U.S. can pick up any
alien, even a legal permanent resident in the U.S., and take them to
an off-shore prison and hold them forever without any kind of court
hearing.
"While all the attention on this legislation has focused on
Geneva conventions and military commissions, the Warner alternative,
like the administration bill, authorizes lifelong detention without
habeas or any genuine review whatsoever."
P. SABIN WILLETT, sabin.willett@bingham.com
Willett is a partner at the law firm Bingham McCutchen. One of
his clients, Abu Bakker Qassim, who was imprisoned at Guantanamo from
2002 to May 2006, had an oped in the New York Times on Sunday; see:
.
Willett said today: "Sen. Graham refers to a provision in the
Senate bill that gives the court of appeals a review of 'enemy
combatant' findings made by the military's Combatant Status Review
Tribunals. But the devil is in the details. The Senate bill limits
the court's review to whether the CSRT [has] followed its own
rules. ... The irony of the new bill is that it would give more
rights to Khaled Sheikh Muhammed, who stands accused of murdering
nearly 3,000, than to men who've never been charged, and never will
be charged, with anything.
"Judge Hens Green, the only judge to have looked closely at these
CSRTs, roundly condemned them as arbitrary more than a year ago. The
CSRTs branded as 'enemy combatant' not just enemy soldiers taken on
the battlefield, but all kinds of people who were never soldiers at
all. They based their findings on secret evidence and reached
contradictory and inexplicable results."
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
_________________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
public@lists.accuracy.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
public-unsubscribe@lists.accuracy.org
For all list information and functions, including changing
your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page:
http://lists.accuracy.org/lists/info/public
==========================================
courtesy - a Friend of the Cuban Five! [edited]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free the Five! September 23 march on White House
The march will gather at 11 am, at the Department of Justice, 10th and Pennsylvania N.W. After a morning rally we will march to the White House for a picket there. Then a 2:00 pm forum will take place at George Washington University’s Funger Hall, 2201 G St.,N.W.
...
In NYC: Buses will be leaving early Saturday morning, Sept. 23, from Union Square and Harlem early Saturday the 23rd and return late the same evening. Call 212-694-8720 to get your bus tickets.
============================================
Fight Frist's Combined Spying, Tribunals Bill
courtesy ACLU - [edited]
Call your Senators today and ask them to reject this effort to grab more unchecked power to search Americans’ homes secretly and listen to Americans’ conversations without the individual warrants required by the Constitution. Or, read more first.
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Fill your information into the form below.
2. Click "Go" — the contact information of your Senators will appear below.
3. To assist us in evaluating the effectiveness of our campaign, we would greatly appreciate it if you would log the results of your call with us today. Filling out our brief form takes only a moment and gives us extremely valuable information about your experience. While we would greatly appreciate your participation, this step is not required.
To look up your senator's phone number, please enter your ZIP Code.
----------
Here are some talking points for your telephone calls:
I strongly oppose Senator Frist’s bill, the “Terrorist Tracking, Identification, and Prosecution Act of 2006,” (S. 3886).
This legislation would combine the Cheney-Specter Bill to allow warrantless spying on Americans with legislation that would gut the Geneva Conventions and allow the use of secret evidence to convict detainees.
It would even allow the death penalty based on evidence detainees cannot see and from evidence obtained as the result of waterboarding, threats of death, and other horrific forms of abuse.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which this bill would needlessly weaken, already gives the government all the tools it needs to protect us from terrorists. It even allows the government to start spying on suspected terrorists without a warrant as long as it seeks one after the fact.
I support the Specter-Feinstein bill (S. 3001), because it restores due process by re-affirming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as the only legal way to spy on people inside the United States.
Civil liberties and the war on terrorism are not mutually exclusive. When fighting the war on terror, you have the duty to keep me both safe and free by supporting and introducing alternatives to the Administration’s proposals, such as S. 3001 that protect due process and the rule of law.
==============================================================================
courtesy - Amnesty International [edited]
Dear Most Respected NLG TUPOCC member,
Today, hundreds of activists like me across America are calling our Representatives and Senators. We’re asking them to oppose President Bush’s new, alarming legislation that would sanction unfair trials, indefinite detention and immunity for people who may have engaged in torture or cruel treatment. Please join us .
==========================================================================
courtesy National Immigrant Solidarity Network via lawofcolor@lists.riseup.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Alert! National Call-In Day to STOP Congress from Passing Anti-Immigrant
Bills!
September 20 National Call-In Day!
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
On Wednesday September 20, the U.S. House will be discuss and voting several
racist anti-immigrant legislation (see above). After last week the passage of
last week's (9/14) Secure Fence Act of 2006 H.R. 6061. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll446.xml
the anti-immigrant forces in Washington D.C. want to push their enforcement-only
immigrant agendas before November election. And we need to mobilize to stop it!
On Wednesday September 20, we urge you to CALL, FAX AND MAIL your elected
officials, SAY NO TO THE RACIST ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS:
H.R. 4844 - Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 ("Voter ID bill")
H.R. 6089 - Illegal Immigrant Deterrence Act
H.R. 6090 - Immigration Enforcement Act
H.R. 6091 - Border Security Enhancement Act
Talking Point (by: New American Opportunity Campaign)
"Congress should stop the piecemeal, enforcement-only approach to immigration
reform. I support a comprehensive bill that reunites families, legalizes the
undocumented population, and provides future immigrants with a safe and legal
way to live and work in the U.S."
or we'll not vote for you at the November election!
To find your House members, please visit the following site:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Here's the suggest key persons to call:
1) We need call Democrats who had vote for the anti-immigrant, ask them DO THE
RIGHT WAY BY VOTE NO TO THE BILLS!
Andrews (D-NJ) - Baird (D-WA) - Barrow (D-GA) - Bean (D-IL)
Berkley (D-NV) - Berry (D-AR) - Bishop (GA) (D-GA) - Bishop (NY) (D-NY)
Boren (D-OK) - Boswell (D-IA) - Boucher (D-VA) - Boyd (D-FL)
Brown (OH) (D-OH) - Brown, Corrine (D-FL) - Capuano (D-MA)
Cardoza (D-CA) - Chandler (D-KY) - Cooper (D-TN) - Costa (D-CA)
Costello (D-IL) - Cramer (D-AL) - Davis (AL) (D-AL) - Davis (TN) (D-TN)
DeFazio (D-OR) - Delahunt (D-MA) - Edwards (D-TX) - Etheridge (D-NC)
Ford (D-TN) - Frank (MA) (D-MA) - Gordon (D-TN) - Herseth (D-SD)
Holden (D-PA) - Hooley (D-OR) - Israel (D-NY) - Kanjorski (D-PA)
Kildee (D-MI) - Kind (D-WI) - Lipinski (D-IL) - Lynch (D-MA)
Maloney (D-NY) - Marshall (D-GA) - Matheson (D-UT) - McCarthy (D-NY)
McIntyre (D-NC) - Melancon (D-LA) - Miller (NC) (D-NC) - Mollohan (D-WV)
Moore (KS) (D-KS) - Moran (VA) (D-VA) - Pascrell (D-NJ)
Peterson (MN) (D-MN) - Pomeroy (D-ND) - Rahall (D-WV)
Ross (D-AR) - Ruppersberger (D-MD) - Ryan (OH) (D-OH)
Skelton (D-MO) - Smith (WA) (D-WA) - Spratt (D-SC)
Stupak (D-MI) - Tanner (D-TN) - Taylor (MS) (D-MS)
Weiner (D-NY) - Wexler (D-FL)
2) And here's the lists of Pro-Immigrant Republicans who had been identify by
the anti-immigrant organization, we need to call them to thanks for their
pro-immigrant support and urge them VOTE NO THE BILLS!
John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
Lindsay Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
Mike DeWine (R-OH) 202-224-2315
Arlen Specter (R-PA) 202-224-4254
John Warner (R-VA) 202-224-2023
Richard Lugar (R-IN) 202-224-4814
Robert Bennett (R-UT) 202-224-5444
Sam Brownback (R-KS) 202-224-6521
Lincoln Chaffee (R-RI) 202-224-2921
Norm Coleman (R-MN) 202-224-5641
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 202-224-4224
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2541
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665
Susan Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523
Larry Craig (R-ID) 202-224-2752
Pete Domenici (R-NM) 202-224-6621
Mel Martinez (R-FL) 202-224-3041
Gordon Smith (R-OR) 202-224-3753
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) 202-224-5344
Ted Stevens (R-AK) 202-224-3004
George Voinovich (R-OH) 202-224-3353
Other Useful Links
National Council of La Raza
http://www.nclr.org
National Immigration Forum
http://www.immigrationforum.org
New American Opportunity Campaign
http://www.cirnow.org
National Network of Immigrant & Refugee Rights
http://www.NNIRR.org
=====================================================
Background Information About
H.R. 4844, H.R. 6089, H.R. 6090 H.R. 6091
Congress Aims to Require Voter ID H.R. 4844
Friends,
This week (9/20 Wed and 9/21 Thurs), the House of Representatives is poised to
consider the "Voter ID bill" H.R. 4844, the Federal Election Integrity Act of
2006.
The VOTER ID bill aims to decrease the number of citizens able to vote by
requiring all citizens to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. Millions
of Americans, who do not have the identification and proof of citizenship that
the bill requires -- the elderly, the disabled, Native Americans and other
minorities- will be profoundly impacted by this legislation. H.R. 4844 will do
far more to suppress turnout and intimidate voters than to prevent voter fraud,
as the proponents of the Voter ID bill claim. Millions of Americans will be
denied their right to vote because the House Republicans are rushing this bill
to floor to address a problem that does not really exist.
MORE ANTI-IMMIGRATION BILLS (H.R. 6089, H.R. 6090 H.R. 6091 )
This week, we also expect the Republican Leadership to bring up a series of
border security bills. It is odd that, that as the election nears, Republicans
would pick border security as a theme, with their "Border Security Now" agenda -
thereby highlighting an issue on which they don't have a single accomplishment.
If the House Republicans were serious, they would have moved forward with a
House-Senate conference on realistic and bipartisan border security/immigration
reform legislation - instead of stalling any progress with sham "hearings" or
ineffective legislation.
Below is a list of the upcoming border security bills. On Wednesday (9/20) &
Thursday (9/21), the House will meet at 10:00 am for legislative business. On
Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 am.
H.R. 6054 - Military Commissions Act (Rep. Hunter - Armed Services) (Subject to
a Rule)
H.R. 4844 - Voter ID Bill (Rep. Hyde - House Administration) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 6089 - Illegal Immigrant Deterrence Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary)
(Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 6090 -Immigration Enforcement Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary) (Subject
to a Rule)
H.R. 6091 - Border Security Enhancement Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary)
Stop the Sneak Attack on our Fundamental Values
(by: Rights Working Groups)
Today and tomorrow Congress is trying to rush three bills through the House and
then on to the Senate before you notice what they have done. Why? Because all
three bills are designed to hand over unchecked power to the Administration.
Call your representative and Senators now and tell them to stop this sneak
attack on our fundamental values.
HR 6089 – Expands the Administration’s ability to lock people up indefinitely
with no end in sight. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled that they are
required to eliminate this practice.
HR 6090 – Allows the Administration’s Attorney General to simply “designate”
people as gang members without a trial, without giving them their day in court.
It would also make it easier in any immigration case for the administration to
continue violating the law even after it has lost in court.
HR 6091- Gives the Administration’s Department of Homeland Security the
unchecked power to deport people without their day in court.
Congress plans to sneak these provisions into budget bills which almost always
pass. They are trying to make an end-run around the courts, around the
constitution, and now around the legislative process.
9/14: Immigration Policy Update
National Immigration Forum
9/14: CLEAR Act on House agenda; information and ideas
National Immigration Forum
9/15: URGENT: Stop U.S. Authorization of Indefinite Detention
Center for Constitutional Rights
Analysis from Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The House Republican leadership is at it again. Unwilling to fix our broken
immigration system, they instead are focusing on moving through the House of
Representatives several measures that will only lead to more dysfunction. These
measures will not cure what is wrong with our immigration system. Far from it!
The American public supports comprehensive immigration reform. Such reform
would bring families together, create a legal pathway for people to come to the
United States in the future, give U.S. employers the workers they need, and help
secure our nation.
What is House Republican leadership offering us instead? Failed solutions that
will only perpetuate a broken system. These bills, with their titles changed to
accurately reflect what they really would do, offer still more examples of this
failed approach. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on these
measures this week.
H.R. 6089: The Unsafe Streets and Government Unfettered Authority Act
Despite the opposition of state and local police nationwide, HR 6089 would
encourage state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate, identify,
apprehend, arrest, detain and transfer to Federal custody immigrants they find
in the U.S. State and local police oppose this measure because they know that
if they act as immigration enforcement agents they would undermine their ability
to keep communities safe and, in the process, destroy years of community
policing. Immigrants and their family members will be afraid to report crimes,
fires, and suspicious activity out of fear of exposing themselves, families or
neighbors. Crimes inevitably will be left unsolved and the safety of entire
communities will be compromised.
H.R. 6089 also would give immigration authorities nearly unfettered authority to
indefinitely detain immigrants, thereby posing serious constitutional concerns.
The indefinite detention provision sidesteps two Supreme Court cases and
actually fashions through legislation a means by which DHS could continue to
indefinitely detain certain aliens. The provision would subject many more people
to indefinite detention including asylum seekers fleeing persecution.
Legislation is not needed on this issue: DHS should follow the humane process
laid out by the Supreme Court which sets up a 90 day review process for
individuals who cannot be removed to their home country. Over 1000 individuals
are subjected to indefinite detention at the present time. In some cases, it is
not possible for the government to deport these individuals because the U.S.
does not maintain diplomatic relations with country of origin. Detaining people
indefinitely, with no end in sight, will cost the government millions of dollars
at taxpayer expense. Instead of detaining these individuals, Congress could use
secure alternatives to detention programs that are more cost effective and
humane.
HR 6090: The Anti Right to Association and Government Unaccountability Act
Under H.R. 6090, immigrants who have never committed any crimes whatsoever and
who have obeyed all of our laws can be deported, denied admission and the
ability to obtain lawful status, subjected to mandatory detention, and denied
all forms of protection such as asylum and temporary protected status, simply
because the Attorney General has determined through a secret process that they
are associated with a street gang. Through this secret process, the Attorney
General, does not have to provide notice or an opportunity to be heard to those
designated, and can designate any formal or informal group of three or more
persons who have committed two or more enumerated gang crimes a “criminal street
gang.” As a result of this designation, many immigrants who never committed or
supported a single criminal act (but are designated to have associated with this
“gang”) may be punished severely for exercising their right to association: they
may be deported to a country where they face interrogation, torture, detention
and even death.
H.R. 6090 also changes the rules for immigration cases in federal court so that
immigrants will have a harder time getting relief. HR 6090 would make it easier
for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to continue violating the law in
any immigration case even after the agency has lost in court. Plaintiffs in
immigration cases will find it difficult to force DHS to obey the law even after
they have proven in court that they have been wronged by the DHS. This bill also
would not allow judges to grant relief in all immigration cases unless they
attach a written explanation of the impact of granting the pardon. Finally, it
would impose overly short time limits on courts attempting to grant pardons to
immigrants, regardless of the complexity of the case.
HR 6091: Government Unchecked Power Act
HR 6019 includes a provision that would allow the Administration to remove
people from inside the United States without a court hearing, after a low-level
agency official makes certain findings. It eliminates judicial hearings for
immigrants, including legal permanent residents, who are found inadmissible and
who are not eligible for any relief. Such expedited removal authority would
allow a DHS officer, instead of a trained immigration judge, to make complicated
legal determinations about whether a person is subject to removal and/or is a
citizen. Such authority would lead to the increased risk of improper or mistaken
deportations of non-citizens and even U.S. citizens: the expedited procedures
are insufficient to determine who is a citizen of the United States. Expedited
removal would endanger asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and domestic
violence, and children because under these summary procedures there will be many
incorrect determinations and people will be sent back to countries where they
face persecution.
=====================================================
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org
New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990
Please consider making a donation to the important work of National Immigrant
Solidarity Network
Send check pay to:
National Immigrant Solidarity Network/AFGJ
and mail to:
ActionLA / The Peace Center
8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles, California 90048
(All donations are tax deductible)
*to join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, send e-mail to:
isn-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn
*a monthly ISN monthly Action Alert! listserv, go to webpage
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn-digest
Please join our following listservs:
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api-la-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/api-la
NYC Immigrant Alert!: New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas immigrant
workers information and alerts, send e-mail to: nyc-immigrantalert-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/nyc-immigrantalert
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Rights! send e-mail to: Border01-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Border01/
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courtesy working for change - act for change! [edited]
Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture!
action alert from
ActForChange.com - the resource center for people with progressive values.
Tell Your Senators: Don't Let the White House Legalize Torture
To take action on this issue, click this link or copy and paste it into your
browser:
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=21387
===================================================================
courtesy Institute for Public Accuracy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institute for Public Accuracy
915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
___________________________________________________
PM Monday, September 18, 2006
End of Habeas Corpus?
While the Warner-Graham-McCain bill has gotten substantial attention
with regards to its Geneva conventions provisions, the Center for
Constitutional Rights has criticized both the bill and the
administration's proposal as gutting habeas corpus.
McCain and Graham were questioned separately about this yesterday, by
Sam Husseini of the Institute for Public Accuracy, as they left the
studios of Sunday morning talk shows in Washington. McCain replied
that he was not familiar with those provisions of the legislation.
When Graham was asked if the bill, as the Center for Constitutional
Rights has charged, "would prevent anyone taken into U.S. custody --
anywhere in the world, past, present or future, innocent or not --
from ever having their case heard in a court of law," the South
Carolina senator replied: "That is a complete false statement."
Graham added: "Every person tried as a war criminal will now be able
to appeal their conviction if there is one through our federal court
system. ... Everywhere we hold someone there are rules in place to
appeal their status as enemy combatants."
For video and transcript of the remarks by McCain and Graham, see:
MICHAEL RATNER, via Mahdis Keshavarz, mahdis@riptideonline.com,
http://ccr-ny.org
President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, Ratner said
today: "The Warner-Graham-McCain bill denies habeas corpus to all
aliens held outside the United States and currently in U.S. custody.
And 'outside' includes Guantanamo.
"However in the case of those who have been found to be unlawful
enemy combatants by Combatant Status Review Tribunal (combatant
status review panels used at Guantanamo) it gives a meaningless court
of appeals 'review' -- a review that examines whether or not the U.S.
complied with its own procedures -- but not ... a real court hearing
with factual development as habeas corpus requires.
"For those aliens detained outside the U.S. that have not had
CSRT hearings -- the high majority -- in facilities like Bagram in
Afghanistan, the Warner bill simply abolished habeas or any other
court review.
"The consequences are breathtaking. The U.S. can pick up any
alien, even a legal permanent resident in the U.S., and take them to
an off-shore prison and hold them forever without any kind of court
hearing.
"While all the attention on this legislation has focused on
Geneva conventions and military commissions, the Warner alternative,
like the administration bill, authorizes lifelong detention without
habeas or any genuine review whatsoever."
P. SABIN WILLETT, sabin.willett@bingham.com
Willett is a partner at the law firm Bingham McCutchen. One of
his clients, Abu Bakker Qassim, who was imprisoned at Guantanamo from
2002 to May 2006, had an oped in the New York Times on Sunday; see:
Willett said today: "Sen. Graham refers to a provision in the
Senate bill that gives the court of appeals a review of 'enemy
combatant' findings made by the military's Combatant Status Review
Tribunals. But the devil is in the details. The Senate bill limits
the court's review to whether the CSRT [has] followed its own
rules. ... The irony of the new bill is that it would give more
rights to Khaled Sheikh Muhammed, who stands accused of murdering
nearly 3,000, than to men who've never been charged, and never will
be charged, with anything.
"Judge Hens Green, the only judge to have looked closely at these
CSRTs, roundly condemned them as arbitrary more than a year ago. The
CSRTs branded as 'enemy combatant' not just enemy soldiers taken on
the battlefield, but all kinds of people who were never soldiers at
all. They based their findings on secret evidence and reached
contradictory and inexplicable results."
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
_________________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
public@lists.accuracy.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
public-unsubscribe@lists.accuracy.org
For all list information and functions, including changing
your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page:
http://lists.accuracy.org/lists/info/public
==========================================
courtesy - a Friend of the Cuban Five! [edited]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free the Five! September 23 march on White House
The march will gather at 11 am, at the Department of Justice, 10th and Pennsylvania N.W. After a morning rally we will march to the White House for a picket there. Then a 2:00 pm forum will take place at George Washington University’s Funger Hall, 2201 G St.,N.W.
...
In NYC: Buses will be leaving early Saturday morning, Sept. 23, from Union Square and Harlem early Saturday the 23rd and return late the same evening. Call 212-694-8720 to get your bus tickets.
============================================
Fight Frist's Combined Spying, Tribunals Bill
courtesy ACLU - [edited]
Call your Senators today and ask them to reject this effort to grab more unchecked power to search Americans’ homes secretly and listen to Americans’ conversations without the individual warrants required by the Constitution. Or, read more first.
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Fill your information into the form below.
2. Click "Go" — the contact information of your Senators will appear below.
3. To assist us in evaluating the effectiveness of our campaign, we would greatly appreciate it if you would log the results of your call with us today. Filling out our brief form takes only a moment and gives us extremely valuable information about your experience. While we would greatly appreciate your participation, this step is not required.
To look up your senator's phone number, please enter your ZIP Code.
----------
Here are some talking points for your telephone calls:
I strongly oppose Senator Frist’s bill, the “Terrorist Tracking, Identification, and Prosecution Act of 2006,” (S. 3886).
This legislation would combine the Cheney-Specter Bill to allow warrantless spying on Americans with legislation that would gut the Geneva Conventions and allow the use of secret evidence to convict detainees.
It would even allow the death penalty based on evidence detainees cannot see and from evidence obtained as the result of waterboarding, threats of death, and other horrific forms of abuse.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which this bill would needlessly weaken, already gives the government all the tools it needs to protect us from terrorists. It even allows the government to start spying on suspected terrorists without a warrant as long as it seeks one after the fact.
I support the Specter-Feinstein bill (S. 3001), because it restores due process by re-affirming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as the only legal way to spy on people inside the United States.
Civil liberties and the war on terrorism are not mutually exclusive. When fighting the war on terror, you have the duty to keep me both safe and free by supporting and introducing alternatives to the Administration’s proposals, such as S. 3001 that protect due process and the rule of law.
==============================================================================
courtesy - Amnesty International [edited]
Dear Most Respected NLG TUPOCC member,
Today, hundreds of activists like me across America are calling our Representatives and Senators. We’re asking them to oppose President Bush’s new, alarming legislation that would sanction unfair trials, indefinite detention and immunity for people who may have engaged in torture or cruel treatment. Please join us .
==========================================================================
courtesy National Immigrant Solidarity Network via lawofcolor@lists.riseup.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Alert! National Call-In Day to STOP Congress from Passing Anti-Immigrant
Bills!
September 20 National Call-In Day!
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
On Wednesday September 20, the U.S. House will be discuss and voting several
racist anti-immigrant legislation (see above). After last week the passage of
last week's (9/14) Secure Fence Act of 2006 H.R. 6061. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll446.xml
the anti-immigrant forces in Washington D.C. want to push their enforcement-only
immigrant agendas before November election. And we need to mobilize to stop it!
On Wednesday September 20, we urge you to CALL, FAX AND MAIL your elected
officials, SAY NO TO THE RACIST ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILLS:
H.R. 4844 - Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 ("Voter ID bill")
H.R. 6089 - Illegal Immigrant Deterrence Act
H.R. 6090 - Immigration Enforcement Act
H.R. 6091 - Border Security Enhancement Act
Talking Point (by: New American Opportunity Campaign)
"Congress should stop the piecemeal, enforcement-only approach to immigration
reform. I support a comprehensive bill that reunites families, legalizes the
undocumented population, and provides future immigrants with a safe and legal
way to live and work in the U.S."
or we'll not vote for you at the November election!
To find your House members, please visit the following site:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Here's the suggest key persons to call:
1) We need call Democrats who had vote for the anti-immigrant, ask them DO THE
RIGHT WAY BY VOTE NO TO THE BILLS!
Andrews (D-NJ) - Baird (D-WA) - Barrow (D-GA) - Bean (D-IL)
Berkley (D-NV) - Berry (D-AR) - Bishop (GA) (D-GA) - Bishop (NY) (D-NY)
Boren (D-OK) - Boswell (D-IA) - Boucher (D-VA) - Boyd (D-FL)
Brown (OH) (D-OH) - Brown, Corrine (D-FL) - Capuano (D-MA)
Cardoza (D-CA) - Chandler (D-KY) - Cooper (D-TN) - Costa (D-CA)
Costello (D-IL) - Cramer (D-AL) - Davis (AL) (D-AL) - Davis (TN) (D-TN)
DeFazio (D-OR) - Delahunt (D-MA) - Edwards (D-TX) - Etheridge (D-NC)
Ford (D-TN) - Frank (MA) (D-MA) - Gordon (D-TN) - Herseth (D-SD)
Holden (D-PA) - Hooley (D-OR) - Israel (D-NY) - Kanjorski (D-PA)
Kildee (D-MI) - Kind (D-WI) - Lipinski (D-IL) - Lynch (D-MA)
Maloney (D-NY) - Marshall (D-GA) - Matheson (D-UT) - McCarthy (D-NY)
McIntyre (D-NC) - Melancon (D-LA) - Miller (NC) (D-NC) - Mollohan (D-WV)
Moore (KS) (D-KS) - Moran (VA) (D-VA) - Pascrell (D-NJ)
Peterson (MN) (D-MN) - Pomeroy (D-ND) - Rahall (D-WV)
Ross (D-AR) - Ruppersberger (D-MD) - Ryan (OH) (D-OH)
Skelton (D-MO) - Smith (WA) (D-WA) - Spratt (D-SC)
Stupak (D-MI) - Tanner (D-TN) - Taylor (MS) (D-MS)
Weiner (D-NY) - Wexler (D-FL)
2) And here's the lists of Pro-Immigrant Republicans who had been identify by
the anti-immigrant organization, we need to call them to thanks for their
pro-immigrant support and urge them VOTE NO THE BILLS!
John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
Lindsay Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
Mike DeWine (R-OH) 202-224-2315
Arlen Specter (R-PA) 202-224-4254
John Warner (R-VA) 202-224-2023
Richard Lugar (R-IN) 202-224-4814
Robert Bennett (R-UT) 202-224-5444
Sam Brownback (R-KS) 202-224-6521
Lincoln Chaffee (R-RI) 202-224-2921
Norm Coleman (R-MN) 202-224-5641
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 202-224-4224
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2541
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665
Susan Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523
Larry Craig (R-ID) 202-224-2752
Pete Domenici (R-NM) 202-224-6621
Mel Martinez (R-FL) 202-224-3041
Gordon Smith (R-OR) 202-224-3753
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) 202-224-5344
Ted Stevens (R-AK) 202-224-3004
George Voinovich (R-OH) 202-224-3353
Other Useful Links
National Council of La Raza
http://www.nclr.org
National Immigration Forum
http://www.immigrationforum.org
New American Opportunity Campaign
http://www.cirnow.org
National Network of Immigrant & Refugee Rights
http://www.NNIRR.org
=====================================================
Background Information About
H.R. 4844, H.R. 6089, H.R. 6090 H.R. 6091
Congress Aims to Require Voter ID H.R. 4844
Friends,
This week (9/20 Wed and 9/21 Thurs), the House of Representatives is poised to
consider the "Voter ID bill" H.R. 4844, the Federal Election Integrity Act of
2006.
The VOTER ID bill aims to decrease the number of citizens able to vote by
requiring all citizens to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. Millions
of Americans, who do not have the identification and proof of citizenship that
the bill requires -- the elderly, the disabled, Native Americans and other
minorities- will be profoundly impacted by this legislation. H.R. 4844 will do
far more to suppress turnout and intimidate voters than to prevent voter fraud,
as the proponents of the Voter ID bill claim. Millions of Americans will be
denied their right to vote because the House Republicans are rushing this bill
to floor to address a problem that does not really exist.
MORE ANTI-IMMIGRATION BILLS (H.R. 6089, H.R. 6090 H.R. 6091 )
This week, we also expect the Republican Leadership to bring up a series of
border security bills. It is odd that, that as the election nears, Republicans
would pick border security as a theme, with their "Border Security Now" agenda -
thereby highlighting an issue on which they don't have a single accomplishment.
If the House Republicans were serious, they would have moved forward with a
House-Senate conference on realistic and bipartisan border security/immigration
reform legislation - instead of stalling any progress with sham "hearings" or
ineffective legislation.
Below is a list of the upcoming border security bills. On Wednesday (9/20) &
Thursday (9/21), the House will meet at 10:00 am for legislative business. On
Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 am.
H.R. 6054 - Military Commissions Act (Rep. Hunter - Armed Services) (Subject to
a Rule)
H.R. 4844 - Voter ID Bill (Rep. Hyde - House Administration) (Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 6089 - Illegal Immigrant Deterrence Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary)
(Subject to a Rule)
H.R. 6090 -Immigration Enforcement Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary) (Subject
to a Rule)
H.R. 6091 - Border Security Enhancement Act (Rep. Sensenbrenner - Judiciary)
Stop the Sneak Attack on our Fundamental Values
(by: Rights Working Groups)
Today and tomorrow Congress is trying to rush three bills through the House and
then on to the Senate before you notice what they have done. Why? Because all
three bills are designed to hand over unchecked power to the Administration.
Call your representative and Senators now and tell them to stop this sneak
attack on our fundamental values.
HR 6089 – Expands the Administration’s ability to lock people up indefinitely
with no end in sight. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled that they are
required to eliminate this practice.
HR 6090 – Allows the Administration’s Attorney General to simply “designate”
people as gang members without a trial, without giving them their day in court.
It would also make it easier in any immigration case for the administration to
continue violating the law even after it has lost in court.
HR 6091- Gives the Administration’s Department of Homeland Security the
unchecked power to deport people without their day in court.
Congress plans to sneak these provisions into budget bills which almost always
pass. They are trying to make an end-run around the courts, around the
constitution, and now around the legislative process.
9/14: Immigration Policy Update
National Immigration Forum
9/14: CLEAR Act on House agenda; information and ideas
National Immigration Forum
9/15: URGENT: Stop U.S. Authorization of Indefinite Detention
Center for Constitutional Rights
Analysis from Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The House Republican leadership is at it again. Unwilling to fix our broken
immigration system, they instead are focusing on moving through the House of
Representatives several measures that will only lead to more dysfunction. These
measures will not cure what is wrong with our immigration system. Far from it!
The American public supports comprehensive immigration reform. Such reform
would bring families together, create a legal pathway for people to come to the
United States in the future, give U.S. employers the workers they need, and help
secure our nation.
What is House Republican leadership offering us instead? Failed solutions that
will only perpetuate a broken system. These bills, with their titles changed to
accurately reflect what they really would do, offer still more examples of this
failed approach. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on these
measures this week.
H.R. 6089: The Unsafe Streets and Government Unfettered Authority Act
Despite the opposition of state and local police nationwide, HR 6089 would
encourage state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate, identify,
apprehend, arrest, detain and transfer to Federal custody immigrants they find
in the U.S. State and local police oppose this measure because they know that
if they act as immigration enforcement agents they would undermine their ability
to keep communities safe and, in the process, destroy years of community
policing. Immigrants and their family members will be afraid to report crimes,
fires, and suspicious activity out of fear of exposing themselves, families or
neighbors. Crimes inevitably will be left unsolved and the safety of entire
communities will be compromised.
H.R. 6089 also would give immigration authorities nearly unfettered authority to
indefinitely detain immigrants, thereby posing serious constitutional concerns.
The indefinite detention provision sidesteps two Supreme Court cases and
actually fashions through legislation a means by which DHS could continue to
indefinitely detain certain aliens. The provision would subject many more people
to indefinite detention including asylum seekers fleeing persecution.
Legislation is not needed on this issue: DHS should follow the humane process
laid out by the Supreme Court which sets up a 90 day review process for
individuals who cannot be removed to their home country. Over 1000 individuals
are subjected to indefinite detention at the present time. In some cases, it is
not possible for the government to deport these individuals because the U.S.
does not maintain diplomatic relations with country of origin. Detaining people
indefinitely, with no end in sight, will cost the government millions of dollars
at taxpayer expense. Instead of detaining these individuals, Congress could use
secure alternatives to detention programs that are more cost effective and
humane.
HR 6090: The Anti Right to Association and Government Unaccountability Act
Under H.R. 6090, immigrants who have never committed any crimes whatsoever and
who have obeyed all of our laws can be deported, denied admission and the
ability to obtain lawful status, subjected to mandatory detention, and denied
all forms of protection such as asylum and temporary protected status, simply
because the Attorney General has determined through a secret process that they
are associated with a street gang. Through this secret process, the Attorney
General, does not have to provide notice or an opportunity to be heard to those
designated, and can designate any formal or informal group of three or more
persons who have committed two or more enumerated gang crimes a “criminal street
gang.” As a result of this designation, many immigrants who never committed or
supported a single criminal act (but are designated to have associated with this
“gang”) may be punished severely for exercising their right to association: they
may be deported to a country where they face interrogation, torture, detention
and even death.
H.R. 6090 also changes the rules for immigration cases in federal court so that
immigrants will have a harder time getting relief. HR 6090 would make it easier
for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to continue violating the law in
any immigration case even after the agency has lost in court. Plaintiffs in
immigration cases will find it difficult to force DHS to obey the law even after
they have proven in court that they have been wronged by the DHS. This bill also
would not allow judges to grant relief in all immigration cases unless they
attach a written explanation of the impact of granting the pardon. Finally, it
would impose overly short time limits on courts attempting to grant pardons to
immigrants, regardless of the complexity of the case.
HR 6091: Government Unchecked Power Act
HR 6019 includes a provision that would allow the Administration to remove
people from inside the United States without a court hearing, after a low-level
agency official makes certain findings. It eliminates judicial hearings for
immigrants, including legal permanent residents, who are found inadmissible and
who are not eligible for any relief. Such expedited removal authority would
allow a DHS officer, instead of a trained immigration judge, to make complicated
legal determinations about whether a person is subject to removal and/or is a
citizen. Such authority would lead to the increased risk of improper or mistaken
deportations of non-citizens and even U.S. citizens: the expedited procedures
are insufficient to determine who is a citizen of the United States. Expedited
removal would endanger asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and domestic
violence, and children because under these summary procedures there will be many
incorrect determinations and people will be sent back to countries where they
face persecution.
=====================================================
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org
New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990
Please consider making a donation to the important work of National Immigrant
Solidarity Network
Send check pay to:
National Immigrant Solidarity Network/AFGJ
and mail to:
ActionLA / The Peace Center
8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles, California 90048
(All donations are tax deductible)
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posted by peaceandjustice2005 at 4:08 PM
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