South Florida’s Caribbean-American Diaspora encouraged to contact local Senator over proposed immigration bill

Hollywood – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., introduced his own immigration bill on Thursday March 16 to secure the nation’s borders and crack down on illegal immigration.

Frist has been frustrated by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s slow progress on politically sensitive immigration legislation.

Frist, wants to tighten borders, punish employers who hire illegal immigrants and provide more visas if the Senate Judiciary Committee doesn’t complete a broader bill in the next 10 days.

Too often Caribbean-Americans wait until a bill has become law and then complain about its effects. It is important that Caribbean Americans participate in the political process in the United States by learning how to lobby. Immigration is an important fact and nothing unites Caribbeans in the Diaspora more than Immigration.

The urgent tasks for the Caribbean-American community this week is to keep pressure on Frist’s office by calling and asking that Frist respect the Judiciary Committee process and not force a debate before the Committee has finished its markup. Frist’s office number is 202-224-3135.

Additionaly, Caribbean Americans are encouraged to make a call this week to their local Senator to express concerns about the proposed bill with the following messages:

1. Tell your Senator that Sensenbrenner-like provisions that erode due process should not be included in the final Committee bill!
2. Tell them that we need a workable solution and path to eventual permanent status for the 11 million!(Undocumented aliens)
3. Tell them that we need a new temporary worker program that offers labor protections and a path to permanent status!
4. Tell them that the family and employment backlog provisions in the Chairman’s mark are good and should remain in the bill!
5. Tell them that full access to the Circuit Courts of Appeal must be preserved!

Your local Senators can be reached at:

Mel Martinez (R – FL) 317 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 or call, 202-224-3041 or via e-mail web form at: http://martinez.senate.gov/public/index.cfm

Bill Nelson (D-FL) 716 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 (202)224—5274 or via e-mail web form at: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm