Cornyn Anti-Immigrant Amendment to 9/11 Bill

The U.S. Senate could vote as soon as today on an anti-immigrant amendment to the 9/11 Security Bill now on the Senate floor.

The Senate is currently considering a bill (S. 4) to enact into law recommendations made by the 9-11 Commission. Some Republican Senators have seized on this bill as an opportunity to push anti-immigrant and anti-civil rights amendments under the guise of protecting national security. These amendments were not part of the 9-11 Commission’s recommendations and would compromise core American values like a fair opportunity to prove innocence and punishment that fits the crime.

The amendment most likely to receive a vote is No. 312, filed by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on March 7. The vote (which will occur today or Friday) will be on Sen. Cornyn’s cloture motion, a procedure limiting debate that will need 60 votes to prevail. This will be the first contested immigration-related vote in the Senate this year, and its importance goes beyond the particular issues at stake. If Sen. Cornyn prevails by capturing 60 or more votes, it may be harder to combat any number of other anti-immigrant measures that Senators could attempt to tack onto future legislation.

WHAT THE AMENDMENT DOES

Sen. Cornyn’s amendment would:

• undercut two U.S. Supreme Court cases on indefinite detention of immigrants
• abolish the last remnant of judicial review on visa revocations
• criminalize innocent activity protected by the First Amendment including making charitable donations and exercising free speech rights

See http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/NILC/images/030806 cornyn amendment overview.doc from the Rights Working Group for more details on this amendment.

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