The right wing is getting an early start on the year, and is trying to fast-track a new bill, called the REAL ID Bill, introduced by James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, who oversees immigration issues for the House of Representatives. He has introduced REAL ID, and is vowing to bring it up for a vote in the full House next week. The bill would restrict access to driver’s licenses, limit claims by asylum-seekers in the US, and continue the militarization of the border by mandating construction of a third security fence in San Diego (they already have two, as if that wasn’t enough).

This bill is setting the stage for the immigration reform debate this year, and will show how much opposition is going to arise against extremist proposals like this one. We need everyone to oppose this bill forcefully to show that we’re not just going to throw our hands up in defeat for the next four years!

And to tie this in to our last action alert, many of you sent letters opposing the environmental assessment of fencing construction and other infrastructure proposals for the state of Arizona. If the Real ID bill passes, it would set a dangerous precedent to waive environmental laws to allow for the construction of Border Patrol projects.

For talking points on this issue, click here

Here’s what the REAL ID would do, in a nutshell:

San Diego Fencing Issues

• Mandate the construction of a third fence over 14 miles of land border in San Diego, parallel to two existing fences already there, in order to create a high-speed security road and “security area” where migrants trying to cross the fence would be trapped
• Override 16 state and federal environmental laws that currently bar the construction of a third fence. The State of California, through its governmental processes, has already resoundingly rejected the fencing project. The construction site runs through the Tijuana Estuary, an environmentally sensitive area that is home to a number of endangered species.

Asylum Issues

• Allow a refugee to be denied asylum if she is unable to track down documents that confirm her case - for instance, where it might endanger her family - even though she has testified credibly in her asylum case
• Give an immigration officer or immigration judge broad leeway to deny a refugee asylum based on her perceived "demeanor" and alleged "statements" taken in unreliable circumstances, ignoring the fact that survivors of rape, forced abortions, or similar abuses may appear lacking in emotion or have difficulty making eye contact

Driver’s License Issues

• Require proof of citizenship or legal status in the US to be presented in order to qualify for a driver’s license
• Deny federal recognition of driver’s licenses as a form of identification from any state that does not do so

We need as many activists to call their Representatives in Congress and ask them to oppose HR 418 (the bill’s call number), also known as the REAL ID bill. For talking points on why the fencing is bad click here. If you want talking points on the driver’s licenses issue, you can get them from the National Immigration Law Center at www.nilc.org. For talking points on the asylum issue, you can check out Human Rights First’s webpage at www.humanrightsfirst.org.

To contact your representative, call the Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask to be connected to your representative’s office. We have been told that staffers are not responding to e.mails on this issue, so unfortunately phone calls are the only way to let them know how you feel now. Because the vote is next week, and mail is now screened for Anthrax up here, it can take up to a month to get a letter. With the bill coming up next week, again, only a phone call will help us defeat this bill.

As always, feel free to contact sgarcia@lawg.org or with any questions you have about this legislation or this action.