[ACLU-NM] ACLU Launches Ad Campaign on Intelligence Reform Legislation

[Kimberly Lavender]

ACLU Launches Ad Campaign on Intelligence Reform Legislation,
Highlights How House Republican Leadership Bill Targets Immigrants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Contact:
Peter Simonson, ACLU of New Mexico, (505) 266-4622
Shin Inouye, ACLU Washington Legislative Office, (202) 675-2312

ALBUQUERQUE -The American Civil Liberties Union today launched new radio
advertisements in Spanish and print advertisements in English to educate the
public about anti-immigration provisions included in intelligence reform
legislation adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The Republican leadership ignored calls from the 9/11 Commission, 9/11
families, and fair-minded lawmakers to drop anti-immigrant provisions," said
Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.  "When
lawmakers decide to put their political interests before the best interests
of their constituents, society loses."

The advertisements highlight how certain uncalled-for provisions of the
House "9/11 Commission Implementation Act" attack immigrants and undermine
civil liberties.  Specifically, the ads focus on the disparity between the
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the Republican House leadership
bill, which passed Friday on a vote of 282 to 134.

The ACLU's concerned have been echoed by other immigrants rights groups in
New Mexico, including Somos un Pueblo Unido and ENLACE Comunitario.

The print advertisements, "No Longer Welcome," highlight the repeated calls
made by members of the 9/11 Commission and 9/11 victims' families to
Congress to strip the anti-immigrant provisions.  The print ads are running
in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. The Spanish radio spots, "La
Promesa de America," underscore the "American promise" to treat all equally,
with fairness and justice, and are running in Arizona, Colorado, Florida,
Nevada and New Mexico. Both ads call on constituents to contact their
members of Congress to urge them to persuade congressional leaders to strip
the anti-immigrant provisions from the final bill.

Specifically, the House bill denies immigrants basic judicial review over
unfair, arbitrary or otherwise abusive deportations.  It permits the
deportation of individuals to countries lacking a functioning government --
an issue the Supreme Court will examine on Wednesday-- and would make it
more difficult for individuals to claim asylum.

In addition, the House bill includes court-stripping provisions that
seriously weaken the judicial review process in immigration proceedings. In
some cases, this provision explicitly forbids access to the constitutionally
mandated "Great Writ" of habeas corpus, stripping judicial oversight of some
immigration matters. Another measure in the House bill creates a de facto
national ID card that would substantially infringe on the privacy of
Americans.

The ACLU noted that while the Senate bill contains none of the House's
anti-immigrant provisions, it also contains the foundation for a national ID
card.  The two bills now head to conference committee where the ACLU has
called on lawmakers to strip the unwarranted anti-immigrant and anti-privacy
provisions.

"Instead of trying to address the issues that the 9/11 Commission outlined,
Republican leaders in Congress created more problems," said Peter Simonson,
Executive Director of ACLU of New Mexico.  "These anti-immigrant powers
don't address the concerns raised by the 9/11 Commission. It is crucial that
immigrant communities and their allies in New Mexico be made aware of how
Congress has scapegoated them."

For more on the ACLU's concerns with Congress's implementation of the 9/11
Commission's findings, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/intelligencereform>

To read a transcript of the radio ad, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16770&c=206>

To listen to the radio ad, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16764&c=206>

To view the print ad, go to:
<http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=16752&c=206>