FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 10, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi: Sensenbrenner Bill Fails to Advance Real Immigration Reform

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Republican immigration bill, introduced by Congressman James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 261 to 161. Democratic Congressmen Jerrold Nadler of New York and Kendrick Meek  of Florida offered a motion to remove the Sensenbrenner provision on asylum, which was defeated.

"Today’s vote on the Sensenbrenner immigration bill was a missed opportunity to address our real security needs and to advance real immigration reform – reform that is fair, keeps us safe, and unites families.  Instead, it contained many unnecessary and harmful provisions for which no demonstrable need exists.

"The Sensenbrenner bill targets legitimate victims of persecution – innocent people under threat of torture or death for their religious beliefs – and permits them to be sent back to countries that still practice torture.  It unconstitutionally forbids federal judges from hearing asylum cases involving real threats of torture.  It fails to safeguard the privacy rights of millions of Americans, and unnecessarily waives significant civil rights and labor laws.

"The Sensenbrenner bill is a collection of previously discarded ideas that should be rejected by the Senate.  We must instead meet our urgent security needs at our ports, our nuclear facilities, our chemical plants, and our rail yards.  We must now seek to pass comprehensive immigration reform that has real border security and respects our heritage and our values."

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi