OWENS EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT PASSING OF "REAL ID" ACT

Congressman Major Owens expressed both his anger at the passage of the REAL ID Act and his passionate commitment to ensure it never becomes law.

"This bill is unbelievably harsh and anti-immigrant and goes against the very founding principles of freedom on which this country was founded," he said. "The bill was sent directly to the floor of the House without any hearings. Is this the way the Republicans think democracy works? Are we going to run this country without open discussion, based only on the autocratic doctrines of the Republican leadership?"

"Prohibiting states from issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants and requiring applicants to prove citizenship status; denying asylum to genuine refugees who face persecution in their own countries; punishing innocent immigrants engaged in free speech; and allowing for the deportation of many immigrants without adequate judicial review are just some of the outrageous provisions of the REAL ID Act", he continued. "We have to fight against this bill becoming law -- we cannot become a country where persecution is the law," he concluded.