WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today expressed her strong
support for the Restoration of Fairness in Immigration Act of 2000, a comprehensive
immigration reform bill introduced by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member
John Conyers (D-MI).
Schakowsky,
who is a cosponsor of the bill, said, “We’ve clearly identified the problems
with our immigration policies. Unfortunately, this Republican Congress
has refused to take any meaningful steps to correct the wrongs. With
this bill, we now have the opportunity to give our nation’s immigrants
what they deserve: fairness and equality.”
The
bill would repeal harmful measures included in the 1996 immigration law,
including the retroactive deportation of legal immigrants for minor crimes.
The bill would also encourage family reunification by streamlining the
process and would allow immigrants to adjust their immigration status without
having to leave the country. In addition, the bill would guarantee
fairness in both the asylum and naturalization/legalization processes.
Also
included in the bill is a provision to strengthen the rights of battered
immigrant women, a measure identical to Schakowsky’s bill H.R. 3083, the
Battered Immigrant Protection Act. Just like Schakowsky’s bill, this
provision would build on the successes of the Violence Against Women Act
of 1994, allowing battered immigrant women to escape domestic abuse by
addressing adverse incentives that trap them in violent relationships.
Schakowsky
testified last week on her bill before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration
and Claims. She said during the hearing, “The Battered Immigrant
Women Protection Act will give battered immigrant women access to a variety
of legal protections that they need in order to flee violent homes and
take control of their lives.”
Other
provisions in the Restoration of Fairness in Immigration Act of 2000 include
measures to protect immigrants and increase resources to go after illegal
sweat shop operators; ensure that all employment-based immigrants visas
are used; and ensure due process in immigration proceedings by allowing
the Attorney General to release immigrants from detention centers who do
not pose a threat. |