Subject: Confidential #8: Monday Rally at Feinstein's Home -
the "Real ID" Act and the War
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"CONFIDENTIAL"
Riva Enteen
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Bulletin #8
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Please feel free to distribute.
http://www.struggle-and-win.net
MONDAY RALLY AT SENATOR FEINSTEIN'S HOME:
THE REAL ID ACT AND THE WAR
The "Real ID" Act is one more frightening piece of repressive
legislation,
aimed at gutting the human rights of both immigrants and citizens alike,
in the bipartisan tradition of the Patriot Act. Among many other
provisions, it would set up a national electronic identification system,
and make it illegal for states to issue driver's licenses to
undocumented
immigrants. (More info on the Real ID Act below.)
Last week, the House of Representatives attached the Real ID Act to
President Bush's bill to appropriate an additional $81 billion to his
war fund. The next day, the House passed both bills, by a vote of
388-43,
with the support of San Francisco's Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats'
minority
leader. The Real ID Act and the war appropriation now go to the Senate.
BELOW:
Alert for Monday rally.
Anti-immigrant provisions of the Real ID Act.
Real ID Act sets up national electronic identification system.
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ALERT for Monday rally:
"WAKE UP CALL TO SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN
"Join immigrant communities to tell Senator Diane Feinstein that we
won't tolerate her denying driver's licenses to our communities.
Join us for a vigil in front of Feinstein's house.
"Senator Diane Feinstein came out in favor the Real ID Act, which, among
other things, will deny undocumented immigrants driver's licenses at a
national level. If this law passes (it has already passed the US House
of Representatives and will be considered by the US Senate in the next
few weeks), it will destroy our efforts to obtain driver's licenses for
immigrants here in California...
"The vigil will include speakers, music, candles, and a public display
of driver's licenses on Feinstein's front lawn.
"For more information, please contact Renee Saucedo, (415) 553-3404."
WHEN:
Monday, March 21
Vigil begins at 5 PM at Feinstein's house.
(At 4 PM, there will be vehicles to transport people
from Centro del Pueblo to Feinstein's house.
Please bring your car to assist in transportation.)
WHERE:
Feinstein's house: 30 Presidio Terrace (near Arguello)
Centro del Pueblo: 474 Valencia Street (at 16th Street)
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The REAL ID ACT includes ANTI-IMMIGRANT PROVISIONS that would:
--> Make it illegal for states to issue driver's licenses to
undocumented immigrants.
--> Expand the definitions of "terrorist" activity, by creating
broad "guilt by association" standards that will prevent many
immigrants and their families from gaining legal status.
--> Make many procedural changes that make it much more difficult
for refugees to get asylum in the US.
--> Waive all environmental, labor and civil rights laws that
would prevent the building of a 14-mile fence along the
San Diego-Tijuana border.
--> Implement new high-technology ground surveillance techniques
on the border.
--> Give unprecedented authority to bounty hunters to "pursue,
apprehend and detain" immigrants in deportation proceedings.
One blatant example of the outright racism in the Real ID Act
is a provision that requires judges to deny asylum to refugees
who have a bad "demeanor." The act also bars the reversal of
a judge's denial of asylum based on the lack of documentary
evidence. Decisions about legal status and asylum would extend
to an applicant's spouse and children, even if they are wholly
innocent of the alleged wrong-doing of the applicant.
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Real ID Act sets up NATIONAL ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM.
The Real ID Act's provisions go far beyond its anti-immigrant posturing.
As is often the case, anti-immigrant hysteria is being used as a wedge
issue to attack the rights of citizens as well.
The American Civil Liberties Union claims that the Real ID Act sets up
a "de facto national ID card." The act requires that states issue
driver's
licenses and identification cards which include "machine-readable
technology, with defined minimum data elements," including Social
Security numbers. Regulations defining these requirements will be
written by the Department of Homeland Security. States will be
required to link their motor vehicle department databases to the feds.
All applicants will be required to prove their citizenship or
immigration
status.
Welcome to the new USA -- the United States of Apartheid.
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For more information on the Real ID Act, see the following.
National Immigration Forum:
http://www.immigrationforum.org/documents/PolicyWire/Legislation/Analysis_REALIDPassed.pdf
American Immigration Lawyer's Association:
http://www.aila.org/fileViewer.aspx?docID=17718
"House backs major shift to electronic IDs," C/NET:
http://snipurl.com/cpc8
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