CDIR-USA PROTEST US CONGRESS VOTE TO BUILD BORDER FENCE WITH MEXICO

Los Angeles --- The Coalition in Defense of Immigrant Rights (CDIR) strongly protest and condemn the US Congress that approved a bill last Friday, September 29 that calls for building a fence along the US-Mexican border to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

The CDIR express disgust over the US Senate a vote of 80-19, the US Senate approved the measure that President George W. Bush was expected to sign into law soon.

CDIR stated that the passage of the bill just confirmed that the Democratic Party has no basic difference and have a common agenda with the Republican Party- both are anti-people and anti-immigrant. The republican controlled House of Representatives passed the same bill on September 14.

“Instead of passing SB 2611 or the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill and legalize the 11 million undocumented immigrants the senate chose to ignore the human needs of the immigrants. They chose to give the highest priority to a Berlin Wall Type or a Demarcation line wall of Korea against its Mexican neighbor in the south. This is despicable and very inhuman” , the CDIR exclaimed.

The border fence that will be partially financed from the budget of the Homeland Security Department was one of the components of a comprehensive immigration reform plan that was debated by Congress earlier this year.

The plan triggered the most massive demonstrations by immigrants in US history. More than five million participated in the 2nd quarter storm of immigrant rights movement from March to May 2006. in Los Angeles and more than 65 cities of the United States.

“ The bill falls far short of ambition reform goals set forth by the lame duck president, who, in addition to border security measures, wanted to offer legalization to some of an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States and create a system that would regulate the flow of illegal immigrants.” The CDIR added.

The plan, however, ran into opposition from the conservative wing of his Republican Party. The Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist who is running as a canidate for rpesident on 2008 said the measure calling for the fence was just the first step on the way toward comprehensive immigration reform.

“The CDIR hopes that the republican strategy of placing the immigration issue as a prime focus in the mid-year elections will backfire and give the democrats their needed control of the US Congress next year.

"We in the CDIR agree to the statement of the democratic leader that the US can build the tallest fence in the world, and it won't fix the broken immigration system," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement. "Nor will it strengthen security at our borders. To do that, we need the comprehensive reform that the Senate passed earlier this year."

*************