[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LET'S KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 13, 2005

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker. I rise today because legal immigrants and 
their families need our help.
  As Congress continues to debate ways to address illegal immigration, 
we must remember the many hard-working legal immigrants that contribute 
so much to our nation's economy and culture. In Congress' zeal to crack 
down on illegal immigration, it has unfairly punished many of these 
legal immigrants.
  That's why I invite all my colleagues to join my fight to reverse 
certain unfair provisions of so-called ``immigration reforms'' 
instituted by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
Responsibility Act of 1996. This law has allowed stable, long-term 
families headed by legal immigrants to be torn apart because of minor 
crimes committed years ago--crimes for which the offenders have already 
served their sentences.
  A basic legislative attempt to fix this law was passed by the House 
of Representatives in the 106th Congress, but it was never taken up by 
the Senate. So I have re-introduced my ``Keeping Families Together'' 
Act (H.R. 2865). This bill would reinstate judicial review to the 
immigration process, restore the definition of aggravated felony that 
existed prior to 1996, end the practice of automatically detaining 
productive members of our society for minor crimes they committed years 
ago and for which they have already served their sentence, and allow 
legal immigrants previously deported to appeal that decision.
  Please join me in supporting this critical legislation to restore 
justice to our immigration processes and keep families together.

                          ____________________