[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14118-14119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              URGING REFORM OF OUR INEPT IMMIGRATION LAWS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to implore my colleagues to 
review, and subsequently ameliorate, the current state of immigration 
law. After the failure of this Congress to enact sensible, 
compassionate, and effective immigration reform last year, selective--
and at times nonsensica--enforcement has been the rule. It has meant, 
in the face of inaction and silence on the part of the Federal 
Government, fragmented and contradictory responses from local 
municipalities, ranging from establishing sanctuary cities to 
conducting incessant, violent, and sometimes illogical raids and 
deportations. Waiting is no longer a suitable solution, particularly 
not for those hardworking undocumented immigrants, free of any criminal 
record, who live every day in fear, and certainly not for those legal 
immigrants who committed long-ago misdemeanors and become victims to 
the fervor for increased deportations.
  A New York CARIB News June 3 article, ``Deportation Hanging Over West 
Indian's Head,'' reports the case of the deputy chief of staff to a 
prominent New York City Council member--a legal resident--who now faces 
deportation because of a minor drug offense he committed 20 years ago 
as an 18-year-old.

[[Page 14119]]

The law was meant to apply to those immigrants who have committed 
serious offenses, but in today's climate, it is increasingly being used 
against persons convicted of rather small crimes, like shoplifting. 
These are legal residents, having now become model citizens, who have 
built lives in this country and have none elsewhere, committing small-
time crimes years ago as teenagers and finding themselves in 
deportation proceedings. This is just one example of an American 
immigration system that proves illogical, demands fixing, and provides 
blanket judgment as opposed to reasoned case-by-case due process.
  As we forestall meaningful action on immigration, good Americans 
suffer. I urge that we get back to work on this most imperative issue, 
and do what's right for this country and its residents.

                          ____________________