///Rapid Response 01/31/08
The SAVE Act

With the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform last year, politicians have abandoned the search for true solutions to our nation’s broken immigration system. Instead, they are proposing inhumane, deportation-only legislation. One of those proposals which is gaining momentum is the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act, which was introduced in November of 2007.

The SAVE Act (H.R. 4088 and S. 2368) would:

• Permanently force employers to rely on an inaccurate verification system for all employees, without any safeguards against racial profiling, misuse, privacy, or error;
• Increase the Border Patrol and investigative personnel (recruiting former military personnel and using Defense Department equipment) which would cost taxpayers billions of dollars, has proven ineffective, and will do nothing to fix our broken immigration system;
• Increase imprisonment of asylum seekers and other immigrants, including children, while ignoring the lack of humanitarian standards in detention centers; and
• Divert local police resources from community safety and force them to act as immigration officers, which will result in racial profiling and unreported crime.
  

The Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program is requesting our help in letting Senators and Representatives know of our opposition to this bill. You are asked to contact your Senators and Representative directly or do so through the CWS/IRP advocacy Web site at http://capwiz.com/churchworld/go/SAVEAct.