WHEREAS, The US House of Representatives passed H.R. 4437 on December 16, 2005 by a vote of 239-to-182. The bill is expected to reach the Senate in the coming month; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 4437 would make illegal immigrants felons and punishable by prison time if apprehended; and
WHEREAS, The bill contains provisions that deputize local law-enforcement officers to enforce federal law and round up illegal residents. It is estimated that there are10 million illegal immigrants currently living within the United States; and
WHEREAS, Under the bill’s section entitled, “Alien Smuggling and Related Offenses,” “alien smugglers” include employers, churches and charities who hire or help illegal immigrants; and
WHEREAS, The bill would make it a felony to shield or offer support to undocumented immigrants, even unknowingly; and
WHEREAS, The Sensenbrenner-King bill would increase fines against employers who hire illegal workers, in some cases by tens of thousand of dollars per violation; and
WHEREAS, Senator John McCain and Senator Edward Kennedy have drafted alternative legislation that would ultimately allow undocumented immigrants to become legal residents; and
WHEREAS, By not taking into consideration the economic contributions made by working illegal immigrants, the Sensenbrenner-King bill has the potential to hurt our national economy. Furthermore, the bill unreasonably targets US citizens who help or employ undocumented immigrants; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,
That the City Council of Philadelphia does hereby urge the United States Senate to oppose and defeat the
Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act
of 2005
drafted by US Representatives James Sensenbrenner and Peter King.
End