Washington D.C., Sep 29, 2004 / 22:00 pm
New legislation implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission is "extremely harmful to immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees," says the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' migration committee.
Bishop Thomas Wenski, coadjutor of Orlando, wrote a letter, urging members of the U.S. House to oppose certain sections of the bill. He says a number of provisions in the bill “will have serious ill effects on immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to this nation without necessarily making our nation safer.
"Many reach beyond the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission report,” he observes.
The bishop underlined that the bill would require aliens in the United States to use only a foreign passport or identification issued by the U.S. Department of Justice or Department of Homeland Security. Consular identification cards, issued by foreign governments, would no longer be allowed.