TomPaine.com - Sneak Attack On Civil Liberties
TomPaine.com - Sneak Attack On Civil Liberties:
"Lawmakers yesterday (6-17-05) forced what was originally known as the Real ID bill through the House of Representatives; it's scheduled to pass the Senate next week. Didn't hear much debate over this sweeping bill before it passed? That's because there wasn't any. This version of the Real ID Act never received a hearing in either chamber of Congress. In a particularly odious trick, it was tacked on to the $82 billion supplemental appropriations bill which was designed to fund U.S. troops in Iraq. That bill must pass; thus the Real ID Act gets a free ride without any serious or conscientious discussion. The New York Times sharply criticizes the maneuver, saying, 'Attaching a bad bill to a vital one is a sneaking business, making it nearly impossible for thoughtful members of Congress to vote against it.' The legislation does little to keep Americans safe; nothing in the bill involves major reform to immigration policies. Instead it's a poorly conceived, hasty piece of legislation which targets asylum seekers, puts a huge burden on states to clean up a federal mess and grants overreaching powers to the Department of Homeland Security.
SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF PROOF: Thanks to the Real ID Act, it will become more difficult for people persecuted for their religious beliefs to receive asylum in the United States. The legislation shifts the burden of proof of persecution onto the shoulders of applicants. For example, it requires documented evidence of torture, something 'people on the run rarely have.' (As the ACLU put it, that's like asking 'asylum seekers to prove what amounts to … a note from their persecutor.') As a result, many refugees tortured, raped and brutalized on the basis of their race, national origin or political opinions would be turned away."
Link...
"Lawmakers yesterday (6-17-05) forced what was originally known as the Real ID bill through the House of Representatives; it's scheduled to pass the Senate next week. Didn't hear much debate over this sweeping bill before it passed? That's because there wasn't any. This version of the Real ID Act never received a hearing in either chamber of Congress. In a particularly odious trick, it was tacked on to the $82 billion supplemental appropriations bill which was designed to fund U.S. troops in Iraq. That bill must pass; thus the Real ID Act gets a free ride without any serious or conscientious discussion. The New York Times sharply criticizes the maneuver, saying, 'Attaching a bad bill to a vital one is a sneaking business, making it nearly impossible for thoughtful members of Congress to vote against it.' The legislation does little to keep Americans safe; nothing in the bill involves major reform to immigration policies. Instead it's a poorly conceived, hasty piece of legislation which targets asylum seekers, puts a huge burden on states to clean up a federal mess and grants overreaching powers to the Department of Homeland Security.
SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF PROOF: Thanks to the Real ID Act, it will become more difficult for people persecuted for their religious beliefs to receive asylum in the United States. The legislation shifts the burden of proof of persecution onto the shoulders of applicants. For example, it requires documented evidence of torture, something 'people on the run rarely have.' (As the ACLU put it, that's like asking 'asylum seekers to prove what amounts to … a note from their persecutor.') As a result, many refugees tortured, raped and brutalized on the basis of their race, national origin or political opinions would be turned away."
Link...
posted by A. J. Franklin @ 09:41
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