Bishop says House intelligence bill will harm immigrants

Published: 2004-09-30

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration has asked members of Congress to eliminate "several provisions which are extremely harmful to immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees to this country" in the House of Representatives intelligence reform bill. Among provisions opposed by the chairman, Coadjutor Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fla., were more stringent alien identification standards, elimination of due process safeguards against arbitrary deportations and a section that would let U.S. authorities return people seeking asylum from torture to the country where they were tortured. H.R. 10, titled "9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act," is intended to reform U.S intelligence and security operations in light of the recent findings and recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission. It was introduced Sept. 24 by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. In a letter Sept. 29, sent on behalf of his USCCB committee to all members of the House, Bishop Wenski said the provisions the committee opposes reach "far beyond the recommendations and content of the commission's report."

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