Speech #1090174940

That is where we are at the present time. We will vote on this tomorrow. There is no debate about our immigration system being broken and in need of repair. All of us at this point understand that reform is essential. The choice we confront is whether we will answer that call with a decisive vote in favor of comprehensive reform or whether by failing to do so we will defer to the House of Representatives. which has an enforcementonly approach. I listened to Dr. Land today. who is the President of the Southern Baptist Organizationnot recognized as being either a Democrat or liberal figuretalk about the morality of this issue and also about the immorality of the House approach. He commented on a joint press conference he read with great particularity and with the language which is the approach of the House of Representatives included in terms of its immigration bill. He was pointing out that any person of the cloth who cares for the least among us. whether it is food. clothing. or a stranger. any act of general humanity. would be accused of aiding and abetting an undocumented and. under their language. he concluded could be both arrested. tried. and convicted. He spoke enormously eloquently about the morality of that particular House legislative approach and its inappropriateness. and compared it to the fugitive slave law wherein innocents were helping free slaves in the mid1800s. The recent report of the Independent Task Force on Immigration calls immigration the oldest and newest story of the American experience. Immigration has always been part of our history. It is in our blood and genes. In the beginning. immigrants helped to build our country. make it strong. loved America. and fought under our flag with great courage. Over 70.000 permanent residents have fought in Afghanistan and in Iraq. A number have won medals for bravery and courage. Generations of immigrants have settled here. found a nation that rewarded their hard work. respected their religious beliefs. and enabled them to raise their families. Immigrants today are no different. They work hard. they practice their faith. they love their families. and they love America. Today. more than 60.000 immigrants serve in the U.S. military. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. giving their lives for America on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. That has always been the American story.