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Status of Congressional Legislation for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
July 11, 2005
On May 12, comprehensive immigration reform legislation, The Secure America and Orderly Immigration
Act of 2005, was introduced in both houses of the United States Congress. The McCain/Kennedy Bill
in the Senate and the Kolbe/Flake/Gutierrez Bill in the House are identical in language. The Act
is a bipartisan effort as staff from McCain, Kennedy, Kolbe, Flake and Gutierrez's
offices drafted it together. (Representative Gutierrez is a Democrat from Chicago and chairs the House Hispanic Caucus.)
The current focus is on getting co-sponsors for both bills with an intentional effort to keep the number of Republican and Democrat cosponsors equal in order to re-enforce the bipartisan nature of this bill. The current strategy is for the Bill to be heard and voted upon first in Senate, perhaps this Fall, and then to be heard in the House in 2006.
The Arizona Interfaith Network (AIN) organizations are leading the effort in Arizona to build
understanding of the need for real immigration reform. The McCain/Kennedy Bill is responsive to
this need. A second major bill may be introduced in July by Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Kyl (R-AZ).
The Arizona Congressional Delegation and the State of Arizona are "Ground Zero" for real immigration reform. Other organizations with which AIN is working include the New American Opportunities Campaign, a broad-based coalition of businesses, religious organizations and diverse community groups.
AIN organizations are conducting Institutes of Public Life (IPL) across the State. These educational sessions are providing an opportunity for citizens to reflect on how and why our immigration policy is broken and to develop their own understanding of why real immigration reform is so critical to our communities, our state and our nation.
For more information on the McCain/Kennedy Bill, click here.
For Statements in Support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, click here.
For Statement on Immigration Reform adopted by Arizona Judicatory Heads and Clergy, click here.
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