Explanation
Title
To oppose United States House of Representatives Bill 4437 because of its potentially divisive and difficult impacts upon our city.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus is a community committed to tolerance of all people regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, ancestry, or national origin, and
WHEREAS, Columbus is home to an extensive network of social service providers that strive to lift up all members of our community, and
WHEREAS, On December 16, 2005 the United States House of Representatives approved Bill 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Act, that makes it a federal felony to be an undocumented immigrant living and working in the United States, and
WHEREAS, House Bill 4437's broad definition of "smuggling" would allow the federal government to prosecute almost any American having casual contact with an undocumented immigrant, and
WHEREAS, House Bill 4437 could potentially make criminals out of local social service providers and church groups that provide food, shelter or other assistance to undocumented immigrants, social workers who assist undocumented workers who are victims of domestic abuse, co-workers that give an undocumented immigrant a ride to work and a U.S. citizen who is living with a spouse who is an undocumented immigrant, and
WHEREAS, House Bill 4437 could hamper the provision of vital city services by diverting limited homeland security funding away from our police and fire first responders to enforcement of the proposed law, and
WHEREAS, By criminalizing all undocumented aliens, they and their families will no longer know whether they can contact the police to help them in an emergency, and
WHEREAS, House Bill 4437 is now under consideration in the United States Senate; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That Congress should defeat House Bill 4437 and instead consider more compassionate alternative...
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