May 10, 2001
James Landrith
Letter to Senator John Warner
Regarding H.R. 1266
Similar Letter Sent to Senator George Allen and Representative James P. Moran
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May 10, 2001
The Honorable John William Warner
United States Senate
225 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4601
Dear Senator Warner:
I am writing you today on the very serious issue of the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) use of "secret evidence" in legal proceedings as a means of denying immigrants their rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
INS' use of such a flagrantly un-Constitutional concept resembles the police-state tactics of such totalitarian regimes as Cuba, North Korea, China and Soviet-era Russia. The use of "secret evidence" has no place in a free society such as ours. It is not only immoral, it is un-American to act in such a manner.
I urge you to introduce or co-sponsor legislation similar to H.R. 1266, which was introduced into the House by Representatives David Bonior, Bob Barr, John Conyers, Tom Davis, Sheila Jackson-Lee, John Dingell, Patrick Toomey, Cynthia McKinney, Maurice Hinchey and Edolphus Towns on March 28, 2001. H.R. 1266, which is attached, ensures that no "alien is removed, denied a benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act, or otherwise deprived of liberty, based on evidence that is kept secret from the alien."
If this nation is to remain a beacon of liberty and justice we must end the hideous practice of using "secret evidence" to deny due process rights to immigrants. This legislation is a necessary protection for immigrants from the more totalitarian influences of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Sponsorship of a bill similar to H.R. 1266 would not only restore some meaning to the Fifth Amendment, it would also send a gentle reminder to INS that they work for a constitutional republic, not a totalitarian regime. Senator Warner, help us restore some accountability to the INS bureaucracy by ending the use of "secret evidence" now!
Sincerely,
James A. Landrith, Jr.
Editor & Publisher,
The Multiracial Activist
and The Abolitionist Examiner
https://www.multiracial.com/
cc:
- Hala Maksoud, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Laura Murphy, American Civil Liberties Union
Jacob G. Hornberger, The Future of Freedom Foundation
Steve Dasbach, Libertarian Party