Immigration Bill to impact on Guyanese in USA

Dear Editor,
The Republican-dominated US House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the bicameral legislature, adopted last Thursday a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants. If it becomes law, it would have a significant effect on Guyanese in the US, leading to their deportation and difficulties to return to the US.
Those who commit minor offences, like driving under influence of alcohol, using drugs, or evading transportation fare on buses or trains, could be arrested and deported. There are thousands of Guyanese living illegally in the US. Some Guyanese were arrested and deported for minor offences.
US President Donald Trump supported the proposed new measure, but Democrats voted against the bill, criticizing it for targeting immigrants who are not a threat to society and who may have legitimate reasons to live illegally in the US — like escaping terror or ethnic or religious persecution in their home country, or a natural disaster.
“Although people who illegally re-enter the country do so to reunite with their families or to flee violence or persecution, this bill considers them all dangerous criminals who deserve lengthy prison sentences,” said New York Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler in comments carried in the media.
Immigration activists say the bill is a threat to civil liberties because it profiles people on account of ethnicity.
The House voted 228 to 195, largely along party lines, to pass the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act”, which would withhold some federal grants to what are known as “sanctuary city” jurisdictions that do not comply with certain federal immigration laws. These sanctuary cities help to protect illegals from federal agents by not turning them over to the Feds for imprisonment and deportation. Some mandirs have agreed to provide sanctuary for illegals.
The “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act” prohibits sanctuary cities from adopting policies that restrict police officers from asking individuals about their immigration status or the immigration status of others.
By a vote of 257 to 167, the House also passed “Kate’s law”, to increase penalties for illegal immigrants who return to the United States. It is named for Kate Steinle, who was shot dead in San Francisco in 2015 by an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times. In praising the bills, Trump tweeted, “These were bills I campaigned on and that are vital to our public safety and national security.”
Under the laws, illegal immigrants would face mandatory detention for past convictions of an expanded number of offences, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Before becoming law, both identical bills will need approval from the Senate and to be signed by the President. The Republicans have a two-seat majority in the Senate, but several Republican Senators are opposed to some aspects of both bills; so passage in the Senate is not guaranteed.

Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram