Lieberman Celebrates Connecticut Immigrant Day
Lieberman Celebrates Connecticut Immigrant Day
Senator Joe Lieberman today made the following statement celebrating Connecticut's ninth annual Immigrant Day, which included a conference by Rep. Felipe Reinoso, a forum about immigrant children at Hartford Public Library and an Immigrant Day celebration at the state Capitol:
"Today's Ninth Annual Immigrant Day will go down as a historic moment in the struggle for immigrants' rights, and in the mobilization of this nation's vibrant Latino community. This month, we have witnessed a grassroots movement of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of them Hispanic, united in support of a comprehensive and sensible solution to our current immigration crisis.
"The immigrants rallying today here in Connecticut are proud of their heritage, but ready to embrace the values of America. Just as waves of immigrants have come from around the world throughout America's history, new Hispanic immigrants want the American people to know that they are here to enrich our society. They have enriched the nation, and they have enriched the state of Connecticut. They have come to our country for the same reason that my grandparents came --for freedom, opportunity, and a better life for their children.
"Your government must hear you, and it must act. For years I have pushed for comprehensive immigration reform. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the McCain-Kennedy bill. And I will not support any legislation that does not provide undocumented immigrants a path to legal residency and citizenship.
"I also strongly reject HR 4437, the harsh and punitive legislation that the House passed last year. The House bill would criminalize 11 million undocumented immigrants, and the compassionate people who help them. It would push deeper into the darkness those who already live in the shadows - and it would turn Good Samaritans into outlaws. How would that solve the problem? Those provisions are cruel. I stand with you in rejecting them, and I will fight them in the Senate.
"Earlier this month, the Senate nearly took a big step in passing a progressive comprehensive immigration reform. I stood with Senators Ted Kennedy, John McCain, and others in pushing for that bill to pass. I was sorely disappointed when that effort stalled, but I am determined to move forward, and I believe that with your help we will prevail.
"We have reached a crossroads in the national debate over immigration. Our nation has welcomed massive waves of immigrants throughout its history - immigration has made our nation great. In the coming months Congress and the President can make an historic pronouncement that will be heard for decades to come. We must hear your call to action. We must find a way to welcome those who want nothing more than to be Americans."
http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=254010&&