File #: Res 1186-2003    Version: * Name: Denounce the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003 (CLEAR Act of 2003)
Type: Resolution Status: Filed
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
On agenda: 12/3/2003
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the City Council to denounce the CLEAR Act of 2003 (the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003), H.R. 2671, an act that mandates state and local law enforcement agencies enforce federal immigration laws and begin detaining undocumented immigrants for deportation.
Sponsors: Hiram Monserrate, Helen D. Foster, Kendall Stewart, Bill Perkins, Miguel Martinez, Sara M. Gonzalez, Charles Barron, John C. Liu, Maria Baez, Letitia James, Margarita Lopez, Jose M. Serrano, Yvette D. Clarke, Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., Eric N. Gioia, Robert Jackson, G. Oliver Koppell, Joel Rivera, James Sanders, Jr., Helen Sears, David Yassky
Council Member Sponsors: 21
Res. No. 1186 Title Resolution calling upon the City Council to denounce the CLEAR Act of 2003 (the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003), H.R. 2671, an act that mandates state and local law enforcement agencies enforce federal immigration laws and begin detaining undocumented immigrants for deportation. Body By Council Members Monserrate, Foster, Stewart, Perkins, Martinez, Gonzalez, Barron, Liu, Baez, James, Lopez, Serrano, Clarke, Comrie, Gioia, Jackson, Koppell, Rivera, Sanders, Sears and Yassky Whereas, America is a nation made up of mostly immigrants who have tirelessly toiled within this great nation to make it what it is; and Whereas, New York City owes much of its growth and character to its traditional role as the point of entry and settlement for immigrants from all over the world and today is the most diverse city in the world, with immigrants and their children making up as much as 60 percent of the city's population of 8 million; and Whereas, Since 9/11, immigrants have been increasingly targeted and detained in violation of their liberty and human rights inappropriately, as the federal government now recklessly and erroneously conflates immigration status with criminality and hostility to the US; and Whereas, Hardworking immigrants and their families detest such acts of terrorism as any other Americans; and Whereas, Representative Norwood has introduced H.R. 2671, the CLEAR Act (the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003), an act that mandates state and local law enforcement agencies enforce federal immigration laws and begin detaining undocumented immigrants for deportation; and Whereas, Sections 103, 104 and 105 of the act unnecessarily criminalize immigrants for even minor violations of the immigration laws and such Sections, additionally, violate our fundamental right to privacy, by placing the names of immigrants in the National Crime Information Center database and sending the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security very detailed information on such immigrants; and Whereas, The authorization of $1,000,000,000 per year to finance the act is an egregious use of taxpayer dollars during our time of fiscal crisis when such funds could be better spent on creating jobs, educating our children and ensuring our health; and Whereas, This City has a great tradition of welcoming immigrants, and has passed laws to protect them from this type of harassment, and passage of this bill is an affront to all citizens of this City; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York denounces the CLEAR Act of 2003 (the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003), H.R. 2671, an act that mandates state and local law enforcement agencies enforce federal immigration laws and begin detaining undocumented immigrants for deportation. LS# 2840 9/12/03 MT |1013|