Such electioneering defames us as a nation. If fully implemented, the immigration bill will deny protection to refugees, it will strip the courts of the power to stop illegal INS actions and it will undermine the rights of all workers. The measure also sets time limits on asylum seekers regardless of their circumstances. Guttentag said immigrant rights groups and the immigrant community should not panic. Many of the provisions in the legislation have not gone into effect, and immigrants should continue to seek legal assistance.
People still have rights.
If they encounter border patrol and INS personnel, they have the right to remain silent and not to answer questions. The worst thing at this moment is for any immigrant to stop seeking help or guidance. They should contact immigrant rights groups to be informed of their current rights. Mark Rosenbaum, legal director of the ACLU of Southern California who is part of the coalition blocking the implementation of Prop. 187 in California, called the new law an opportunistic assault against basic due process and equal protection guarantees. These lies surface in times of turmoil.