| 
Partial Transcript -- Lou Dobbs Tonight
November 16, 2005 -- Read Entire TranscriptThis show aired November 15, 2005 - 18:00 ET
[...]
There is outrage tonight over a new law passed by Congress that actually protects religious institutions from prosecution if they shelter illegal aliens.
The author of the law says it protects the church from liability. Opponents say it allows churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions to harbor illegal aliens without the risk of prosecution for doing so.
Casey Wian has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When President Bush signed the agriculture appropriations bill into law last week, few noticed it contained an unrelated provision that exempts religious groups from prosecution if they use illegal aliens as volunteers or missionaries.
The amendment was added by Utah Senator Robert Bennett at the request of attorneys for the Mormon Church.
SEN. ROBERT BENNETT (R), UTAH: If ICE for whatever reason has decided not to pick them up, and they are still in this country doing volunteer work for a charitable organization, the charitable organization should not be held liable for having them there while they're doing that work.
WIAN: In a statement, the Mormon Church says this narrow exception to the Immigration Act allows people of all faiths to fulfill their religious obligations. The law does not change the legal status of the undocumented persons or provide them a safe haven from the enforcement of the immigration laws.
KRIS KOBACH, LAW PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: I think this is a case of solving a problem that doesn't exist. A church that accidentally shelters someone who's an illegal alien and they didn't know it, is really not going to be prosecuted under the criminal law as it existed before this.
WIAN: Some say the new law provides cover for religious groups seeking to harbor terrorists, such as at the mosque that engineered the first World Trade Center bombings in 1993. Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo found out about the amendment after the fact, and is now seeking to overturn it. He says, this provision opens a hole in our immigration system so big, a terrorist could drive a truck bomb through it.
Senator Bennett counters that there's nothing in his amendment preventing the prosecution of religious groups who harbor terrorists.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIAN (on camera): Now Senator Bennett also says the amendment was approved informally by the Department of Homeland Security's congressional relations staff, and by the Judiciary Committees of both the House and the Senate.
Lou.
DOBBS: Well, of course those committees are the ones who are not demanding accountability for our borders, or for enforcement of our immigration law. And of course, Homeland Security is the one who has such tight control of our borders, that three million illegal aliens crossed the border unimpeded last year.
WIAN: A lot of people say churches should not be charged with enforcing immigration laws. They wouldn't have to if we had true border security and inland enforcement, Lou.
DOBBS: And we we've learned, just charging any institution, governmental, private or even religious with obeying or enforcing the law seems to be a waste of time in this country, anyway. Perhaps that will change.
WIAN: For now at least.
DOBBS: Casey Wian, thank you very much. Reporting from Los Angeles.
[...]
|