Subject: oppose HR 10's changes to identity cards and asylum procedures, and its creation of banned groups To: "The American Civil Liberties Union" From: "The American Civil Liberties Union" Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 01:02:15 -0400 (EDT) Thank you for using The American Civil Liberties Union Mail System Message sent to the following recipients: Mr. Capuano Message text follows: Matthew Belmonte [address] September 29, 2004 [recipient address was inserted here] [recipient name was inserted here], I urge you to oppose the current House intelligence reform bill (H.R. 10) that would likely create what amounts to a national identification card, drastically curtail basic fairness in the nation’s immigration system and expand on the PATRIOT Act. The USA PATRIOT Act should not be expanded. More than 356 communities in 42 states have passed resolutions against the PATRIOT Act’s most infamous provisions and there has been widespread opposition to any expansion of the government powers that would infringe on the Constitution. This legislation is another such attempt to increase the powers of the government and invade privacy with elements from earlier PATRIOT Act II proposals. This bill punishes benign or even well-intentioned membership in a group. HR 10 would amend the crime of providing “personnel” as a form of support to a designated terrorist group to include providing oneself - in other words, mere association or membership in the group could be a crime, even if no money or other resources are provided. It would apply even to person that has nothing to do with the group’s violent activities and even to a member that is trying to persuade the group to give up violence. A national identity system would depend not only on the issuance of an identity card but also on the integration of huge amounts of personal information included in state and federal government databases. Software errors and clerical mistakes or malfeasance could take away an person's ability to move freely from place to place, or even make them unemployable until the government repaired their file. This bill would require asylum seekers to "corroborate" claims of persecution. Unsurprisingly, asylum seekers have difficulty obtaining corroborating documents from the very government or group that is persecuting them. Again, I urge you to oppose the current House intelligence reform bill which would promote the creation of a de facto national identity card, drastically curtail basic fairness in the United States immigration system, and expand on the USA PATRIOT Act. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter. Regards Matthew Belmonte