H.R. 4437 was passed by the US House of Representatives on December 16th, 2005 and was sent on to the Senate, where it is currently in committee. This bill, which was introduced by Rep. Sensenbrenner, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for "other purposes."

HR 4437 would make it a felony offense to be in the U.S. without proper documentation. This would push undocumented immigrants further underground, and increase the potential for exploitation by employers. This bill would also criminalize nurses, teachers, clergy, social workers, and anyone else who aids, assists, or otherwise has regular contact with undocumented immigrants. Read Carlos X's PNN report about how HR 4437 would affect his life.

A Rally for Immigrant Rights/ Manifestacion Pro-Inmigrante will be held on Saturday, February 25th, from 12pm to 3pm at the St. Elizabeth's Schoolyard on the 1500 block of 34th Ave. in Oakland's Fruitvale District. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the Minutemen vigilantes and the “Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act” –HR 4437—and committed to a non-compliance of its provisions. It is expected that HR 4437 will reach the US Senate for debate in late February or early March. There will be a Call-In Week to tell Senators to oppose this bill from Monday, February 6th to Friday, February 10th.

Some local immigrant rights organizations: East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy | National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights | La Raza Centro Legal | Poor Magazine