WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (ADC)- ADC Legal Advisor Carol Khawly gave testimony on immigration and special registration at a congressional briefing on November 4, 2003. The briefing included a panel discussion on "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties" at the Longworth House Office Building, in Washington DC. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) hosted the panel with Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA).
Click here to read the testimony.
Khawly represented the Arab-American and Muslim-American community, and discussed the discriminatory immigration regulations and executive policies of the post 9/11 national security campaigns, and the resulting decrease in civil rights and civil liberties for all. In particular, Khawly‘s testimony addressed the problems and failures of NSEERS (National Security Entry-Exit Registration System) otherwise known as Special "Call In" Registration, and the possible replacement of NSEERS by an even larger entry—exit system known as US VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program). Khawly also made recommendations that could help prevent the targeting of people based on ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or color in the future, and protect people‘s civil rights while enhancing our nation‘s national security.
Agenda for Briefing
- Post 9/11 Civil Rights – Katherine Newell-Bierman, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
- Immigration and Special Registration – Carol Khawly, American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee
- Comprehensive Immigration Reform – J. Traci Hong, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium.
- Racial Profiling – Faiz Rehman, National Council of Pakistani Americans
- Hate Crimes & Discrimination in the Workplace – Preetmohan Singh, Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Taskforce.