THIS WEEK'S SENATE HEARINGS

This week Senate immigration hearings in Miami and Washington cut through the smoke screen of the House Know-Nothing/Do-Nothing hearings and focused the nation's attention back on the immigrant contribution to the United States Armed Services and the real need for comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

On Monday in Miami, the Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony from the Honorable David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; General Peter Pace, USMC Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Honorable Emilio T. Gonzalez, DirectorU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Honorable Alfred Rascon, Former Director of Selective Service; and Professor Margaret D. Stock, Associate Professor of Constitutional and Military LawUnited States Military Academy.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from The Honorable Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce; Mr. Michael W. Cutler, Fellow, Center for Immigration Studies; Mr. Benjamin Johnson, Director Immigration Policy Center; Dr. William F. McDonald, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, and Co-Director, Institute of Criminal Law and Procedure Georgetown University Law Center; and Mr. Niall O’Dowd, Founder and Chairman, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform.

In other news, here is a recent article that debunks the fear-based anti-immigrant rhetoric of the Know-Nothings.