Text size:

Sen. to fight new bill on immigrants

Clinton calls proposed criminalization of aid to undocumented immigrants 'mean-spirited,' saying 'Jesus himself' would be found a felon

BY GLENN THRUSH AND J. JIONI PALMER | Newsday Washington Bureau

March 23, 2006

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says that "Jesus himself" would be judged a criminal under a "mean-spirited" GOP immigration proposal that makes it a felony to help or hire undocumented immigrants.

Clinton, meeting with immigration advocates in Manhattan yesterday, vowed to fight a House bill making it a crime to enter the country illegally or assist illegal immigrants. Such conduct is now a misdemeanor.

"It is certainly not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures," the New York Democrat said of the measure, which is being considered in the Senate. "This bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself."

Her comments evoked a furious rebuke from the bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), who suggested that Catholic leaders opposed to the measure "should spend more time protecting little boys from pedophile priests."

"I hope Hillary's a better senator than a theologian," said King, who is chairman of the House homeland security committee. "She's facilitating clerics who have a martyrdom complex and slandering good people such as myself. She's actually an accessory to a slander and a calumny."

In recent days, church officials have said the measure would force them to turn away undocumented immigrants seeking food, shelter, counseling or medical treatment.

King is Catholic; Clinton is Protestant.

King said his legislation, which passed the House in December, is intended to punish smugglers and employers who exploit undocumented immigrants and not to target Good Samaritans or clerics.

He has said he'd support cutting the felony provision after the Senate passes an immigration reform bill.

In addition to stiffening penalties for aiding illegal immigrants, King's legislation would increase the number of Border Patrol agents, erect a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and require mandatory detention of people attempting to cross illegally.

King supported a GOP-sponsored amendment striking the felony provision, but voted to include the criminal sanction after the amendment failed.

Clinton, who supports some border-tightening, hasn't backed Senate legislation, including more moderate bills without the felony provision offered by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

President George W. Bush wants a guest worker program to let undocumented immigrants already in the country keep their jobs for up to six years, an idea that has run into opposition within his own party.

Peter Clark of the Washington bureau contributed to this story.