Washington – Rep. Tom Tancredo on Wednesday moved to repeal a new law crafted by a Utah senator that exempts religious groups from some immigration laws, and rebuffed the senator’s request to work together on a revision.
“By repealing this dangerous law, we will send a clear message to terrorists plotting against our country: no church, no synagogue, no mosque, no religious group of any kind will be a safe haven for terrorism,” said Tancredo, R-Littleton.
The law in question, passed as part of a funding bill for the Agriculture Department, insulates religious groups from prosecution for shielding or transporting illegal immigrants who are church volunteers or missionaries. It was crafted by Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah.
Bennett met with Tancredo on Wednesday to explain what he thought was a misunderstanding over the law, Bennett’s spokeswoman Mary Jane Collipriest said.
Bennett, she said, “suggested that they might slow down the press-release battle and spend some time between now and January … reworking the language in a way that might satisfy both sides.”
Bennett and his staff attorney told Tancredo that the law essentially was created for the Mormon Church, which enlists many volunteers.
But Bennett failed to dissuade Tancredo from working to repeal the measure, Tancredo spokesman Will Adams said.
“We don’t think we can sit on something this dangerous,” he said, adding that Tancredo still believes the law could allow terrorists to use a religious group as cover.
