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A case in point is the recent conviction of Rev. Frank Almonte, who spent 10 days in a Pennsylvania Federal penitentiary for bringing into the U.S., (U.S. $7) seven dollars worth of appetite enhancing tablets for his 12 year old son. Rev. Almonte, was finally acquitted of all criminal charges after he and his family determination about his admissibility to the U.S. The INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRANTS FOUNDATION takes this opportunity ti appeal to all the community based organizations, media, religious groups elected officials, and all other individuals and groups who cherish and uphold the rights of immigrants to join forces in support of our Petition Drive. Finally, we sincerely believe that the vision of a strong, vibramt, open, and tolerant America should not be dimmed by the extreme excesses of the recently enacted INS Act of 1996 restrictions. Our major obligation is to uphold America's tradition as a nation of immigramts and a land of equal opportunity by seeking an acceptable balance between openness and regulation in shaping our immigration policies. Thanks to increasing economic prosperity and the emerging influence of New American voters this important goal should not be hard to achieve. As an organization with an enduring appreciation of immigrants that cherishes a philosophy of "we" rather than "us versus them", we believe that the legalization the INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRANTS FOUNDATION is proposing provides a realistic and humanitarian alternative to the violation of basic codes of human dignity and social justice perpetrated by the IIRIRA provisions. This solution is also inspired by our Founding Fathers' faith in "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" that have policy as envisioned in the immortal words of Emma Lazarus on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". Edward Juarez-Pagliocco,
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