New York City - Recognizing Joseph I. Lieberman’s (D-Conn.) tremendous
efforts on behalf of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, HIAS, the
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, will present him with its highest honor,
the Liberty Award, at a ceremony in Washington May 23.

The award honors an individual “who has made a substantial contribution to the furtherance of peace and freedom.”

Senator Lieberman has been leading the push to ensure that
Comprehensive Immigration Reform improves the treatment of asylum
seekers in the United States. In every confirmation hearing of
Department of Homeland Security nominees, he has been the only senator
to persistently raise the asylum issue and demand fairer treatment of
those who have fled persecution.

“Senator Lieberman is one of the Senate’s most vocal and articulate
champions for individuals who have fled persecution,” says Mark
Hetfield, HIAS’ new senior vice president for policy and programs .
“Senator Lieberman’s bi-partisan leadership on national security
issues, together with a strong reputation for integrity and
credibility, has made his role as an asylum advocate all the more
valuable.” Lieberman is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland
Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Senator Lieberman has authored two amendments to Comprehensive
Immigration Reform that would require more appropriate conditions of
detention for those asylum seekers who are detained, provide for
administrative review to prevent asylum seekers from being detained
arbitrarily, and address inconsistencies in asylum referrals in the
Expedited Removal process.

“HIAS has
had over the 125 years of its existence a number of strong supporters
in the White House as well as in Congress,” says Jerome Teller, chair
of the HIAS board of directors. “Joe Lieberman stands out for us as a
particularly strong advocate for the rights of refugees and
asylum-seekers, and we are humbled that he has agreed to accept the
HIAS Liberty Award.”

Past recipients of the award have included
President Harry Truman, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, Nobel
laureate Elie Wiesel, political scientist Jeanne Kirkpatrick, New
Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.), New York Times editor A. M. Rosenthal, U.S. Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R- N.Y.), and Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham.