BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED
S. 731
Anti-Border Corruption Improvement Act
This bill seeks to speed up the hiring process for Customs and Border Protection applicants by removing the polygraph test for certain applicants, which is a current requirement in the CBP hiring process.
Sponsored by Senator Martha McSally (R-Arizona) (1 cosponsor – 1 Republican)
03/07/2019 Introduced in the Senate by Senator McSally
03/07/2019 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
06/19/2019 The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced S.731 by voice vote
S. 1004
Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act of 2019
The bill would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire at least 600 additional port of entry officers a year until staffing needs for the Office of Field Operations (OFO) are met.
Sponsored by Senator Gary Peters (D-Michigan) (9 cosponsors – 4 Republicans, 5 Democrats)
04/03/2019 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Peters
04/03/2019 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
06/19/2019 The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced S.1004 by voice vote
S. 1900
Emergency Border Supplemental
The bill would make emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, providing $4.59 billion to address the humanitarian situation at the border.
Sponsored by Senator Richard C. Shelby (R-Alabama) (0 cosponsors)
06/19/2019 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Shelby
06/19/2019 Referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations
06/19/2019 The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill in a 30-1 vote
H.R. 2740
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2020
This bill would fund the Departments of Labor, HHS and Education and other agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2020, including their refugee, asylum and other immigration-related responsibilities.
Sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) (0 cosponsors)
05/15/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative DeLauro
06/10/2019 House Rules Committee reported the bill to the House
06/12/2019 House debated and considered amendments to the bill
06/19/2019 House passed H.R. 2740 by 226 – 203
H.R. 3312
Family Reunification Act of 2019
This bill would provide immigration protection for individuals with family or employer ties and protect them from removal as they wait for a visa.
Sponsored by Representative Adriano Espaillat (D – New York) (1 cosponsor)
06/18/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Espaillat
06/18/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. ____
Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training (ENLIST) Act
This bill would allow Dreamers, individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children without authorization, to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) after they enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sponsored by Representative Josh Harder (D – California) (18 cosponsors – 3 Republicans, 15 Democrats)
06/20/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Harder
To Offer Refugees College Help (TORCH) Act
This bill would expand affordable access to a college education for refugees, people who have been granted political asylum, and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders from Iraq and Afghanistan who assisted the U.S. Armed Forces, by providing for in-state tuition in the states where they reside.
Sponsored by Representative Jared Hoffman (D – California) (29 cosponsors – 29 Democrats)
06/20/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Hoffman
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate will be in session the week of Monday, June 24, 2019.
The U.S. House of Representatives will be in session Monday, June 24, 2019 through Thursday, June 27, 2019.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Unprecedented Migration at the U.S. Southern Border: The Exploitation of Migrants through Smuggling, Trafficking, and Involuntary Servitude
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. (Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee)
Location: SD-342 Senate Dirksen Building
Witnesses: TBD
Building A More Dynamic Economy: The Benefits of Immigration
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 10 a.m. (House Committee on the Budget)
Location: 210 Cannon House Office Building
Witnesses:
Tom Jawetz, Vice President, Immigration Policy, Center for American Progress
Abdirahman Kahin, Owner, Afro Deli
Dr. Sari Pekkala Kerr, Senior Research Scientist, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College
The Honorable Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, Yuma, Arizona
THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK
Federal
Appropriations Bills Advance
On June 19, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a bipartisan border supplemental package, providing a total of $4.59 billion to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, in a 30-1 vote. Nearly $2.9 billion from the package will go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that cares for unaccompanied immigrant children. The bill also includes funds for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) agencies. The bill is now on its way to the Senate floor, where it will need 60 votes to pass. The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged to call a standalone vote on the supplemental before the Congress breaks for the July Fourth recess that starts on June 28. The House Appropriation Committee is expected to vote on its version of the bill as soon as the week of June 24.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $1-trillion spending bill for the Departments of Labor, HHS and Education and other related agencies for FY 2020 on June 19 along party lines by 226 to 203. The bill exceeds President Trump’s budget request for domestic programs and rejects his full budget increase for the Defense Department. The House is also finishing its second minibus that provides funding for the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Agriculture, Transportation and other agencies for FY 2020. The legislators hope to vote on the $383-billion package by June 25. The House is unlikely to vote on the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security before the recess.
Acting ICE Director Confirms Operation to Target Undocumented Families for Deportation
President Trump has reportedly directed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to begin immigration raids in up to 10 large U.S. cities, including Houston, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles for several days beginning Sunday, June 23. The Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Mark Morgan confirmed the operation, providing more details on a previously-proposed plan. The enforcement action is expected to specifically target 2,000 migrant families who have gone through their legal proceedings, have received final removal orders, and have failed to report to immigration agency field offices for deportation.
The plan was originally under consideration earlier this year before it was blocked by former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and former ICE Acting Director Ronald Vitiello, who claimed they needed more time and preparation to conduct the effort. Nielsen and Vitiello resigned from their positions in April.
Trump’s Advisor Kushner Discusses Bipartisan Asylum Deal With Senators Graham and Durbin
On June 18, President Trump’s advisor Jared Kushner met with Senators Dick Durbin (D – Illinois) and Lindsey Graham (R – South Carolina) to discuss potential bipartisan deal on asylum laws. The meeting followed Senator Graham’s decision to postpone a markup of his Secure and Protect Act of 2019 in the Senate Judiciary Committee that was scheduled for June 20. As originally introduced, the Graham’s bill would make the Flores Settlement Agreement that sets the current standards for detention of migrant children inapplicable, and thus allow for longer detention of children. It would also amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) to allow for expedited deportations of unaccompanied migrant children (UACs) from noncontiguous countries. In addition, it would require asylum seekers to apply for protections at refugee processing centers in Central America and Mexico, and the U.S. authorities to hire new immigration judges.
U.S. Terminates Aid to Central America
The State Department announced the termination of its aid to the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador on June 17. The Department plans to cut the region’s funds until the countries take actions to decrease the number of migrants coming to the U.S. border. The reduction follows President Trump’s order from March 30.
The State Department officials said that while the $432 million in aid for fiscal year (FY) 2017 will continue, the U.S. will withhold $185 million from the FY 2017 aid and entirely suspend the about $370 million that were allocated to the region for FY 2018. The State Department pledged to work with Congress to reprogram the Central American aid to other foreign policy priorities. Future funds for FY 2019 and FY 2020 will be conditional.
U.S. Plans to Limit H1-B Visas For Countries Imposing Data Restrictions on Foreign Companies
On June 19, Reuters reported the United States has informed India that foreign countries requiring American businesses to store data about the foreign country’s residents in the foreign country may be subject to caps on the number of H-1B visas their nationals can receive. India, which receives about 70 percent of all H1-B visas (for high-skilled workers), has been implementing strict new rules on data storage. The U.S. reportedly plans to lower the India’s share of the 85,000 visas issued each year to 10 or 15 percent. There are currently no country-specific caps on H-1B visas. The announcement comes after India recently increased tariffs on certain U.S. goods, including almonds, apples and walnuts, following the U.S. withdrawal of key trade concessions. The State Department has denied that the Trump Administration is considering capping the visas.
Record Numbers of African Asylum Seekers Approach U.S. Southern Border
The U.S. Border Patrol reported historically high number of African migrants approaching the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. In one week, the officers stopped over 500 African migrants traveling in separate groups across the Del Rio sector in Texas. That is more than twice as many as were detained along the entire Southern border during the fiscal year 2018 (218 migrants). The migrants apprehended in Texas were mostly from the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola, but the waiting list to request asylum at the border crossing in Tijuana includes applicants from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritania and Sudan.
Legal
Massachusetts Judge Temporarily Stops Certain ICE Courthouse Arrests
On June 20, a federal U.S. District Court judge in Boston granted a preliminary injunction, blocking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from civilly arresting immigrants coming to, attending or leaving the Massachusetts courts who are on “official business” as defendants or witnesses. The judge explained in her decision that ICE arrests around the courthouse could prevent defendants from vindicating their rights if they are either taken into custody before appearing in court or if their witnesses are too fearful to appear at the court.
State and Local
Governor Cuomo Signs Bill Granting Undocumented Immigrants Access to Driver’s Licenses
On June 18, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the Green Light Law, granting undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain noncommercial driver’s licenses and learner’s permits. The bill narrowly passed the New York State Assembly prior to Governor Cuomo’s signature. Prior to signing the bill, Governor Cuomo expressed concern that the bill would create a list of undocumented immigrants that could easily be accessed by federal immigration agencies. Advocates of the law state that the law mitigates stigma against undocumented immigrants, allows undocumented immigrants to contribute to the economy without fear of deportation, and increases safety by granting licenses to undocumented immigrants who are already driving. The law, which will take effect in 6 months, is estimated to bring in $34 million in recurring annual revenue to the state, and $15 million in one-time revenue.
The law has sparked resistance by New York Republicans who have stated that it incentivizes illegal immigration and creates openings for voter fraud. An Erie County Clerk has also stated that he will not issue licenses required by the law and is seeking legal representation to sue the state of New York.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
There were no immigration-related government reports published during the week of Monday, June 17, 2019.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
For Employees: If You Encounter Immigration Agents
This article helps immigrant workers understand what to do if they encounter immigration agents at work or at home.
Refugees: Who are they and what’s their impact on the U.S.? (Video)
This Facebook live conversation with Jana Mason, Senior Advisor, U.S. Government and External Relations at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Kara Kebu, Employment Manager, World Relief Triad, covers global refugee resettlement and the value refugees bring to economies and communities in the U.S.
Solutions to Manage and Process Central American Migrants
This document compares the National Immigration Forum’s policy recommendations to address the increase of Central American migrants at the Southern border to ideas proposed by the Trump administration, the Secure and Protect Act (S. 1494), the United States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act (H.R. 2615) and the Humanitarian Upgrades to Manage and Assist our Nation’s Enforcement (HUMANE) Act (S. 1303/H.R. 2522).
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*This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Zuzana Cepla, National Immigration Forum Policy and Advocacy Manager, with comments and suggestions of additional items to be included. Zuzana can be reached at zcepla@immigrationforum.org. Thank you.