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. ____
Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019
This bill would close a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), which has prevented internationally-adopted children, who are now adults, from receiving U.S. citizenship despite being raised by American parents. This is a companion bill to the House version of the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 introduced by Representative Adam Smith (D – Washington).
Sponsored by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) (3 cosponsors – 1 Republican, 2 Democrats)
05/22/2019 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Blunt
H.R. 2820
Dream Act of 2019
This bill would provide immigration status to eligible young immigrants, who were brought to the U.S. as children without authorization, known as Dreamers.
Sponsored by Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-California) (0 cosponsors)
5/17/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Roybal-Allard
5/17/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
5/22/2019 Passed the House Committee on the Judiciary in a 19-10 vote
H.R. 2821
American Promise Act of 2019
This bill would provide immigration status to eligible Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders.
Sponsored by Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-New York) (1 cosponsor – 1 Democrat)
5/17/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Velazquez
5/17/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
5/22/2019 Passed the House Committee on the Judiciary in a 20-9 vote
H.R. 549
Venezuela TPS Act of 2019
This bill would allow Venezuelan nationals to become eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States.
Sponsored by Representative Darren Soto (D – Florida) (30 cosponsors – 3 Republican, 27 Democrats)
1/15/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Soto
1/15/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
5/22/2019 Passed the House Committee on the Judiciary in a 20-9 vote
H.R. 2946
This bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for certain additional means of qualification for the Visa Waiver Program.
Sponsored by Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-Illinois) (1 cosponsor – 1 Republican)
5/23/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Lipinski
5/23/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2955
Prohibiting Local Airports from Neglecting Enforcement (PLANE) Act
This bill would withhold federal grants from airports that violate grant agreements, including refusal to cooperate with government entities, such as U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
Sponsored by Representative Gary Palmer (R-Alabama) (43 cosponsors – 43 Republicans)
5/23/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Palmer
5/23/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 2973
Arrest Statistics Reporting Act
This bill would require the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit annual reports regarding certain demographic information on arrested immigrants.
Sponsored by Representative Mo Brooks (R-Alabama) (3 cosponsors – 3 Republicans)
5/23/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Brooks
5/23/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
H.R. 2988
This bill seeks to ensure State and local compliance with all Federal immigration detainers on immigrants in custody.
Sponsored by Representative Lance Gooden (R-Texas) (9 cosponsors – 9 Republicans)
5/23/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Gooden
5/23/2019 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary and Education and Labor
H.R. 2989
This bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that any immigrant who has been convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors is deportable.
Sponsored by Representative Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) (10 cosponsors – 10 Republicans)
5/23/2019 Introduced in the House by Representative Gosar
5/23/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be out of session the week of Monday, May 27, 2019.
UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
There are no immigration-related hearings scheduled for the week of Monday, May 27, 2019.
THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK
Federal
House Judiciary Advances Legislation to Protect Dreamers, TPS Holders
The House Judiciary Committee marked up and advanced two bills on May 22 that would allow Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders who meet certain requirements to stay in the U.S. The committee passed the Dream Act of 2019 (H.R. 2820) by a party-line 19 to 10 vote. The bill would provide Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, an opportunity to stay in the U.S. and earn eventual citizenship if they meet certain requirements. The committee debated a number of amendments to the bill that would have restricted its eligibility, but none of the proposed amendments were adopted. Later in the evening, the committee passed the American Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 2821), which would allow TPS holders and DED recipients to earn permanent legal status, by a party-line 20 to 9 vote. The two bills are expected to be rejoined as a single bill, the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), before heading to the House floor for a possible vote in early June.
The committee also passed the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019 on May 22. The bill would grant TPS protections to qualifying Venezuelan nationals currently in the U.S. as a response to the ongoing unrest in Venezuela.
Trump Administration Sets New Record for Immigration Detention as DoD Approves New Tent Cities; Requests Additional $1.4 Billion for Migrants at the Border
On May 20, BuzzFeed reported that 52,398 migrants, including nearly a thousand families, are currently being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), well beyond the 45,000 detention beds that Congress agreed to fund for fiscal year (FY) 2019. It is also the largest number of ICE detainees in history and a represents a considerable increase from two weeks ago when the agency reported around 49,000 migrants in its custody. The Trump administration has been transferring money from other security programs in order to fund these higher levels of detention.
In addition to the record number of ICE detention beds, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan’s approved DHS’s request for construction of temporary tent cities for about 7,500 adult migrants in ICE custody at six locations along the border. While the Department of Defense won’t operate the shelters, it will provide and construct the tents. The new camps will be set up in Tucson and Yuma areas of Arizona and in Tornillo, Donna, Laredo and Del Rio in Texas. The administration will determine the timeline and cost of the construction within next two weeks, following its site assessment.
Previously, on May 17, the Trump administration requested another $1.4 billion funding to address the situation at the Southern border. The new request would be in addition to $2.9 billion in emergency money it already requested in early May as part of an overall package of $4.5 billion in supplemental border spending. Democrats have expressed openness to additional funding for the care of children, but have objected to additional funding for immigrant detention, given the already record high levels of detention.
Detention Conditions under Fire as Democrats Call for Investigations of Child Migrant Deaths; Reports of Adults Being Held in Solitary Confinement
Following reports of the fifth and sixth deaths of migrant children in federal custody in the last eight months, two dozen Democratic senators led by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) sent letters to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Inspector General on May 22, demanding an investigation of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The letter asked the authorities to focus on the facilities’ conditions for minors, family units, and other vulnerable populations. The reports also led to condemnations of the administration from House Democrats, who also called for investigation.
Separately, on May 21, NBC News reported that a number of adult ICE detainees have been placed in solitary confinement despite not violating any rules. According to government documents, only half of the individuals placed in isolation were being punished for rule violations, while the remainder consisted of those placed in solitary confinement for “safety reasons,” including mentally ill, disabled and LGBTQ migrants, as well as those who reported abuse in the detention.
About 6,000 Migrants Await Immigration Hearings in Mexico Under “Remain in Mexico” Policy
On May 21, CNN reported that the administration has returned approximately 6,000 asylum seekers to Mexico, where they await their immigration hearings, a significant increase from May 9 when approximately 3,700 had been returned. The migrants have been sent to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, that allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to prevent migrants from entering the U.S., instead requiring them to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases proceed.
According to a separate report from Buzzfeed, wait times for migrants sent to Mexico under MPP significantly exceed the 45 days migrants were told they would have to wait for asylum hearings. Reportedly, some of the asylum seekers have their initial hearings scheduled for as late as June 2020, more than a year after being returned to Mexico.
CBP implemented the MPP as a pilot program at the San Ysidro border crossing near San Diego in January 2019 and subsequently started to expand its implementation at more ports of entry along the Southern border. Immigration advocates tried to block the effort but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on May 7 that the Trump administration can continue to implement MPP while the it is being challenged in federal court.
Trump’s New Memo Calls For Reimbursement of Immigrants’ Federal Benefits By Their Sponsors
On May 23, President Trump released a memorandum directing the U.S. immigration agencies to require companies and individuals who sponsor immigrants for their visas to reimburse the government for federal benefits received by those they sponsor. With some exceptions, the memo requires the sponsors to pay back for benefits the immigrants received under Medicaid, SNAP, TANF and other programs. The new policy builds on a 23-year old statutory provision that limits immigrants’ ability to obtain federal benefits. Immigration advocates stress that the measure will disadvantage low-income immigrants in need of assistance especially after their arrival in the U.S. Immigrants are already excluded from receiving many federal benefits, with a recent report from the Cato Institute showing that immigrants are less likely to use federal benefits and, when they do receive them, they generally collect less than native-born Americans.
Cuccinelli to Join Trump Administration in Immigration Position
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-Virginia) will be joining the Trump administration as an immigration adviser at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The White House confirmed the news on May 21 after initial reports suggesting Cuccinelli may serve as an “immigration czar,” coordinating policies across the government’s agencies. When Cuccinelli will start at the advisory post has been unclear thus far.
Immigrant advocates have expressed concern about Cuccinelli serving in the role, which does not require Senate confirmation. As an elected official in Virginia and subsequently as a political commentator, Cuccinelli has expressed support for the controversial Arizona SB 1070 immigration law, called for an end to birthright citizenship, and has called for a larger role for the U.S. military along the border.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
There were no immigration-related government reports released in the week of Monday, May 20, 2019.
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
Facebook Live Webinar: Humanitarian Crisis at the Southern Border
In this Facebook Live webinar, the National Immigration Forum’s Director of Policy and Advocacy Jacinta Ma and World Relief’s U.S. Director of Church Mobilization Matthew Soerens discuss what can be done to solve the challenges government officials and migrants face at the Southern Border and whether recent proposals by policymakers and elected officials would be effective in addressing the crisis.
American Dream and Promise Act: Bill Summary
This is a summary of the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6), which would provide Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and individuals with Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) with protection from deportation and an opportunity to stay in America if they meet certain requirements.
Restaurant Sector: Immigrants Are Indispensable to U.S. Workforce
This infographic focuses on immigrants in the U.S. restaurant sector, highlighting key facts about their demographics, income, and contribution.
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*This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Zuzana Cepla, National Immigration Forum Policy and Advocacy Associate, with comments and suggestions of additional items to be included. Zuzana can be reached at zcepla@immigrationforum.org. Thank you.