Legislation
What Will Congress Do on Immigration in September?
Today, Congress returned to work after its annual August recess. While September promises to be a busy month for the lawmakers, especially given that the Senate is in session for only twelve days and the House for ten, it is unlikely that immigration will be high on their “to do”… Read More
Congressional Hearings Highlight Need for Practical, Comprehensive Solutions That Promote Public Safety
The tragic murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco this month prompted Congress to schedule two hearings this week—one held today in the Senate Judiciary Committee and another scheduled for Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee. While several family members of victims shared their heart-wrenching stories of loss… Read More
DHS Secretary Johnson Testifies to House Judiciary Committee About Detainers
On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson testified to the House Judiciary Committee—his first appearance in Congress since the tragic killing of Kate Steinle in San Francisco. Secretary Johnson faced Congressional representatives who repeatedly supported making immigration detainer requests mandatory. Johnson responded by repeatedly emphasizing “cooperation” with local authorities, rather than mandated detention. Read More
One Year Later: Government Officials Request Lawyers for Immigrant Children and More Judges
On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security committee held a hearing examining the U.S. government’s response to last year’s arrivals of unaccompanied children fleeing Central American violence. Despite continuing disagreements between Senators as to the cause of the increased numbers of children fleeing their homes, two solutions received uniform… Read More
Congress Pursuing Anti-Immigrant Agenda in 2015
Americans—77 percent, according to a recent Public Religion Research Institute poll—want Congress to take action on immigration reform. In the last Congress, comprehensive reform passed the Senate by two to one, and received 192 supporters in the House. Yet the new Congress in 2015 has turned the… Read More
After Earthquake in Nepal, Bill Introduced to Grant Temporary Protected Status to Nepalese Nationals
One form of humanitarian assistance the United States can offer to Nepal, a country now recovering from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that flattened buildings and killed more than 7,000 people, is temporary protected status (TPS) for Nepalese nationals who currently are in the United States. Last week, several members… Read More
Senate Hearing on Border Security Targets Transnational Crime
At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, which was titled “Securing the Border: Assessing the Impact of Transnational Crime,” lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were largely in agreement as to what the biggest security problem is along the northern and southern… Read More
House Judiciary Committee Signs Off on Comprehensive Mass Deportation Plan
Although comprehensive immigration reform was not brought to a vote by House of Representatives, the public still overwhelmingly and consistently supports reform. Yet yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would take the opposite approach—not only repealing President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, but imposing the most… Read More
House Judiciary Considers Same Costly, Enforcement-Only ‘Reform’
The House Judiciary Committee devoted two days this week to the markup of three enforcement-only immigration bills. The legislation would strip much-needed protections from an already vulnerable population–including children and asylum seekers–impact the agriculture industry, place burdensome requirements on small business owners, and cost the American taxpayer a lot of… Read More
House Funds Homeland Security Through September
The House voted to approve a measure Tuesday to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, the rest of the fiscal year. The bill, which originally passed the Senate on Friday, is a “clean” funding bill without any amendments attempting to defund President Obama’s executive actions. The House vote… Read More
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