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Senate Democrats Unveil Democrats-Only
Framework for Immigration Reform
By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, April 30, 2010 -- 12:45 pm EDT
A group of five Senate Democrats held a press conference on Thursday, Apri 29, 2010, at which they unveiled a Democrats-only framework for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). The five senators released a 26-page document, spoke about why they felt Senate action was so necessary, and invited their Republican colleagues to come to the table with them and work on CIR legislation on a bipartisan basis.
Participating in the April 29 press conference were Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security Chairman Charles S. Schumer (D-NY), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
The move by the five Democrats occured just two days before immigrant advocates around the country were scheduled to take to the streets for a number of May 1, 2010, demonstrations to demand introduction of CIR legislation.
The framework calls for more federal enforcement agents and other border security-tightening benchmarks before illegal immigrants could become legal U.S. residents.
Majority Leader Reid said, "Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing; our immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed." But I say to my Republican colleagues, work with us to fix this broken system, secure our borders, and do the other things that we have to do. Don't just say no. We agree the immigration system is broken. So let's work together to fix it in a bipartisan way."
Reid said that the framework that the Democrats were unveiling is based on the bipartisan negotiations that Senator Schumer has been engaged in for months and that those negotiations are built on bipartisan work that has been performed in previous years, including the work of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). HHe said the framework was being offered as "an invitation to our Republican colleagues to work with us to solve this problem that has plagued our country for too long.
Reid called the framework "a good faith effort to move forward." He asked Republicans to "come and talk with us... work with us."
President Barack Obama reacted positively to the framework, saying in a statement, "[t]he proposal outlined today in the Senate is a very important step in the process of fixing our nation’s broken immigration system. I am especially pleased to see that this detailed outline is consistent with the bipartisan framework presented by Senators Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham last month, and is grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability.
The President's statement went on to say, "[w]hat has become increasingly clear is that we can no longer wait to fix our broken immigration system, which Democrats and Republicans alike agree doesn’t work. It’s unacceptable to have 11 million people in the United States who are living here illegally and outside of the system. I have repeatedly said that there are some essential components that must be in immigration legislation. It must call for stronger border security measures, tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants and clearer rules for controlling future immigration. And it must require those who are here illegally to get right with the law, pay penalties and taxes, learn English, pass criminal background checks and admit responsibility before they are allowed to get in line and eventually earn citizenship. The outline presented today includes many of these elements. The next critical step is to iron out the details of a bill. We welcome that discussion, and my Administration will play an active role in engaging partners on both sides of the aisle to work toward a bipartisan solution that is based on the fundamental concept of accountability that the American people expect and deserve.”
President Obama Suggests Congress May Not Have the Appetite to Tackle Immigration Reform This Year
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 29, 2010 -- 9:40 am EDT **Updated on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 11:52 pm EDT**
President Obama said yesterday that he didn't want to force a tough political fight this year on a comprehensive immigration bill, especially with climate and energy legislation about to be considered in the Senate and the midterm elections looming in the next few months.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, to reporters while aboard Air Force One, the President said "there might not be an appetite" in Congress this year to tackle comprehensive immigration reform legislation. "It’s a matter of political will," the President is quoted as saying. He added, "[t]his is a difficult issue. It generates a lot of emotions . . . I need some help on the Republican side."
The President went on to suggest that Congress might not have the stomach for another tough battle after the bruising fight over health care and the prospect of another battle over climate change legislation. The President said, "[w]e've gone though a very tough year and I've been working Congress very hard, so I know there may not be an appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue."
During his remarks, the President praised negotiations on CIR that had been taking place until recently between Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) . He said he doesn't "want to do something for the sake of politics that doesn't solve the problem." He said he would like to see a working group of lawmakers from both parties put together "serious legislation that solves the border problem and solves the wide range of issues that we face under immigration reform in a way that can garner the support of the American people."
Click on the play button, above to see video of the President's remarks.
Dueling Capitol Hill Press Conferences on Immigration
from Republicans and Democrats
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 29, 2010 -- 11:15 am EDT
Republicans and Democrats held dueling Capitol Hill press conferences on Wednesday, April 28, on the subject of immigration.
Democrats took to the podium to express outrage over the recently enacted Arizona immigration enforcement bill and support for comprehensive immigration reform. And Republicans (joined by Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) took to the podium to demand that President Obama deploy National Guard on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Click on the play buttons below to see video montages of the two press conferences, courtesy of CNN:
President Obama Reiterates and Expands On His Opposition to the Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill and His Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform While Cabinet Officials Talk of Legal Action Against Arizona Law
By Micheal E. Hill Wednesday, April 28, 2010 -- 9:35 am EDT
President Barack Obama yesterday amplified his remarks from last week on the recently enaacted Arizona immigration enforcement law, calling the measure "misguided" and warning it could lead to racial profiling. The President's remarks were made on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at a town hall meeting in Iowa. During his appearance, the President said that a Hispanic American whose family had been in the United States for generations faced a situation in which "now suddenly if you don't have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you can be harassed, that's something that could potentially happen. That's not the right way to go," the president said, calling the law "poorly conceived."
The President also pushed comprehensive immigration reform during his appearance, saying "[t]he only way it's going to happen if Democrats and Republicans come together and do this because this is such a volatile issue." He pledged that "I will bring the majority of Democrats to the table, but we have to have help from the other side."
Click on the play button, above to see video of the President's remarks.
In the meantime, both Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., indicated that there was a real possibility that the Administration may intervene on the legal front to prevent the Arizona law from being implemented.
Click on the play buttons, below to see video of Attorney General Holder, who spoke on the subject at a April 27, 2010, press conference, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who spoke on the matter at an April 27, 2010, hearing in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano Comments on Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the Arizona Enforcement Bill During Appearance
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 27, 2010 -- 2:36 pm EDT
**Updated on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 10:40 am EDT**
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today touted the Administration's immigration enforcement efforts, called for the enactment of comprehensive immigration reform, criticized the new Arizona immigration enforcement law, and said that the Department of Justice currently is reviewing the controversial Arizona measure to detemine if it is susceptible to a constitutional challenge.
Secretary Napolitano's remarks were made in response to questioning at a Tuesday, April 27, 2010, Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the operations of the Department of Homeland Security. The Secretary was questioned extensively on such questions as the recently enacted Arizona immigration enforcement law, comprehensive immigration reform, 287(g) programs, interior immigratoin enforcement matters, the treatment of trafficking victims found in the United States, and southwest border issues. The Secretary's responses to questions about the Arizona immigration enforcement law were the most extensive remarks that any Obama Administration official has made to date on the Arizona law.
Click on the link below to see video of the entire Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Click on the play buttons, below to see video excerpts of the question-and-answer sessions involving Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and orrin Hatch (R-UT):
Graham Digs In His Heels as He Completes His Abandonment of
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
By Micheal E. Hill
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 -- 9:45 am EDT In a move that has thrown the prospects for Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation into serious jeopardy, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) yesterday made it incontravertably clear that he has abandoned the issue for the remainder of the 111th Congress.
Senators and staff members held numerous meetings on Monday in an effort to clarify what Graham meant when he sent a weekend letter to supporters of climate change legislation in which he declared his efforts on that issue over if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) move a CIR bill though the Senate prior to moving climate control legislation. Early in the day, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), one of Graham's climate change collaborators, expressed optimism that Graham was only concerned about the sequence of the Senate's consideration of climate change and immigration legislation. Majority Leader Reid made an effort to rescue the situation by making it clear that the Senate could, indeed, take up the climate change bill before taking up a CIR bill. However, late in the day, Senator Graham completed his walk away from CIR legislation, making it clear that he was not merely concerned about the order in which the Senate takes up immigration and climate change legislation but, rather, he wanted a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that CIR legislation will be shelved altogether for the remainder of the 111th Congress. Said Graham to a group of reporters, "[h]ow much clearer can I be? Immigration brought up this year is nothing but a political stunt that will divide the country." The South Carolina senator went on to say that CIR legislation "has no chance in hell of passing" during the remainder of the 111th Congress. "Nobody believes it will pass, right? Does anybody believe it will pass? I don't believe it will pass." Not stopping there, Senator Graham continued, saying, "I think I've made it perfectly clear that if you bring up immigration you're breaking faith with me." He added, "[t]he faith was broken when immigration was interjected in the 11th hour."
Senator Graham was the sole Republican who had agreed to work with Senator Schumer to draft a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Losing him may mean that Democrats will be forced to either abandon CIR altogether for the remainder of the 111th Congress or draft a measure with no Republican cosponsors. The latter of those two options would make it exceedingly difficult for Democrats to assemble the 60 votes they would need to bring a CIR bill before the full Senate.
Senator Graham has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday. All of official Washington will be watching.
Immigration Continues to Dominate the Cable Talk shows
By Micheal E. Hill
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 -- 2:00 am EDT **Updated on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 11:40 am EDT** In a further sign that immigration continues to be one of the top issues facing Washington, almost all of the cable political shows aired extensive segments on immigration on Monday, April 26. Like the Sunday programs of the past week, the discussions on immigraton focused both on the new immigration enforcement law in Arizona and the push for comprehensive immigration reform.
The Olberman show conducted an extensive interview with Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force. The Maddow show examined the origins of SB 1070, as well as delved into the origins of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which her show contends was one of the prime authors of the legislation.
Click on the play buttons, below to see segments that aired during MSNBC's April 26, 2010 "Countdown with Keith Olberman" and "The Rachel Maddow Show:"
Countdown with Keith Olberman
The Rachel Maddow Show
Senators McCain and Kyl Take to the Senate Floor to Defend the Arizona Immigration Enforcement Law and Promote Their Ten-Point Plan for
Securing the U.S. Border with Mexico
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 26, 2010 -- 7:10 pm EDT
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) took to the floor of the Senate on Monday, April 26, to promote the ten-point plan on border security that they released in early April and defend the recently enacted Arizona immigration enforcement bill.
The two senators announced the plan on Monday, April 10, 2010, at a press conference in Washington, DC. They were joined at their announcement by several Arizona sheriffs, including the sheriffs of Cochise County and Pinal County. Their plan includes immediate deployment of 3,000 National Guard service members to the Arizona border with Mexico; the completion of 700 mles of fencing along the Arizona border with Mexico; full funding and implementation of Operation Streamline; the hiring and deployment of 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents by 2015, and millions of federal dollars to help local law enforcement deal with border crime.
Since McCain and Kyl released their 10-point plan plan, Arizona has enacted SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” which has been the subject of great controversy and criticism, and Senator McCain has been quoted pledging to block Senate consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation during the remainder of the 111th Congress.
Click on the Play button, above to see video of the remarks by Senators McCain and Kyl on the Senate floor:
White House Staff Add to President Obama's Friday Remarks on Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 26, 2010 -- 4:28 pm EDT **Updated on Monday, April 26, 2010 at 6:50 pm EDT**
On Friday, April 23, 2010, President Obama commented on comprehensive immigration reform and the controversial Arizona immigration enforcement law during remarks he made at a Rose Garden naturalization ceremony. Since the President made his comments on Friday morning, Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) has signed the landmark Arizona measure into law, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has once again threatened to throw a wrench into the machinery that is attempting to bring a a comprehensive immigration reform bill before the full Senate. While the President has not commented on either issue since Friday, his staff began to do so today.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded somewhat inconclusively to questions posed to him about comprehensive immigration reform and the Arizona immigration enforcement bill during his Monday, April 26, 2010, White House Daily Briefing.
Click on the play buttons, below to see video of the exchanges between members of the White House press corps and Gibbs on immigration during the April 26 briefing:
Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, was interviewed on MSNBC's "Daily Rundown" on the subjects of comprehensive immigration reform and the Arizona immigration enforcement bill.
Click on the play button, below to see video of her comments:
Another Week of Hearings and Markups In Store As the Aftermath of Arizona and the Politics of CIR Dominate Behind the Scenes Action
on Immigration and Refugee Legislation
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 26, 2010 -- 2:59 am EDT
Five hearings on immigration matters and at least one markup of a refugee-related bill are on Congress's schedule for the week of April 26, 2010. However, despite a relatively heavy list of scheduled events, two matters that are not on the schedule will likely dominate Congress's immigration agenda during the week: the aftermath of the enactment of a tough new immigration enforcement law in Arizona and the continuing soap opera over whether and when the Senate will take up comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation.
Arizona
As the week of April 26 began, pro-immigrant advocates around the country were preparing lawsuits seeking to enjoin Arizona from carrying out the just enacted “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act." Also, prompted by a suggestion from Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), pro-immigrant avocates are busy organizing an economic boycott against the State of Arizona and its businesses to protest the new law. Members of Congress, too, are weighing in on the new Arizona law, with hardly an interview occuring in which a Member or Senator is not asked about the measure.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
On the CIR front, an already tumultous behind-the-scenes picture became even more muddy over the weekend as Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ), the erstwhile GOP champions of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate, continued to back away from previous expressions of support and a number of other GOP senators expressed their opposition to taking up CIR legislation.
Hearings, Markups, and Floor Action
In the meantime, Congress is entering week three of a seven week-long stretch that is expected to be dominated by jobs bills and skirmishing on budget and appropriations matters. Although three immigration- and refugee-related bills have cleared their respective committees and could be taken up by the full Senate at any time, this week's immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity is likely to be limited to five hearings (three in the House and two in the Senate) and a Senate markup of a bill that contains a number of refugee admissions and processing reforms.
Immigration Dominates the Sunday Morning Talk Shows
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 26, 2010 -- 9:35 am EDT
In a sign that immigration has become one of the top issues facing Washington, almost all of the Sunday morning news programs aired extended segments on immigration on Sunday, April 25, 2010. The discussions on immigraton focused both on the new immigration enforcement law in Arizona and the push for comprehensive immigration reform.
Click on the play button, below to see video of a discussion between Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of CNN's "State of the Union":
Click on the play button, below to see video of a discussion on immigration between Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press":
Click on the play button, below to see video of the panel discussion on immigration on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press":
Click on the play button, below to see video of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) comments on immigration on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of Fox News Channel's "Fox News Sunday":
Click on the play button, below to see video of Senate the panel discussion on immigration that aired on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of Fox News Channel's "Fox News Sunday":
Click the play button, below to see video of the panel discussion on immigration that aired on the Sunday, April 25, 2010, edition of ABC's "This Week":
Senator Graham Ups the Ante on Comprehensive Reform, Threatening to Abandon Efforts on Climate Change if Democrats Move a CIR Bill This Year
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 26, 2010 -- 12:01 am EDT **Updated on Monday, April 26, 2010 at 11:20 am EDT**
In a move that could endanger a fragile commitment recently made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bring comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation before the full Senate this year, Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) threatened over the weekend to abandon bipartisan efforts he is leading on climate change if Senate Democrats attempt to move a CIR bill through the Senate during the remainder of the 111th Congress. Majority Leader Reid responded to the Graham threat by first, slightly backing away from earlier suggestions that CIR legislation will move through the Senate before a climate change bill does, and second, saying the American people expect Congress to do both climate change and immigration reform and that he will not let Senator Graham play one issue off of the other.
Up until this weekend, Senator Graham was the sole GOP senator who had stepped up to the plate so far during the 111th Congress to champion CIR legislation. For the last year, he has partnered with Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security Chairman Charles Schumer (D-NY) in writing a framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation, negotiating details of the legislation, meeting with GOP senators to advance the proposal, and talking with the media about it. However, Senator Graham began to back away from the effort right around the time the Senate began its final push for health care reform, and he has been tacking hard in the opposite direction ever since. His most recent move represents a new and dangerous escalation of his movement away from CIR legislation. At the time of this writing, neither Majority Leader Reid nor any Senate Democrats working on immigration reform or climate change legislation had commented on the Graham threat.
Senator Graham leveled his climate change threats in a letter that he sent to advocacy organizations he had been working with on climate change. In the letter, the Senator wrote, "[m]oving forward on immigration — in this hurried, panicked manner — is nothing more than a cynical political ploy." He continued, writing, "I know from my own personal experience the tremendous amounts of time, energy, and effort that must be devoted to this issue to make even limited progress.’’
The Graham climate change letter was particularly harsh in its assessment of the Democrats on immigration. In one passage, the Senator wrote, "[i]n 2007, we spent hundreds of hours over many months with President Bush’s Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, and nearly every member of the U.S. Senate searching for a way to address our nation’s immigration problems. Unlike this current “effort,” it was a good-faith attempt to address a very difficult national issue." He continued, writing, "[s] ome of the major provisions we embraced in 2007 -- such as creation of a Virtual Fence using cameras, motion detectors and other technological devices to protect our borders -- have been scrapped for the time. Other issues we found agreement on at the time, such as a temporary guest worker program, have unraveled over the past three years. Expecting these major issues to be addressed in three weeks -- which appears to be their current plan based upon media reports -- is ridiculous. It also demonstrates the raw political calculations at work here. Let’s be clear, a phony, political effort on immigration today accomplishes nothing but making it exponentially more difficult to address in a serious, comprehensive manner in the future.
After Graham's announcement, Majority Leader Reid issued a statement saying both immigration and climate were important. Said Reid in his statement, "[i]mmigration and energy reform are equally vital to our economic and national security and have been ignored for far too long. As I have said, I am committed to trying to enact comprehensive clean energy legislation this session of Congress. Doing so will require strong bipartisan support and energy could be next if it's ready. I have also said we will try to pass comprehensive immigration reform. This too will require bipartisan support and significant committee work that has not yet begun." Reid continued, writing, "I appreciate the work of Senator Graham on both of these issues and understand the tremendous pressure he is under from members of his own party not to work with us on either measure. But I will not allow him to play one issue off of another, and neither will the American people. They expect us to do both, and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other." Significantly, the Reid statement also appeared to commit to putting any CIR bill through the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Committee before floor consideration, a process that could add a number of weeks to the debate before a bill could be brought before the full Senate.
Governor Brewer Signs Controversial Arizona
Immigration Enforcement Bill Into Law
By Micheal E. Hill Friday, April 23, 2010 -- 5:25 pm EDT
Saying "we in Arizona have been more than patient, waiting for Washington to act," Governor Jan Brewer (D-AZ) today signed a controversial immigration enforcement bill into law.
The Arizona Senate sent the controversial measure to the Governor for her consideration on Monday, April 19, 2010, passing the measure by a vote of 17-11. She had the option of signing it, vetoing it, or do nothing and allow it to become law. She made the decision to sign the meaure, doing so at a Friday, April 23, 2010, press conference.
The controversial measure that is now law was considered in the Arizona legislature as SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.” As enacted into law, SB 1070 makes it a crime for an undocumented alien to be present in the state of Arizona; requires permanent residents to always have their immigration papers on them; requires law enforcement officers who have a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant to determine that person's immigration status "when practicable; permits persons to be detained on suspicion that they are in the country illegally; makes it illegal to solicit work as a day laborer or to hire day laborers; makes it illegal to transport a person who is in the country illegally; prevents any government agency from formulating policies to prevent enforcement of immigration laws; and permits citizens to sue if they believe a law enforcement agency is failing to enforce the immigration law."
SB 1070 has been the subject of intense scrutiny during the period between the moment the Arizona Legislature cleared it for Governor Brewer's consideration and the point at which she signed it. It was fiercely opposed by civil rights, religious, business, labor, and ethnic organizations.
The measure will almost certainly be the subject of numerous law suits, seeking to prevent its implementation. Indeed, Phil Gordon, the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, indicated on Friday that he will immediately file a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the implementation of the bill. Said the Gordon in a prepared statement on the morning that the Governor signed the bill, "[a]s the mayor, I am putting an item on the agenda to authorize the city attorney to prepare a lawsuit to file on the grounds that it's unconstitutional."[i]f she thinks the extremists are going to vote for her because she allowed Russell Pearce and Joe Arpaio to pull her strings, she's made a major strategic mistake."
Click on the Play button, above to see a report on the bill signing that ran on KTVK-3 in Phoenix, Arizona:
President Obama Criticizes Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill
Pushes Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Instructs Staff
to Examine Civil Rights and Other Implications of Arizona Bill
By Micheal E. Hill Saturday, April 24, 2010 -- 2:45 pm EDT
President Obama on Friday criticized the Arizona immigration enforcement bill, saying he had instructed his staff to study its civil rights implications. The President's remarks were made as he addressed 24 U.S. service members in the Rose Garden of the White House. The 24 servicemembers had just taken the oath of allegiance and become United States citizens.
In his remarks, President Obama said, "our failure to act responsibly at the Federal level will only open the door to irresponsibiliy by others. That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans as well as the trust between the trust between the police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe. In fact, I have instructed members of my Administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legisation. But if we continue to fail to act at a Federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country."
Click on the play button, below to see video of President Obama's remarks relating to the Arizona immigration enforcement bill:
Click on the play button, below to see video of President Obama's remarks relating to comprehensive immigration reform:
Click on the play button, below to see video of President Obama's complete remarks at the Rose Garden naturalization ceremony:
Decision Day In Arizona
By Micheal E. Hill Friday, April 23, 2010 -- 8:25 am EDT
Governor Jan Brewer (D-AZ) is expected sometime today to announce her decision on whether she will sign or veto a controversial immigration enforcement bill that the Arizona Legislature sent her earlier this week. While the Governor has not publicly indicated which way she will go on the measure, KTAR Radio in Phoenix is reporting this morning that the Governor has decided to sign the measure and that she will do so sometime this afternoon.
The Arizona Senate sent the controversial measure to the Governor for her consideration on Monday, April 19, 2010, passing the measure by a vote of 17-11. She has the option of signing it, vetoing it, or do nothing and allow it to become law. She must act by Saturday, April 24.
The controversial measure that is now poised to become law is SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.” As cleared for the Governor's consideration, SB 1070 would make it a crime for an undocumented alien to be present in the state of Arizona; require permanent residents to always have their immigration papers on them; require law enforcement officers who have a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant to determine that person's immigration status "when practicable; permit persons to be detained on suspicion that they are in the country illegally; make it illegal to solicit work as a day laborer or to hire day laborers; make it illegal to transport a person who is in the country illegally; prevent any government agency from formulating policies to prevent enforcement of immigration laws; and permit citizens to sue if they believe a law enforcement agency is failing to enforce the immigration law."
SB 1070 has been the subject of intense scrutiny since the Arizona Legislature cleared it for Governor Brewer's consideration, with supporters of stepped up immigration enforcement championing it and civil rights, religious, business, labor, and ethnic organizations denouncing it.
Governor Brewer spoke last night at an awards banquet for the Hispanic organization Chicanos por la Causa, in Phoenix, Arizona. While she addressed the issue of SB 1070, she did not tip her hand on what her decision will be.
The Governor's decision on whether to sign or veto the measure will be known shortly.
Click on the play button, above to see a news report that ran on KTVK-3 last night on the Governor's remarks and the decision that is to come:
Republicans Signaling They Will Obstruct
Consideration of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
By Micheal E. Hill Friday, April 23, 2010 -- 8:15 am EDT
Even While Democrats are signaling that they might, indeed, bring comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation before the full Senate this year, positions seem to be hardening against the yet-to-be-written measure among Republicans. This hardening is coming both from long-time opponents of CIR as well as from some GOP legislators who in the past have championed CIR.
Most striking in their potential opposition to CIR are Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
For years, Senator McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was the co-leader, along with the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) of CIR legislation. Three times since 2006, Senator McCain has co-floor managed comprehensive immigration reform bills on the Senate floor, winning Senate passage of a measure in 2006 but going down to defeat twice in 2007. McCain this week completed what has been a stunning reversal of positions since his failed 2008 presidential campaign, implying that he would work with CIR nemisis Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to lead a filibuster against CIR legislation should it be brought before the Senate this year.
Just as stunning, and perhaps more ominous, have been the signals that Senator Graham have sent in recent weeks that he might oppose bringing a CIR bill to the Senate floor this year. The potential reversal of position by Senator Graham would be more ominous than McCain's turnaround because Graham is the sole GOP senator who has stepped up to the plate so far during the 111th Congress to champion CIR legislation. For the last year, Senator Graham has partnered with Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security Charles Schumer (D-NY) in writing a framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation, negotiating details of the legislation, meeting with GOP senators to advance the proposal, and talking with the media about it. However, Senator Graham began to tack away from the effort right around the time the Senate began its final push for health care reform, and he has been tacking hard in the opposite direction ever since.
Most recently, Senator Graham reactived very negatively to reports this week that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will bring CIR legislation to the Senate floor this year, ahead of energy legislation that Graham is working on. “What bill are we going to take up?” he was quoted as asking in an interview. “What are we going to do? I mean, you’ve done nothing to lay the groundwork for this, we’ve spent all of our time on health care. What bill are we going to take up? Do you expect me to write a bill? Am I going to write every bill in this Congress?”Senator Graham went on to say, “I thought we had a game plan here,” he said. “I thought we were going to take up energy and climate if we could put together a package. You throw immigration into the mix, this is a CYA effort, this is just not a rational way to do comprehensive immigration reform.”
Earlier in the week, Graham even more explicitly indicated his opposition to taking up CIR legislation this year, saying "with the toxic environment after healthcare, I just don't think you're going to get a lot of moderate Democrats jumping into the comprhehensive immigration debate this close to an election year." He suggested that pursuit of a number of border security measures posed by Senators McCain and John Kyl (R-AZ) ealier this week might be a way to open the door to CIR legislation. However, he suggested that the door to CIR under that scenario would not open until next year or later, saying, "if something like that [the McCain/Kyl border security plan] passed, you could go to the body next year and say, okay, let's look at all the moving parts."
The familar GOP opponents are out there, as well, shooting holes into the prospects of passing CIR legislation.
Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Republican Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who would be in charge of leading the Republicans on any CIR effort, signalled that he was not interested in moving a CIR bill. In a written statement, the Ranking Republican said, "I am surprised by reports that the Democratic leadership plans to plow ahead with a comprehensive immigration overhaul this year." The Senator also said that "[i]n the wake of unprecedented borrowing and spending, a bitterly partisan push to overhaul the nation's health care system, and the House's passage of an unpopular climate change bill, the American people are dubious about any talk of ramming through comprehensive reform. Doing so now would further divide the country and continue to distract the Congress from the issue of greatest concern to Americans: the economy." Sessions went on to say, "there is little enthusiasm in Congress to pass legislation that would legalize millions of unlawful residents to compete with out-of-work Americans for needed jobs, further driving down pay and draining government resources."
Continued Movement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Amidst More Conflicting Signals
By Micheal E. Hill Friday, April 23, 2010 -- 9:02 am EDT
After a flury of behind-the-scenes activity on Capitol Hill, a consensus has emerged that Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) may well be serious about moving comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation this year.
The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Hill, and Roll Call all reporting yesterday that in a Tuesday, April 20, 2010, leadership meeting between Majority Leader Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the two leaders agreed that it was a higher priority to take up CIR legislation than climate change legislation, and Senator Reid reportedly has reinforced his pledge to take up a CIR bill this year. Moreover, the reports indicate that Speaker Pelosi pledged in the meeting to take up a CIR bill if the Senate passes it.
Asked at a press conference on Thursday, April 22, about the reports, Speaker Pelosi said, "if the Senate is ready with an immigration bill, we don’t want anyone holding it up.” Speaker Pelsoi went on to assert at her press conference that "[w]e would be pleased to welcome it to the House."
Speaker Pelosi's second-in-command had a slightly different take on the state of play on immigration, however. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was quoted today by the Christian Science Monitor saying, "I don’t know that anybody made a determination in the discussions I have had with leadership that immigration is more important than energy.” According to the Christian Science Monitor, the House Majority Leader went on to say, "I am not sure the Senate can move an immigration bill." The paper quoted Hoyer further, saying that Senate Majority Leader Reid "indicates he wants to try to move an immigration bill. If he can move an immigration bill, the position the speaker and I have taken is we will address that matter.”
If the Christian Science Monior quote is correct, this would be the second time that Majorty Leader Hoyer has chosen the words "address" rather than "pass" in referring to what he thought the House would do with an immigration bill if the Senate were to pass such a measure.
White House Plays Down Notion of Immediate Consideration of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 22, 2010 -- 10:11 am EDT
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs yesterday addressed the issue of immigration reform during his White House Daily Briefing, downplaying any notion that the President was pressing for Senate consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the next month, explaining the timing of the President's call to Senator Scott Brown (R-CO) and other Republicans on immigration reform, and emphasizing the need for bipartisan support in the Senate for immigration legislation.
Click on the play buttons, above to see video of Robert Gibbs's remarks on immigration during the April 21, 2010, White House Daily Briefing:
Movement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation Detected Even While Past GOP Supporters Continue
Their March Away From It
By Micheal E. Hill Wednesday, April 21, 2010 -- 8:45 am EDT
Multiple press reports indicate that President Obama has personally intervened and that new life may be being breathed into the comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislative movement. However, even while President Obama reaches out across the aisle and the House and Senate Democratic Leadership begins to send signals that a CIR bill may be brought forward before the end of the year, key Republicans continue to throw cold water on the prospects for bipartisan support for immigration reform legislation this year.
Indiciations of possible new life for CIR came late on Tuesday, April 20, after what had been a tumultuous day in immigration politics. April 20 included comments by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) implying that Latiinos might be ill-served by voting Democratic and that he might advise Latinos to stay home and not vote at all in November if Congress does not move comprehensive immigration refom legislation; a broiling controversy over whether the Governor of Arizona will sign a groundbreaking immigration enforcement measure that Latinos fear would result in racial profiling and hardship for Latinos in Arizona; the emergence of unusually harsh statements from Washington-based pro-immigrant advocates about the Obama Administration's immigration efforts; and a continuation of stunning reversals on CIR legislation by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Gutierrez Says Latino Voters Could Stay Home On Election Day if Democrats Fail to Move on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 20, 2010 -- 10:41 am EDT
The Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill, reports that Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) has threatened that Latino voters could stay home and not vote during the 2010 elections if Democrats don't move comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
First reported in The Hill on April 20, 2010, Representative Gutierrez is quoted by the Capitol Hill newspaper as saying, "[w]e can stay home.” According to The Hill, Gutierrez said, “[w]e can say, ‘You know what? There is a third option: We can refuse to participate.’”
The Hill wrote that "[w]hen Gutierrez talks about his old Chicago neighbor, he speaks of 'anger, disillusionment, dissatisfaction' and 'betrayal.' The Hill wrote that Gutierrez beleives that the President has failed to keep his campaign commitment to immigration reform, and that he decries an “enforcement-only” policy in which the administration has deported more undocumented immigrants than in the final year of the George W. Bush administration.
Gutierrez says Latinos have lost patience with Obama, and he predicts an “escalation” of activism aimed at forcing immigration reform to the fore of the party agenda. According to The Hill, Gutierrez said, “[w]e’re going to make it uncomfortable for the Democratic Party. It wrote, further, that Gutierrez told it that immigration advocates would step up the pressure by drawing lessons from the movements for civil rights and women’s suffrage. “There’ll probably be civil disobedience. There will probably be a number of different actions. What we have to do is we have to break through this wall of silence, because we’re invisible.”
Click on the play button, above to see a video presentation of The Hill story:
Arizona Senate Clears Controversial Immigration Enforcement Bill for
Governor Brewer's Consideration
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 20, 2010 -- 12:01 am EDT
The Arizona State Senate has passed a controversial immigration enforcement bill, leaving it one step away from becoming law. The State Senate acted on Monday, April 19, 2010, passing the measure by a vote of 17-11. The measure now heads to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who has five days to sign it, veto it or do nothing and allow it to become law.
The controversial measure that is now poised to become law is SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.” As cleared for the Governor's consideration, SB 1070 would make it a crime for an undocumented alien to be present in the state of Arizona; require permanent residents to always have their immigration papers on them; require law enforcement officers who have a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant to determine that person's immigration status "when practicable; permit persons to be detained on suspicion that they are in the country illegally; make it illegal to solicit work as a day laborer or to hire day laborers; make it illegal to transport a person who is in the country illegally; prevent any government agency from formulating policies to prevent enforcement of immigration laws; and permit citizens to sue if they believe a law enforcement agency is failing to enforce the immigration law."
It is widely believed that Governor Brewer will sign SB 1070 into law. However, she raised doubts last weekend when she addressed the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Phoenix, Arizona and declared, "In regards to Senate Bill 1070, I will tell you that I never make comment, like most governors throughout our country, before a bill reaches my desk. But I hear you, and I will assure you that I will do what I believe is the right thing so that everyone is treated fairly."
Governor Brewer raised even more questions about whether she would sign or veto the controversial immigration bill hours before its passage on Monday when she said to reporters that she had "concerns" about the measure.
According to the Arizona Republic, the Governor said "I am always concerned about all of those things" when she was asked about several specific provisions of the bill, including one that would require police to ask anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally to produce documentation. The Arizona Republic wrote late Monday that "[s]till, Brewer declined to give any indication as to whether she would sign or veto the legislation, which has gotten national attention." It reports that she merely said, "I'll look at it, go over it and review it completely when it hits my desk."
Senators McCain and Kyl Release Ten-Point Plan for Securing
the U.S. Border with Mexico As McCain Endorses
Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 20, 2010 -- 3:30 am EDT
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) have announced what they call a "10-point comprehensive border security plan to compat illegal immigration, drug andalien smuggling, and violent activity along the southwest border." The two senators announced the plan on Monday, April 10, 2010, at a press conference in Washington, DC. They were joined at their announcement by several Arizona sheriffs, including the sheriffs of Cochise County and Pinal County.
The plan outlined by Senators McCain and Kyl include immediate deployment of 3,000 National Guard service members to the Arizona border with Mexico; the completion of 700 mles of fencing along the Arizona border with Mexico; full funding and implementation of Operation Streamline; the hiring and deployment of 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents by 2015, and millions of federal dollars to help local law enforcement deal with border crime.
The release of the 10-point plan plan follows the murder in March of 2010 of rancher Rob Krentz of Cochise County, Arizona by suspected illegal immigrants; an increasingly bitter campaign by former Representative J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) against Senator McCain that has been built, in part, on immigration; and approval by the Arizona legislature of a sweeping immigration enforcement bill.
In the meantime, in what pretty much completes a dramatic shift to the right by Senator McCain on immigration since he cosponsored legislation in 2007 with the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), the former 2008 Republican Presidential nominee endorsed SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” which soon will be on Governor Jan Brewer's desk. Said McCain of the measure, “I think it’s a very important step forward. I can fully understand why the legislature would want to act.” With regard to complaints that the bill could result in racial profiling, Senator McCain said, "I would be very sorry if some of that happens. I regret it." But he defended the bill, saying that "it's [the need for the bill] the people whose homes and property are being violated. It's the drivers of cars with illegals in it that are intnetionally causing accidents on the freeway.. Look, our border is not secure and our citizens are not safe."
Click on the Play buttons, above to see a report on the McCain/Kyl announcement that appeared on April 19, 2010, on KTVK Television in Phoenix, and an interview highlighting Senator McCain's evolving views on that aired during the April 19, 2010, edition of Fox News Channels' "The O'Reilly Factor"
Most of the Immigration Community's Focus is On the Arizona Legislature While Congress Digs In for a Week of Hearings on Immigration and Refugee Matters
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 19, 2010 -- 12:01 am EDT
Congress has a number of hearings on immigration and refugee matters in store for it during the week of April 19, 2010. However, the attention of the pro- and anti-immigration advocacy communities this week will be firmly focused 2,300 miles away in Phoenix, Arizona, where the Arizona State Senate is poised to give final approval to a measure that could become the strongest immigration enforcement law in the nation.
The Arizona State Senate has scheduled floor consideration of SB 1070, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” for Monday, April 19, 2010. At the time of this writing, it is anticipated that the State Senate will pass the measure and send it to Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) or her consideration. Most observers expect that she either will sign the measure into law or allow it to become law without her signature.
In the meantime, Congress is entering week two of a seven week-long stretch that is expected to be dominated by jobs bills and skirmishing on budget and appropriations matters. Although three immigration- and refugee-related bills have cleared their respective committees and could be taken up by the full Senate at any time, this week's immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity is likely to be limited to four hearings, two of which are taking place in the House and two of which are occuring in the Senate.
This week's action in Washington is not limited to matters on the floor or in hearing rooms. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) this week are expected to release a 10-point plan to better secure the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. And an unusual combimation of the CATO Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have planned a joint presentation on national ID card and immigration reform.
Majority Leader Reid Defends His Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Nevada Newspaper
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 19, 2010 -- 9:00 am EDT
Saying that his job as a U.S. Senator is "to help solve our nation's problems, not ignore them," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) defended hs support for comprehensive immigration reform in a letter he wrote to the Las Vegas Review-Journal responding to criticims leveled by that paper's editorial board.
"Regardless of this newspaper's opinion or agenda, nobody who thinks seriously about this issue believes it is fiscally or physically possible to deport the estimated 12 million people in this country who are undocumented" wrote Reid in an April 18, 2010, letter-to-the editor of the paper.
The Majority Leader wrote, "[i]f we truly want to fix our broken immigration system, and not just score political points, we need comprehensive immigration reform that is tough on lawbreakers, fair to taxpayers and practical to implement." The Senator went on to say that he does not support amnesty and that he rejected the paper's "factual inaccuracies and false characterizations of the reform I support."
The Senator's letter did not break any new ground on either his position on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) or on the timing of when the Senate might take up a CIR bill. The Majority Leader was quoted in an article published late on Thursday, April 15, by Roll Call, as saying, "If we can’t get it done before the election, we’ll get it done" during the lame-duck session. The Roll Call article went on to say that the Senator refused to outline a precise timetable for Senate consideration of immigration reform legislation and expressed hope that a bipartisan bill will emerge from efforts currently underway by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). However, Roll Call reported that the Majority Leader did not rule out a Democratic-only bill if that is necessary.
On Tuesday, April 13, Just three days after promising a crowd of pro-immigrant advocates in Las Vegas, Nevada that the Senate would take up immigration reform this year, the Majority Leader told a group of reporters in Washington that the Senate would not be taking up immigration reform legislation until after Memorial Day. This was seen by some as inconsistent with his remarks days earlier in Las Vegas. However, Senator Reid and his staff have vigorously insisted that there are no inconsistencies in his statements and that he is committed to Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
In his April 18 letter to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Majority Leader wrote, "[l]ast weekend, I reiterated m commitment to enacting comprehsnsive immigration reform of our broken immigration system as soon as possible and fulfilling the promise of a nation built by immigrants."
Special Page On the Arizona Immigration Enforcement Billl
By Micheal E. Hill
Saturday, April 17, 2010 -- 10:15 am EDT
Arizona is poised to enact a measure that both supporters and opponents of the bill agree would be the toughest immigration enforcement bill in the country. Interest in the measure, SB 1070, has been so great that MicEvHill.Com has decided to create this special page to bring together the latest video and audio on the measure.
The Arizona House of Representatives acted on SB 1070 on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, passing it by a vote of 35-21. All 35 of the Arizona House's Republicans voted in favor of the bill. All of the no votes came from the Democratic side of the aisle.
House action on SB 1070 brought the bill to within two steps of becoming law; the Arizona Senate passed a similar bill earlier in the year, and it is expected to give its approval to the changes on Monday, April 19.
Should the Senate, as expected, give its approval to the measure on Monday, the only step left would be consideration of the measure by Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ). While she had not publicly stated her postition on the bill at the time of this writing, it is widely ancitipated that she will sign the measure once it hits her desk..
As passed by the Arizona House of Representatives, SB 1070 would make it a crime for an undocumented alien to be present in the state of Arizona; require permanent residents to always have their immigration papers on them; require law enforcement officers who have a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal immigrant to determine that person's immigration status "when practicable; permit persons to be detained on suspicion that they are in the country illegally; make it illegal to solicit work as a day laborer or to hire day laborers; make it illegal to transport a person who is in the country illegally; prevent any government agency from formulating policies to prevent enforcement of immigration laws; and permit citizens to sue if they believe a law enforcement agency is failing to enforce the immigration law."
Majority Leader Reid Changes Tone Once More, This Time Reiterating His Determination to Move a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill This Year
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 15, 2010 --7:03 pm EDT
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) today continued to confuse pro- and anti-immigrant advocates, as well as congressional insiders, on the prospects for and timing of possible Senate consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The Senator, who has made a number of statements on the matter in recent days that observers have viewed as inconsistent, told reporters on Thursday, April 15, that the Senate would take up immigration reform legislation either before the November mid-term elections or during a lame duck post-election session.
The Majority Leader was quoted in an article published late on Thursday, April 15, by Roll Call, as saying, "If we can’t get it done before the election, we’ll get it done" during the lame-duck session. The Roll Call article went on to say that the Senator refused to outline a precise timetable for Senate consideration of immigration reform legislation and expressed hope that a bipartisan bill will emerge from efforts currently underway by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). However, Roll Call reported that the Majority Leader did not rule out a Democratic-only bill if that is necessary.
On Tuesday, April 13, Just three days after promising a crowd of pro-immigrant advocates in Las Vegas, Nevada that the Senate would take up immigration reform this year, the Majority Leader told a group of reporters in Washington that the Senate would not be taking up immigration reform legislation until after Memorial Day. This was seen by some as inconsistent with his remarks days earlier in Las Vegas. However, Senator Reid and his staff have vigorously insisted that there are no inconsistencies in his statements and that he is committed to Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
Top ICE and CBP Officials Take Questions on Border Fencing and Unaccompanied Alien Children During House Hearing
By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, April 15, 2010 -- 5:51 pm EDT
On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a hearing at which it examined southwest border issues. Testifying at the hearing were Alan D. Bersin, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; and John Morton, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The two witnesses faced extensive questioning on the Administration's management of drug trafficking, violence, and illegal immigration along the southwest border of the United States, and they were questioned critically on what a number of Members thought was the inadequate budget request for ICE and CBP.
Among the questions posed and answered at the April 14 hearing was a question about the treatment of unaccompanied alien children that was posed by Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and an inquiry about border fencing construction asked by Representative Steve Rothman (R-NJ).
Click on the play buttons, below to see video excerpts from the hearing that highlight those two questions:
Roybal-Allard Question on Unaccompanied Alien Children
Rothman Question on Construction of Border Fencing
Napolitano Gingerly Wades In As Controversy Rages Over Arizona's
Groundbreaking Immigration Enforcement Bill
By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, April 15, 2010 -- 9:50 am EDT
Controversy continues to rage in Arizona and around the country in the wake of passage by the Arizona House of Representatives of a measure that both supporters and opponents agree will be the toughest immigration enforcement law in the country.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano waded gingerly into the controversy on Wednesday, April 14, when she commented on the Arizona bill in response to a question posed to her by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. The Secretary said that she at least twice vetoed similar legislation when she was Governor of Arizona, and stating that the federal government was the proper level at which such matters should be addressed. The Secretary also said that measures like the Arizona bill do "not allow law enforcement to focus on where law enforcement needs to focus and to prioritize the way law enforcement needs to priioritize for the protection of safety."
Secretary Napolitano's comments on the Wednesday, April 14, 2010 "Rachel Maddow Show" can be seen by clicking the play button below:
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Torture Victims
Relief Reauthorization Bill
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 15, 2010 -- 2:40 am EDT
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has approved a measure authorizing funding to assist torture victims who reside in the United States. The Committee acted on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, in connection with S. 2839, the "Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act," approving the measure by a voice vote.
S. 2839 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). As a technical matter, the Committee approved a substitute amendment to the bill that was proposed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA).
As approved by the Committee, S. 2839 would authorize $25 MILLION in each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012 to assist domestic torture victims. Under the measure, funding would flow through the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, which would providegrants to domestic torture treatment centers and programs.
In addition to authorizing funding for torture victims who reside in the United States, S. 2839 also would authorize $12 MILLION in each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012 for the president to provide grants to foreign programs and centers that treat torture victims.
Now that the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has approved S. 2839, the next step in the legislative process is for it to formally report the measure to the full Senate, a step that could occur at any time. The House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1511, a companion bill. The Senate could ultimately either take up S. 2839 or take up H.R. 1511. Whichever bill the Senate ultimately takes up, it likely will seek to take it up and pass it by unanimous consent with little debate.
Congress first enacted legislation to assist torture victims during the 105th Congress, when it enacted into law P.L. 105-320, the "Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998." It has extended the authorization several times since then.
Majority Leader Reid Says the Senate Will Not Take Up Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill Before the Memorial Day Recess
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 15, 2010 --2:20 am EDT
Just three days after promising a crowd of pro-immigrant advocates in Las Vegas, Nevada that the Senate would take up immigration reform this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told a group of reporters in Washington that the Senate would not be taking up immigration reform legislation until after Memorial Day. Senator Reid's most recent comments on the subject of Senate consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation were made on Tuesday, April 13, in the U.S. Capitol Building. He was quoted as telling reporters "[w]e won't get to immigration reform this work period."
Congress has just returned from a two week-long recess. Upon its return, it began a seven week-long work period that is scheduled to end at the close of business on Friday, May 28, 2010, when it is supposed to begin a week-long Memorial Day recess.
If Senator Reid holds to the remarks he made on Tuesday, April 13, that would mean that the Senate would not take up comprehensive reform until at least Tuesday, June 1. However, the Senate is expected to be engaged at that time in a floor battle over the nomination of President Obama's choice to fill the seat on the United States Supreme Court that is being vacated by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced his retirement late last week.
The Majority Leader's April 13 comments on immigration reform did not sit well with immigration reform proponents around the country, who angrily accused him of backpeddling, or worse, on immigration. However, Senator Reid's comments in Nevada never spoke of a timeline for when in 2010 the Senate would take up immigration reform legislation; he only pledged efforts to get it done in 2010.
If, indeed, the Majority Leader's April 13 comments represent a change in position compared to the timing he alluded to during the weekend pro-immigration reform rally that he spoke to in Las Vegas, that change could well be attributed to the reception that Reid's weekend comments received in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, the Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill,speculated that "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) reelection interests are putting him at odds with the centrists he has vigorously protected over the past year and a half on the issue of immigration reform." The article went on to state that "[v]ulnerable senators like Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) want to stay away from immigration reform during an election year ..."
Majority Leader Reid Promises Senate Passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation this Year
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 12, 2010 --11:55 am EDT
While he provided no details of what the Senate would consider, when it would consider it, or precisely how he would get it done, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has promised that the Senate will take up a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year. The Majority Leader's comments were made in a rousing speech that he gave on Saturday, April 10, 2010, before a crowd of thousands of pro-immigrant advocates assembled in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During his comments, the Majority Leader said comprehensive immigration reform needed to be accomplished this year. He said that we cannot let excuses like the pending Supreme Court nomination get in the way. He went on to say that 56 of the 59 senators who caucus with the Democratic party would support a comprehensive immigration reform bill, implying that he needed the votes of just four Republicans to get the job done.
Click on the play button, below to see video of Senator Reid's April 10, 2010, speech on comprehensive immigration reform:
Key Member of Senate Republican Leadership Walks Back From Earlier Quote Foreshadowing a GOP Filibuster of Immigration Reform Legislation
By Micheal E. Hill Sunday, April 11, 2010 --6:25 pm EDT
Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the second ranking member of the Senate Republican Leadership, last week told constituents that Senate Republicans would likely filibuster any immigration reform bill that is brought before the Senate this year. However, on Sunday, April 11, 2010, the Senator walked back a bit from his previous comments.
Senator Kyl's original comments were made before an estimated 350 constituents who gathered at a Wednesday, April 7, 2010, town hall meeting in Yuma, Arizona.
First reported in a Thursday, April 8, 2010 article that was posted on YumaSun.Com, the Senator was quoted as saying, "[f]irst of all our strategy on health care included taking as long as we possibly could so the American people could clearly understand (it).. and it took a year for it to get done." The article also said that Kyl added that Senate Republicans would do their best to slow up any other bills, like immigration reform, in the same manner. The Yuma Sun article quoted Kyl as saying, "[m]y guess is (immigration reform) won't have the votes to pass, but political promises have been made to key constituency of the party that is in power. Republicans will use the opportunity to filibuster..."
During his April 11, 2010 appearance on ABC News' "This Week" program, Senator Kyl walked back from the comments that had been attributed to him by the Yuma Sun. In response to an inquiry during the program from ABC News' Jake Tapper on the subject, Kyl insisted that he had not, in fact, promised a filibuster and that, instead, he had merely been commenting on the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate. More specifically, Senator Kyl said on "This Week" in response to Tapper's inquiry,"I don't think I said that, Jake, but what I did say is that the conditions for immigration reform no longer exist. The consensus that existed before does not exist. And among other reasons, because the administration -- this current administration has not done what's necessary to secure the border and enforce the law. We just saw the tragic death of a rancher down on the border, presumably from drug smugglers or illegal immigrants, that simply illustrates once again the fact that we have not controlled the border. And until that's done, I think it's going to be very difficult for Congress to support legislation that would be as comprehensive as that I supported three years ago."
Click on the play button below to see Senator Kyl's comments on the April 11, 2010, edition of ABC News' "This Week" program. The Senator's comments on immigration begin about 8:35 into the video:
Congress Returns to Washington This Week With Action and Hearings Scheduled on Several Immigration and Refugee Matters as Work on Appropriations Bills Wait in the Wings
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 12, 2010 -- 12:01 am EDT
Congress returns to Washington this week from a two week-long recess. Upon its return, it will remain in session for seven weeks, next leaving town upon the close of business on Friday, May 28, 2010, when it is scheduled to begin its week-long Memorial Day recess.
Much of Congress' legislative agenda over the the next seven weeks will be dominated by appropriations matters as it begins to excelerate its work on the 12 appropriations bills it must enact each year in order to keep the federal government operating. Consequently, with a few exceptions, Congress' action on immigration and refugee legislative matters is likely to be limited to action on appropriations measures during this period. Included in the 12 bills are four appropriations measures that traditionally appropriate funding for the federal government's immigration enforcement, border security, immigration service adjudication, refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement programs, agencies, and activities.
Of course, pro-immigrant advocates in Congress and pro-immigrant advocacy groups both inside and outside of Washington will continue during this period to press the White House and the Senate to take up comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation. Nothwithstanding that pressure, however, at the time of this writing, it appears highly unlikely that there will be any significant movement on CIR between now and the beginning of the Memorial Day recess. This is, in part, because the political atmosphere in Washington will not support a CIR legislative effort at this time, because appropriations matter are expected to become so dominant during this period, and because the committee that would have to produce a CIR bill will likely be emersed for much of the spring and summer in a confirmation battle on the nominee who President Obama selects to fill an mpending vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Congress' immigration and refugee legislative agenda for the week of April 12, 2010, includes two hearings, on immigation-related issues, one markup of a bill of consequence to refugees, and Senate floor action on one measure that could become the subject of immigration-related amendments. In addition, two measures that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary approved prior to the onset of the Easter recess could come up at any time by unanimous consent on the Senate floor.
Representative Gutierrez Expresses Astonishment and Condemnation Over Obama Immigration Enforcement Policies and Demands Meeting
With Napolitano and Morton
By Micheal E. Hill Friday, April 9, 2010 -- 12:15 am EDT
Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, has expressed astonishment, disappointment, and unequivocal condemnation of the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement practices, and he has demanded an immediate meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) John Morton to discuss the Administration's enforcement efforts. The Illinois Congressman expressed his condemnation and made his meeting request in a letter that he sent to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as well as in a follow-up press release on Thursday, April 8.
In his letter to to Napoliano and Morton, Representative Gutierrez told the two that "[f]rom the outset of both of your tenures at the agency, I have repeatedly expressed concern about the impact of misguided immigration enforcement in our communities. I have witnessed both anecdotally and in sheer deportation numbers that undocumented workers, many of them spouses and parents of permanent residents and U.S. citizens, continue to be removed from the United States at the record-breaking levels of the Bush Administration. I have called for an end to the deportations that separate families tragically and needlessly and which do nothing to protect our homeland. Likewise, I have also called for an end to 287(g) agreements out of serious concerns that the program, despite its purported goals, is being used as a tool to pursue Hispanics and people of color in a way that jeopardizes the civil rights of everyone, U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike."
Representative Gutierrez concluded his letter by stating, "I am astounded by how inconsistent these reports are with your stated priorities, and am left to wonder what your true priorities are, or to what degree agency directors and agents in the field actually understand and/or follow your stated priorities."
The Gutierrez letter caps what has been a tumultous week for the Department of Homeland Security's and the Obama Administration's immigration policies as it has faced condemnation from the Washington-based pro-immigrant community, the Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and now the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force.
Representative Xavier Becerra Criticizes Obama Immigration Record
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 8, 2010 --10:15 am EDT
In an April 6, 2010, interview on Southern California Public Radio's KPCC in Los Angeles, Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Vice-Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, spoke about his disappointment with some of the immigration-related provisions in the health care reform bill that President Obama recently signed into law, and he expressed concern about the President's record on immigration, generally.
At one point in the KPCC interview, Representative Becerra said of the President's image among Latinos, "I think there’s a lot of suspicion, a lot of doubt, a lot of concern." The Congressman went on to say, "the president made a promise. He hasn’t fulfilled that promise. Rightfully, I think a lot of folks are questioning where the president’s priorities are."
Despite some of his concerns about the health care reform bill, Representative Becerra insisted that passing it was very important.
Click on the play button below to hear audio of Representative Becerra's interview with Southern California Public Radio:
Arizona Legislature Could Take Up Groundbreaking and Controversial Immigration Enforcement Bill This Week As Senate Sponsor Takes to the Airwaves to Defend It
By Micheal E. Hill Monday, April 12, 2010 -- 12:01 am EDT
The Arizona House of Representatives is set to adjourn for the year soon, but immigration enforcement advocates are hoping that it will not do so until it takes up a bill that has been called the toughest immigration enforcement bill in the country. The measure, S.B. 1070, is titled the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act." It would prevent local law enforcement agencies from having policies that do not fully cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security; require law enforcement to inquire about the immigration status of persons they encounter; require noncitizens to carry their immigration papers with them at all times; forbid day-labor-like sites; penalize persons who harbor or transport illegal immigrants in the state; and make illegal presence while in Arizona a crime. A version of the measure has already passed the Arizona State Senate.
Moderate Republicans have asked the bill's sponsor to change parts of the bill, which has drawn fire from business, law enforcement, agriculture and the faith-based community. The measure's sponsor, State Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) has said that it will be taken up by the Arizona House of Representatives as soon as Tuesday, April 13, 2010. It is unclear, however, whether proponents of the measure have secured enough votes to pass it.
In two reports that appeared recently on KPNX, the NBC affiliate in Phoenix, State Senator Pearce defended his bill and a panel of experts critiqued it.
Click on the play buttons below to see video of the two programs:
Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform Responds to the Obama Administration's Pledge to Protect Wage Rights of Illegal Immigrants
By Micheal E. Hill Thursday, April 8, 2010 --10:37 am EDT
In an April 6, 2010, interview on Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" program, Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), spoke about his disagreement with the Administration's media campaign informing illegal immigrants of their wage rights. Stein, who heads one of the nation's leading immigration restrictionist organizations, responded during his appearance to a series of Department of Labor public service announcements (PSAs), including one by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, urging people to call the Department and Labor to complain of wage problems, regardless of whether they are undocumented.
Click on the play buttons below to see videos of Secretary Solis' PSA and Mr. Stein's appearance on the Fox News Channel:
Immigration Advocates and Opponents Discuss the Prospects and Politics of Comprehensive Immigration Reform on NPR's Talk of the Nation
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 6, 2010 -- 4:15 pm EDT
On Monday, April 6, 2010, National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" aired an extensive report on the prospects and politics of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The report, which runs 30 minutes, included a discussion of the politics of the issue by journalist Ron Elving, as well as a joint appearance by George Grayson, board member for the Center for Immigration and International Studies (CIS), and Clarissa Martinez de Castro of the National Council of La Raza.
Mr. Grayson and Ms. Martinez de Castro debated the merits of comprehensive immigration reform, discussed the prospects and politics of immigration, and took questions from callers.
Click on the play button above to hear audio of the NPR "Talk of the Nation" report.
Are Pro-Immigrant Advocates Signaling a New Aggressiveness in their Use of Internet Video to Attack the Obama Administration's
Immigration Enforcement Practices?
By Micheal E. Hill Tuesday, April 6, 2010 -- 1:10 pm EDT
On Monday, April 6, 2010, America's Voice, one of the leading Washington-based pro-immigrant advocacy organizations, aired a video attacking the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement practices.
The video compares the Obama policies to those of controversial Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio; shows clips of then-candidate Barack Obama criticizing the very policies that America's Voice implies his administration is now pursuing; and calls the Obama immigration enforcement policies "more rogue than right."
Click on the play button above to see the video produced by America's Voice.
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Releases Report
Critical of the Department's Management of 287(g) Program
By Micheal E. Hill Saturday, April 3, 2010 -- 10:37 am EDT
A recently released report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has uncovered several critical problems with the Department's 287(g) program, a program that allows state and local law enforcement agencies that undergo specialized training and sign memoranda of understanding with DHS to engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.
In the report, dated March of 2010, the DHS OIG "noted several areas in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not instituted controls to promote effective program operations and address related risks. Among the deficiencies noted in the report were findings that the Department has failed to establish appropriate performance measures and targets to determine whether program results are aligned with program goals; failed to develop guidance for supervising ICE officers; failed to provide adequate 287(g) program oversight; not fulfilled its duty to establish a thorough review and selection process for law enforcement agencies requesting to participate in the 287(g) program; failed to establish data collection and reporting requirements to address civil rights and civil liberties concerns; not provided adequate 287(g) training programs; failed to provide accurate and honest program information to Congress and the public; and not standardized 287(g) officers’ access to DHS information systems.
The DHS OIG made more than 30 recommendations for improvements to the 287(g) program, including recommendations that DHS establish appropriate performance measures and targets to determine whether program results are aligned with program goals; develop guidance for supervising 287(g) officers and activities; enhance overall 287(g) program oversight; strengthen the review and selection process for law enforcement agencies requesting to participate in the program; establish data collection and reporting requirements to address civil rights and civil liberties concerns; improve 287(g) training programs; increase access to and accuracy of 287(g) program information provided to the public; and standardize 287(g) officers’ access to Department of Homeland Security information systems.
"Perfect Storm" Developing in Arizona as Bid to Enact What Would Be the "Toughest Immigration Law in the Country" Advances and
McCain's Reelection Prospects Continue to Deteriorate
By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, April 1, 2010 -- 12:40 pm EDT
The recent murder of a popular rancher just inside the U.S. border with Mexico by an assailant who is suspected of being an illegal immigrant is precipitating what could be the perfect political storm in Arizona. The murder is propelling the candidacy of former Representative J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) in his bid to upset longtime Senator John McCain's (R-AZ) bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate, and it is giving an additional push to the Arizona legislature's bid to enact what is being billed as the toughest immigration law in the country.
On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, a committee of the Arizona House of Representatives advanced SB 1070, the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act," readying the measure for consideration by the full Arizona House of Representatives. The measure would prevent local law enforcement agencies from having policies that do not fully cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security; require law enforcement to inquire about the immigration status of persons they encounter; require noncitizens to carry their immigration papers with them at all times; forbid day-labor-like sites; penalize persons who harbor or transport illegal immigrants in the state; and make illegal presence while in Arizona a crime. A version of the measure has already passed the Arizona State Senate.
Click on the play buttons on the videos before and after the break to see news reports on the "perfect storm" that is brewing in Arizona. The reports ran on the evening of Wednesday, March 31, 2010, on KPNX television, the Phoenix NBC affiliate, and on KTVK television also in Phoenix.
MicEvHill.Com has posted a number of new documents to its "Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents" page, including a link to the text of the Senate Democratic Comprehensive Immigration Reform Framework and statements from President OBama and others relating to the Framework. --Click Here to See the Latest Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents.
MicEvHill.Com has posted video of President Barack Obama's impromptu April 28, 2010, press conference while aboard Air Force One in which he questioned whether Congress has the appetite for taking on comprehensive immigration reform. -- Click Here to See Video of the April 28, 2010, Press Gaggle with the President
MicEvHill.Com's "This Week on the Hill" page has been updated to reflect the anticipated legislative action on immigration and refugee-related matters for the week of April 26, 2010. -- Click Here to See "This Week on the Hill"
MicEvHill.Com has posted video clips of comments on comprehensve immigration reform and the Arizona immigration enforcement law that were made on Monday, April 26, 2010, by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes. -- Click Here to see Video Clips of comments made by Gibbs and Barnes.
MicEvHill.Com has added numerous new videos to the page in its lineup that is dedicated to covering SB 1070, a controversial immigration enforcement bill that was the subject of intense consideration in the Arizona Legislature. New videos from MSNBC and KTVK TV in Phoenix, as well as the statement made by Governor Brewer upon signing SB 1070. --Click Here to See MicEvHill's "Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill" Page
MicEvHill.Com has added numerous new videos to the page in its lineup that is dedicated to covering SB 1070, a controversial immigration enforcement bill that was the subject of intense consideration in the Arizona Legislature. New videos CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC interviews with State Senator Russell Pearce (R-AZ), Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Representative Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and many others. -- Click Here to See MicEvHill's "Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill" Page
MicEvHill.Com has added numerous new videos to the page in its lineup that is dedicated to covering SB 1070, a controversial immigration enforcement bill that was the subject of intense consideration in the Arizona Legislature. New videos include both local and national television news reports and interviews of Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). -- Click Here to See MicEvHill's "Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill" Page
MicEvHill.Com has added numerous new videos to the page in its lineup that is dedicated to covering SB 1070, a controversial immigration enforcement bill that was the subject of intense consideration in the Arizona Legislature. New videos include both local and national television news reports and interviews of Governor Jan Brewer and Senator John McCain. -- Click Here to See MicEvHill's "Arizona Immigration Enforcement Bill" Page
MicEvHill.Com's "This Week on the Hill" page has been updated to reflect the anticipated legislative action on immigration and refugee-related matters for the week of April 19, 2010. -- Click Here to See "This Week on the Hill"
MicEvHill.Com has posted a link on its "Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents" page to a letter from Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement John Morton expressing astonishment, disappointment, and condemnation over the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement practices and demanding a meeting to discuss them. -- Click Here to See the Latest Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents
MicEvHill.Com has posted a link on its "Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents" page to the controversial ICE enforcement memoranda first revealed by The Washington Post, that have caused an uproar in the pro-immigrant advocacy community. -- Click Here to See the Latest Top Immigration and Refugee Legislative Documents
MicEvHill.Com has posted video of an April 6, 2010, appearance by Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), on Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" program. During his appearance, Mr. Stein spoke about his disagreement with the Administration's media campaign informing illegal immigrants of their wage rights. Also posted is a 30 second public service announcement by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, urging people to call the Department and Labor to complain of wage problems, regardless of whether they are undocumented. -- Click Here to See the Videos of Dan Stein and Secretary Solis, Which were the Featured Immigration- and Refugee-Related videos of the Day for Thursday, April 8, 2010
MicEvHill.Com has posted audio of an extensive interview and call-in session that Southern California Public Radio's KPCC in Los Angeles held on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, with Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Vice-Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Representative Becerra addressed a number of issues during his appearance, including health care reform generally, the treatment of illegal immigrants in the health care reform law, and comprehensive immigration reform.-- Click Here to Hear the Interview and Call-In Session with Representative Becerra, Which is Today's Featured Immigration- and Refugee-Related video of the Day
MicEvHill.Com has posted audio of an extensive report on comprehensive immigration reform that aired Monday, April 6, 2010, on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation." The report, which runs 30 minutes, included a discussion of the politics of the issue by journalist Ron Elving, as well as a joint appearance by George Grayson, board member for the Center for Immigration and International Studies (CIS), and Clarissa Martinez de Castro of the National Council of La Raza. -- Click Here to listen to the NPR "Talk of the Nation" Report
MicEvHill.Com has posted a video produced by America's Voice, a leading Washington-based pro-immigrant advocacy organization, that attacks the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement practices. The video compares the Obama policies to those of controversial Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio; shows clips of then-candidate Barack Obama criticizing the very policies that America's Voice implies his administration is now pursuing; and calls the Obama immigration enforcement policies "more rogue than right." -- Click Here to See the America's Voice Video, Which is Today's Featured Immigration- and Refugee-Related video of the Day
MicEvHill.Com has posted an extended video report from Democracy Now, which ran a report on Monday, April 5, 2010, looking at the threat of deportation that non-citizen veterans of American wars face. The report talked at length with Rohan Coombs, a Jamaican-born U.S. veteran who was in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years and served in the Persian Gulf War. He spent eight months in prison for a marijuana-related conviction. The day he was to be released he was told he would be deported. -- Click Here to See the Democracy Now Video, Which Was the Featured Immigration- and Refugee-Related video of the Day
MicEvHill.Com has posted video clips of seveal news reports on Phoenix television illustrating the "perfect storm" that may be developing there propelling immigration restrictionist legislation and endangering the reelection prospects of Senator John McCain (R-AZ). -- Click Here to See video on the political situation in Arizona
MicEvHill.Com has posted a video clip of President Obama's appearance on the March 30, 2010, "Today Show," in which the President included immigration reform on a list of big problems that need to be solved and that he hopes to work with Republicans on. -- Click Here to See video of the President's remarks
MicEvHill.Com has posted video of an exchange on immigration that occurred during a Sunday, March 28, 2010, debate on "Fox News Sunday" between Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL) and Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL). The two candidates are battling for the GOP nomination in the race for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat. -- Click Here to See video of the immigration portion of the Rubio/Crist Debate
However, even while President Obama reaches out across the aisle and the House and Senate Democratic Leadership begins to send signals that a CIR bill may be brought forward before the end of the year, key Republicans continue to throw cold water on the prospects for bipartisan support for immigration reform legislation this year.
y (DHS) Janet Napolitano and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) John Morton to discuss the Administration's enforcement efforts. The Illinois Congressman expressed his condemnation and made his meeting request in a letter that he sent to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary on Wednesday, April 7, 2010, as well as in a follow-up press release on Thursday, April 8.
at allows state and local law enforcement agencies that undergo specialized training and sign memoranda of understanding with DHS to engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. 