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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Last Updated on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 10:40 pm EDT
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Discussions on the Subject of Immigration Unlikely During This Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 29, 2011  -- 7:30 pm EDT
--Updated on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at 7:20 am EDT--
 

The debt limit crisis dominates all of this weekend's Sunday public affairs programs.  Accordingly, there is not likey to be any discussion of immigration during this weekend's programs.

The following is a guide to what can be expected on this weekend's public affairs programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  The guest list for the July 31, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program includes Senior White House Advisor David Plouffe; Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC); and Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of investment management firm PIMCO.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be ABC's George Will; ABC News Political Director Amy Walter, Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman, and Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • CBS - Face the Nation.  The guest list for the July 31, 2011, edition of CBS's "Face the Nation" program includes Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).  Given the debt limit crisis, the guests are likely to discuss the debt limit issue, and it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • CNN - State of the Union. The guest list for the July 31, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program will include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Senate Democratic Policy Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Gene Sperling; and Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics.  Also appearing on the program in a pre-taped segment will be former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • FOX - FOX News Sunday.  The guest list for the July 31, 2011, edition of FOX's "FOX News Sunday" will include Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council.  Also appearing on the program will be House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Bill Kristol, Editor and Publisher of The Weekly Standard and a Fox News Contributor; Charles Lane, Editorial Writer for The Washington Post; Stephen Hayes, Senior Reporter at The Weekly Standard; and Juan Williams, Political Analyst, Fox News Channel.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • NBC - Meet the Press.  Among the guests on the July 31, 2011, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press" program will be Senior White House Advisor David Plouffe.   Also appearing on the program will be Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and John Thune (R-SS).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm (D), Representative Raul Labrador (R-ID), the host of CNBC's "Mad Money" Jim Cramer, and NBC's Tom Brokaw.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.

Check Back with MicEvHill.Com on Sunday afternoon for video clips of any immigration-related discussions that appear on the programs

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves Measure Making Cuts in FY '12 Funding for Refugee Admissions and Assistance


By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, July 28, 2011 -- 8:00 am EDT
--Updated on Friday, July 29, 2011, at 7:15 am EDT--

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs has approved its version of the fiscal year 2012 bill that appropriates funding for the Department of State's refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and related refugee programs, making significant cuts in the venerable programs.  The Subcommittee's approval of the reduced refugee funding levels occurred in connection with a Draft Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill. The Subcommittee marked up the draft measure on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, approving it by a voice vote.


Background
Each year, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA), and International Disaster Assistance (IDA) accounts. The first two of these accounts are administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and they fund the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs. The third account is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).


Summary of Refugee-Related Spending Provisions
From a refugee perspective, the Subcommittee-approved Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill contains the following provisions:
  • Funding for Migration and Refugee Assistance. The Subcommittee-approved measure would appropriate $1.497 BILLION for the MRA account in fiscal year 2012.
The Subcommittee-approved appropriation bill would cut funding for the MRA account by about $190 MILLION (or 11.3 percent) in FY '12 relative to the FY '11 appropriation, which was approximately $1.687 BILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) in fiscal year 2011.  The Obama Administration requested an FY '12 appropriation of $1.614 BILLION for the MRA account in fiscal year 2012.
  • Funding for Refugees to Israel. The Subcommittee-approved measure would earmark $20 MILLION of the FY '12 MRA funds for "refugees resettling in Israel."
The Subcommittee-approved bill would cut funding for refugees resettling in Israel by $5 MILLION in FY '12 relative to the FY '11 appropriation for that purpose, which was approximately $25 MILLION.
  • Funding for Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance. The Subcommittee-approved measure would appropriate $32 MILLION for the Department of State's ERMA account in fiscal year 2012.
The Subcommittee-approved appropriation would cut funding for the ERMA account by $17.9 MILLION (or 35.9 percent) in FY 12 relative to the FY '11 appropriation, which was approximately $49.9 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for ERMA in fiscal year 2011.  The Obama Administration requested $32 MILLION for the ERMA account in fiscal year 2012.
  • Funding for Burmese Refugees. The Subcommittee-approved measure would provide for the use of an unspecified amount of Economic Support Fund (ESF) funding to community based organizations (CBOs) to assist Burmese refugees residing in Thailand.
  • Funding for Columbian Refugees. The Subcommittee-approved measure would provide for a transfer of $8 MILLION of ESF funds to the MRA account for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations assisting Columbian refugees in neighboring countries.
  • Funding for International Disaster Assistance. The Subcommittee-approved measure would appropriate $757.652 MILLION for the USAID's IDA account.
This would be a cut of $105.618 MILLION (or 12.2 percent) in FY '12 relative to the $863.270 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for the IDA account in FY '11.


Legislative Riders
From a refugee and immigration perspective, the Subcommittee-approved State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill contains the following legislative riders or limitations:
  • Limitation on Funding to Support a Palestinian State. Section 7036 of the Subcommittee-approved measure would bar funding for Bilateral Assistance, International Security Assistance, Multilateral Assistance, or Export and Investment Assistance to support a Palestinian state unless the Secretary of State determines and certifies a number of conditions. Among the conditions that the Secretary would have to certify is that the governing entity of the new Palestinian state "is working with other countries in the region to vigorously pursue efforts to establish ... a framework for achieving a just settlement of the refugee program."
  • Limitation on Funding for Palestinian Refugees. Section 7051(c) of the Subcommittee-approved measure would bar the use of funds from the MRA account for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which assists Palestinian refugees, unless the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations, in writing, that UNRWA is complying with seven conditions.
  • Exemption of the MRA and ERMA Accounts From the Bill's Bar on Funding to Countries that Don't Extradite Wanted Criminals. Section 7070(a) of the Subcommittee-approved measure would exempt the MRA and ERMA accounts from a provision that bars funding in the bill to the central governments of countries that refuse to extradite to the United States any individual indicted for a criminal offense for which the maximum penalty is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or for killing a law enforcement officer.
  • Refugee-Related Limitation on Funding for the Russian Federation. Section 7073(c)(1) of the Subcommittee-approved measure would withhold 60 percent of the funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia’’ for assistance to the government of the Russian Federation until the President determines and certifies in writing to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of the Russian Federation has met two conditions, one of which is that the Federation "is providing full access to all international non-government organizations providing humanitarian relief to refugees and internally displaced persons in Chechnya."
  • Authority to Draw-Down ERMA Funds. The measure would not continue a provision that was included in the final fiscal year 2011 appropriations bill that permits the Secretary of State to draw-down funds from the ERMA account during fiscal year 2011. This constituted a change over permanent law, which permits only the President of the United States to draw-down ERMA funds.

Next Steps
Now that the Subcommittee has approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill, the next step in the legislative process is for the full Committee on Appropriations to take up the measure.  A full Committee markup of the bill has tentatively been scheduled for Wednesday, August 3, 2011.  However, the impending debt crisis and the desire of Congress to leave Washington for its August recess as soon as the crisis is solved could delay the full committee markup into September.


 

Hearings on Comprehensive Immigration Reform in the Senate and on the HALT Act in the House, along with a House Markup of the FY '12 Bill that Funds Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance Highlight This Week's Immigration and Refugee Legislative Agenda


By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 25, 2011 -- 6:00 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 11:45 am EDT--

Frenzied efforts to avoid a catastrophic default on the U.S. debt and other federal obligations will get most of the attention of the Washington-based press and media this week.  It is widely believed that any debt limit legislation that Congress takes up will include provisions making deep cuts in federal discretionary and entitlement spending.  MicEvHill.Com will be ready to analyze how any proposed debt limit legislation might impact spending on immigration- and refugee-related agencies, programs, functions and activities.  Stay tuned to this space throughout the week for any updates.

Even while debt limit relief efforts dominate the week's legislative agenda, Congress this week will continue its slow and steady work on immigration- and refugee-related legislation.  The major immigration- and refugee-related work in Congress this week includes a hearing in the Senate on the economic imperatives of comprehenisive immigration reform; a hearing in the House on a controversial bill to circumscribe President Obama's authority to grant immigration relief, work authorization, and Temporary Protected Status; a hearing on Islamic extremism in the United States, and a markup of the fiscal year 2012 spending bill that traditionally funds refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance. 

As active as Congess will be this week on immigration- and refugee-related matters, the biggest immigration-related news in Washington these days continues to be what is NOT happening. 

It was widely antiicipated that the House Committee on the Judiciary this week would mark up H.R. 2164, controversial mandatory E-Verify legislation.  However, as last week drew to a close, the Committee released its markup schedule for this week, and the E-Verify measure was not on it.  Many are speculating on why it is taking the Committee so long to mark up the measure, with much of that speculation concentrating on three factors: a split between elements of the business community, some of which vehmently oppose H.R. 2164, as introduced; the strong opposition to the measure by agricultural growers and the resulting efforts by Representative Dan Lungren (R-CA) to fashion an amendment addressing their needs; and a split in the immigration restrictionist community in which  mainstream immigration restrictionist organizations support the measure but the community's more extreme elements oppose it.


This Week's On-the-Hill Activity
In all, at the time of this writing, two markups, three hearings, and three floor action on bills containing significant immigration-related provisions or that could have signifcant consequences for immigration and refugee policy were scheduled on Capitol Hill this week.

The following lists the highlights of this week's immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • House Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up of Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs this week is scheduled to markup its version of the Fiscal year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill in late July.  Each year, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) and Emergency Refugee Migration Assistance (ERMA) accounts, which are administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).  Those accounts fund the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs.

    House Judiciary Panel Hearing on the "HALT Act". The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement has scheduled a hearing for this week on H.R. 2596, the HALT (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation) Act”.  As introduced, the measure would prohibit President Obama and his administration from granting a number of forms of relief from removal, as well as prohibit the Obama Administration from exercizing its authority to designate countries for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), during the remainder of the Obama first term.  At the time of this writing, the witness list for the hearing had not yet been announced.
  • Senate Judiciary Committee Panel to Hold Hearing on the Potential Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security has scheduled a hearing for next week on the potential economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform titled, "The Economic Imperative for Enacting Immigration Reform."  At the time of this writing, the witness list for the hearing included Robert Greifield, Chief Executive Officer, NASDAQ-OMX Group; David J. Skorton, President, Cornell University; Brad Smith, General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Corporation; Puneet S. Arora, Vice President, Immigration Voice, Los Angeles, California; David Roefaro, Mayor of Utica, New York; Laurent F. Gilbert, Sr., Mayor of Lewiston, Maine; and Paul Bridges, Mayor of Uvalda, Georgia.
  • House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on Islamic Radicalization in the United States. The House Committee on Homeland Security is scheduled this week to hold the third in a series of hearings it is holding on Islamic radicalization in the United States. Next week's hearing will concentrate on "Al Shabaab: Recruitment and Radicalization within the Muslim American Community and the Threat to the Homeland."  At the time of this writing, the witness list for the hearing had not yet been released.
     
  • Full House to Take Up Bill to Create a Special Envoy on Religious Liberty. The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 440, a measure to direct the President of the United States to appoint a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.   


This Week's "Off-of-the-Hill" Activity
In addition to the schedule of immigration-related action taking place  this week on Capitol Hill, a number of significant "off of the Hill" immigration-related activities also could occur.

The following lists highlights of this week's "off-of-the-Hill" immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • President Obama Remarks at NCLR Annual Convention. President Barack Obama is scheduled this week to deliver keynote remarks at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference.  While his remarks are expected to be wide-ranging, it is anticipated that he will devote a substantial part of them to the subject of immigration.
  • Discussion on Human Trafficking. The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has scheduled a discussion for this week on "Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2011: Findings and Recommendations."  Participants in the discussion will include Luis Cde Baca, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the State Department.
  • Workshop on Rights and Extremism Confronting Latinos. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) has scheduled a workshop for this week during its 2011 annual conference titled, "Protecting Our Rights, Confronting the Extremists". 
  • Panel Discussion on Using the National Guard for Border Security. The Heritage Foundation has scheduled a panel discussion for this week titled, "Beyond the Border: The Future of the National Guard in Homeland Security." Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has scheduled a discussion for next week on "Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2011: Findings and Recommendations."  Participants in the discussion will include Representative Tim Walz (D-MN); Al Garver, Executive Director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States; Command Sgt. Maj. John Gipe, Senior Enlisted Adviser and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs; and Jena Baker McNeill, Heritage Senior Policy Analyst for Homeland Security.


Still Looming Over the Horizon
In addition to the widely anticipated markup of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith's controversial mandatory E-Verify bill, a number of other important immigration- and refugee-related legislative actions are looming just over the horizon.  These include --
  • House Judiciary Committee Bills Ready for Floor Action.  Possible House floor action on as many as six immigration-related bills that the House Committee on the Judiciary has approved, including bills to eliminate the diversity visa program, provide for the indefinite detention of "dangerous" aliens, make it easier to prosecute illegal immigrants of felony identity theft charges, make it easier for the Departments of State and Homeland Security to deny and revoke visas, extend a long-expired H-1C nonimmigrant nurses program, and ease the plight of active duty military personnel and their spouses who are seeking to remove the conditional nature of their permanent residency while they are deployed overseas.

  • Full Committee Markups of Border Security Bills.  Possible action in the House Committee on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of four border security-related bills, including bills that would require the Administration to submit within 180 days a plan on how to achieve operational control of the U.S. border within five years; provide the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with greater access to federal lands for the purposes of conducting border security operations; establish within the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit a Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) program; and direct the Department of Homeland Security to continue the development of a variety of border security technologies, including efforts to incorporate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in border and maritime airspace.
  • Appropriations Actvities.  Possible action in the House and Senate on the four appropriations bills that traditionally fund the federal government's immigration enforcement, border seurity, immigration services, refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement functions and activities.

The coming weeks also could test whether or not bipartisan agreement can be reached on several matters that traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, including on just-introduced bipartisan bills on torture victim assistance and trafficking victim assistance.



Click Here to See Detailed Listing of the Likely Immigration Actions For the Week of July 25

Discussions on the Subject of Immigration Seen as Unlikely During This Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 22, 2011  -- 4:45 pm EDT
--Updated on Sunday, July 24, 2011, at 8:28 am EDT--
 

All indications are that debt limit discussions and presidential politics will dominate the Sunday public affairs programs during this weekend, likely pushing the subject of immigration to the side.

The following is a guide to what can be expected on this weekend's public affairs programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  The guest list for the July 24, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program includes Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I).  Also appearing on the program will be former Senate Majority Leaders Trent Lott (R-MS) and Tom Daschle (D-SD).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be ABC's George Will; Huffington Post Founder Ariana Huffington; Alice Rivlin, former Office of Management and Budget Director under President Bill Clinton; and Charlie Gasparino, Business Editor, Fox News.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • CBS - Face the Nation.  Among the guests on the July 24, 2011, edition of CBS's "Face the Nation" program will be White House Chief of Staff William Daley; Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL); Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ); Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA); and Senator Mark Warner (R-VA).  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • CNN - State of the Union. The guest list for the July 24, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program includes Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.  Also appearing on the program will be Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Representative Tom Price (R-GA), and former Governor Tim Pawlenty, a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely, that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • FOX - FOX News Sunday.  The guest list for the July 24, 2011, edition of FOX's "FOX News Sunday" will include Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH).  Also appearing on the program will be Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Fox News Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume; Mara Liasson, National Political Correspondent for National Public Radio and Fox News Contributor; Stephen Hayes, Senior Reporter at The Weekly Standard; and Juan Williams, Political Analyst, Fox News Channel.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • NBC - Meet the Press.  Among the guests on the July 24, 2011, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press" program will be White House Chief of Staff William Daley and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE); freshman Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a member of the Tea Party Caucus; Mayor Cory Booker (D), Mayor of Newark, New jersey; Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; and NBC's Andrea Mitchell.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.

Check Back with MicEvHill.Com on Sunday afternoon for video clips of any immigration-related discussions that appear on the programs

 
House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill Making it Easier for Prosecutors to Win Felony Identity Theft Convictions of Illegal Immgrants


By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, July 21, 2011 -- 8:55 am EDT

The House Committee on the Judiciary has approved a bill that would make it easier for prosecutors to win felony identify theft convictions of illegal immigrants.  Committee action occurred on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in connection with H.R. 2552, the "Identify Theft Improvement Act of 2011", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).  The Committee approved the measure by a vote of 16-10 after taking up three amendments that were offered to it, rejecting all three of them.  

As approved by the House Committee on the Judiciary, H.R. 2552 would provide that when a person is charged with identity theft under Section 1028(a)(7) or 1028A(a) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, prosecutors would not need to show that the person charged knew that the identity documents were those of another actual person in order to win a felony conviction. If enacted into law, the measure would allow prosecutors to overcome a ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States that requires them to demonstrate that a person using false identification documents must know that those documents belong to an actual person before they can be convicted under Sections 1028(a)(7) or 1028A(a) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code.


Opposition in Committee
Opposition to H.R. 2552 in the House Judiciary Committee centered around the notion that a person should not be convicted of a crime if they did not have the mens rea (or intent to commit the crime) in relation to that crime.  Opponents of the bill argued that a person could use  a false Social Security number that they made up or that has been given to them but not know that the number belongs to a particular person.  If they do not know this, opponents argued, they should not be charged with identity theft.

Representative Goodlatte defended the bill, saying thati dentity theft occurs when someone intentionally and unlawfully uses identity documents that are not his own. Our federal statutes should reflect this reality.


Amendments Agreed To
The Committee did not agree to any amendments during its markup of H.R. 2552.

Amendments Rejected
Three amendments that the Committee took up were not agreed to, either because they were ruled out of order or rejected outright.

The following summarizes those amendments:
  • Scott Four-Year Maximum Prison Sentence Amendment.  Representative Robert Scott (D-VA) offered an amendment that would have stricken the two-year minimum prison sentence as required under the bill for individuals found guilty of identity theft and inserted a four-year maximum cap on the sentence.
The Committee Chair ruled that the Scott Four-Year Maximum Prison Sentence Amendment was out of order because it was not germane to the bill.
  • Scott Affirmative Defense Amendment.  Representative Robert Scott (D-VA) offered an amendment that would have afforded defendants with an affirmative defense that they did not know that the false identification document that he or she used belonged to an actual person.
The Committee rejected to the Scott Affirmative Defense Amendment by a vote of 10-16.
  • Scott Strike Lower Burden of Proof as it Would Relate to Aggravated Identity Theft Amendment.  Representative Robert Scott (D-VA) offered an amendment that would have provided that the lower burden of proof in the bill would not apply to aggravated identity theft.
The Committee rejected to the Scott Aggravated Identity Theft Amendment by a voice vote.


Next Steps
Now that the House Committee on the Judiciary has approved H.R. 2552, the next step in the legislative process is for the Committee to prepare a formal written report on the measure and then to formally report the bill to the full House of Representatives.  Following that, the House could take up the measure at any time. 


 

House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Eliminate the
Diversity Visa Lottery Program


By Micheal E. Hill
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 -- 11:45 am EDT
--Updated on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at 12:45 pm EDT--

The House Committee on the Judiciary has approved a bill that would eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery program.  Committee action occurred on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in connection with H.R. 704, the "SAFE for America Act", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).  The Committee approved the measure by a vote of 19-11 after taking up three amendments that were offered to it, rejecting all three of them.  

As approved by the House Committee on the Judiciary, H.R. 704 would eliminate the Diversity Visa program and its 55,000 visas, effective October 1, 2011.  The bill would not reallocate the lost visas to either the family sponsored or employment sponsored immigration systems.


Opposition in Committee
Opposition to H.R. 704 in the House Judiciary Committee centered around several themes.  First, Democratic opponents of the bill argued that while the Diversity program has experienced high levels of attempted fraud in the application process, those problems were correctable, that the Diversity Visa program provides great benefits to the United States by promoting diversity in our immigration system, and that the program should be reformed rather than elimninated.  Second, opponents of the bill argued that supporters of the bill simply oppose legal immigration.  If that is not so, they contended, the bill would have reallocated the eliminated visas to either the family-sponsored or employment-sponsored immigration preference systems.  And third, opponents of the bill argued that the bill's supporters were opposed to diversity in the immigration system.

Representative Goodlatte and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) defended the bill, saying that the Diversity Visa program is rife with fraud, has resulted in a number of criminals and terrorists entering the United States, and that that the country (and the country's immigration system) is already diverse and does not need a diversity visa program.


Amendments Agreed To
The Committee did not agree to any amendments during its markup of H.R. 704.

Amendments Rejected
Three amendments that the Committee took up were not agreed to, either because they were ruled out of order or rejected outright.

The following summarizes those amendments:
  • Jackson-Lee Recommendations to Eliminate Fraud in the Diversity Visa Program Amendment.  Representative Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX), offered an amendment that would have stricken the provisions in the bill eliminating the Diversity Visa program and replaced them with a requirement that the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Department of State, submit a plan to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on how to eliminate fraud in the Diversity program.
The Committee rejected the Jackson Lee Report Recommending Ways to Eliminate Fraud Amendment by a vote of 12-14.
  • Lofgren "Family Diversity" Visa Program Amendment.  House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement Ranking Minority Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) offered an amendment that would have eliminated the Diversity Visa program and replaced it with a "Family Diversity" program.  Under the Lofgren "Family Diversity" program, 55,000 visas would have been available to any person qualifying for visas under the existing family-sponsored preference system.  However, those visas would have been distributed based on the same formula that exists in the current Diversity Visa program.  Applicants for the "Family Diversity" program would have undergone the same process for admission as that which exists in the current family-sponsored immigration preference system.
The Committee rejected to the Lofgren "Family Diversity" Visa Amendment by a vote of 11-19.
  • Lofgren Reallocation of Visas to Family and Employment Preference Systems Amendment.  House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement Ranking Minority Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) offered an amendment that would have reallocated the 55,000 Diversity Visas that the bill would eliminate so that half of them would be reallocated to the family-sponsored preference system and half would be reallocated to the employment-sponsored preference system.
The Committee Chair ruled that the Lofgren Reallocation of Visas to Family and Employment Preference Systems Amendment was out of order because it was not germane to the bill.


Next Steps
Now that the House Committee on the Judiciary has approved H.R. 704, the next step in the legislative process is for the Committee to prepare a formal written report on the measure and then to formally report the bill to the full House of Representatives.  Following that, the House could take up the measure at any time. 

 

Markups of Bills to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program and to Authorize Funding for Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance Highlight This Week's Immigration and
Refugee Legislative Agenda


By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 18, 2011 -- 6:35 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:10 pm EDT--

Under pressure from President Obama, the House of Representatives has canceled a recess that was scheduled for this week.  Instead of spending the week in their districts, House members will be in Washington, with the main piece of business being full House consideration of a symbolic "Cut, Cap, and Balance" deficit and debt reduction bill that, even if the House passes it, will be dead on arrival in the Senate.

The deficit and debt bill that the House intends to take up this week could have serious immigration and refugee consequences if enacted, placing downward pressure on spending for immigration services, immigration enforcement, refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement those programs and activities.

Notwithstanding action in the House on the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" deficit and debt reduction legislation, the main immigration- and refugee-related business this week will be a markup in the House Committee on the Judiciary of a bill to eliminate the Diversity Visa program and a markup in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of a bill that traditionally authorizes funding for the Department of State's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs.


This Week's On-the-Hill Activity
In all, at the time of this writing, two markups and two floor actions on bills containing significant immigration-related provisions were scheduled on Capitol Hill this week.

The following lists the highlights of the coming week's immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • House Foreign Affairs Committee to Mark Up Bill that Traditionally Authorizes Funding for Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance. The House Committee on the Foreign Affairs this week is scheduled to mark up a yet-to-be-introduced bill that would authorize funding for foreign relations for fiscal year 2012.  The measure has traditionally authorized funding for the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), which administers the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance program.  However, at the time of this writing, it was unclear whether the measure that will be put before the Committee will contain any refugee-related provisions.
  • House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program. The House Committee on the Judiciary this week is scheduled to mark up  H.R. 704, the "SAFE for America Act", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to eliminate the diversity visa program.
  • Full House to Take Up a Symbolic "Cut, Cap, and Balance" Deficit and Debt Reduction Bill with Uncertain Immigration and Refugee Consequences. The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 2560, the "Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011".  At the time of this writing, the bill had just been introduced, and the text had just become widely available.  A quick analysis indicates that the measure would provide for an increase in the nation's debt limit by $2.4 TRILLION, but only if Congress sends a Constitutional Amendment mandating a balanced budget to the states for ratification.  The measure also would cap total federal spending at 22.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in fiscal year 2012 and gradually reduce that level to 19.9 percent of GDP by 2021.
From an immigration and refugee perspective, the biggest impact of the bill would likely come from its statutory discretionary and entitlement spending caps and its sequestration provisions.  Under those provisions, the bill would require $111 BILLION in unspecified spending reductions in FY 2012, it would impose hard caps on the amount of discretionary funds that can be appropriated in future years, as well as hard caps on the amount of funding that can be provided to entitlement programs during those years.  Under the bill, if the caps are breached and Congress does not correct the breach, there would be an automatic "sequestration" of funds, cutting all spending by whatever across-the-board amount is necessary to ensure that spending is under the cap amount.
  • Full Senate to Consider Amendments to Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction Appropriations Bill. The full Senate this week is expected to continue its consideration of the Senate Appropriations Committee-approved Version of H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.  The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved its version of the measure on Thursday, June 30, 2011.  In doing so, it stripped from the House-passed version of H.R. 2055 a provision, found in section 414 of the House-passed version of H.R. 2055, that would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees.  The provision was stripped in the Chairman's Mark of the bill that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies approved on Wednesday, June 29, 2011.  The Senate Democratic Leadership is urging senators to limit amendments to the bill to germane amendments.  However, immigration-related floor amendments are possible.

This Week's "Off-of-the-Hill" Activity
In addition to the schedule of immigration-related action taking place  this week on Capitol Hill, a number of significant "off of the Hill" immigration-related activities also could occur.

The following lists highlights of the coming week's "off-of-the-Hill" immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • Discussion on State and Local Government Enforcement of Immigration Laws. The New America Foundation has scheduled a discussion for this week titled, "Should the States Take on Immigration?"  Included will be sessions on "The Improbable Laboratories of Immigration Policy" and on "SB 1070, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and E-Verify: The Founding Fathers View".
  • Briefing on Mandatory E-Verify. The Cato Instititue has scheduled a briefing for this week titled, "Immigration Reform, Yes; E-Verify No."  Participants in the briefing will include Dan Griswold, Director of the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; and Laura Renz, Government Affairs Manager at the Cato Institute.


Still Looming Over the Horizon
As active as the House will be this week on immigration-related matters, far more significant immigration-related  legislative action looms just over the horizon.

It is widely expected that in the coming weeks, the House Committee on the Judiciary will move to mark up a highly controversial mandatory E-Verify bill that will roil the pro-immigrant advocacy community and could split both the business community and the immigration restrictionist community; the Senate could begin to move its version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Bill, providing a forum for what could be a freewheeling debate in the Senate on immigration enforcement policy; and negotiations between the White House, House, and Senate could yield a debt reduction agreement that could place enormous downward pressure on discretionary spending, including pressure on spending for the federal government's refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement functions and activities.

The coming weeks also could test whether or not bipartisan agreement can be reached on several matters that traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, including on just-introduced bipartisan bills on torture victim assistance and trafficking victim assistance.



Click Here to See Detailed Listing of the Likely Immigration Actions For the Week of July 18


 

Discussions on the Subject of Immigration are Unlikely During This Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Sunday, July 16, 2011  -- 8:30 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 4:45 pm EDT--
 


Despite the appearance of several senators and members of Congress on this weekend's Sunday public affairs programs who have been active on immigration, including Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani,  Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Representative Raul Labrador (R-ID), the debt limit discussions and presidential politics are expected to dominate the Sunday public affairs programs this weekend, likely pushing the subject of immigration to the side.

The following is a guide to what can be expected on this weekend's programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  The guest list for the July 17, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program will include Jacob Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Senate Minority Whip  Jon Kyl (R-AZ).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be ABC's George Will; ABC's and National Public Radio's Cokie Roberts; ABC News Political Contributor Matthew Dowd; ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Jonathan Karl; and Representative Raul Labrador (R-IH), a freshman Tea Party member.  Also appearing on the program to discuss the NewsCorp and Women's World Cup Soccer team, respectively, will be The New Yorker's media columnist Ken Auletta and ESPN analyst and 1999 World Cup star Brandi Chastain.  Given the guest list, it is possible that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program. 
  • CBS - Face the Nation.  Among the guests on the July 17, 2011, edition of CBS's "Face the Nation" program will be Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL), freshman Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK).  It is highly unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • CNN - State of the Union. The guest list for the July 17, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program includes Jacob Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NYC).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be former Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain and former Representative Tom Davis (R-VA).  Given the guest list, it is possible but unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • FOX - FOX News Sunday.  The guest list for the July 17, 2011, edition of FOX's "FOX News Sunday" includes businessman Herman Cain, a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  Also appearing on the program will be Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the conservative-leaning Republican Study Committee; and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ranking Minority Member of the House Committee on the Budget.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will bee Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard and Fox News; John Podesta, President and Chief Executive officer, Center for American Progress, and former White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton; Liz Cheney, Founder, Keep America Safe, and former State Department official; and Juan Williams, Political Analyst, Fox News Channel.  It is too soon to know whether the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • NBC - Meet the Press.  Among the guests on the July 17, 2011, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press" program will be Jack Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL); and Tea Party favorite, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Governor John Kasich (R-OH), a former Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget; David Cote, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell; National Urban League President marc Morial, Former Mayor of New Orleans, Louisana; Diane Swonk, Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial; and CNCBC's David Faber.  Given the lineup of guests, it is highly unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.

 

House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill Providing for the Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens


By Micheal E. Hill
Thursday, July 14, 2011 -- 6:05 pm EDT

The House Committee on the Judiciary has approved a bill providing for the indefinite detention of "dangerous" aliens.  Committee action occurred on Thursday, July 14, 2011, in connection with H.R. 1932, the "Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011", a measure introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX).  The Committee approved the measure by a vote of 17-14 after taking up ten amendments that were offered to it.  During the course of the markup, the committee agreed to one amendment, ruled that three amendments offered to the measure were out of order, and rejected five amendments outright.  

As approved by the House Committee on the Judiciary, H.R. 1932 would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain specified dangerous aliens under orders of removal who cannot be removed. The measure would authorize DHS to detain aliens who effected an entry beyond six months if the alien will be removed in the reasonably foreseeable future; the alien would have been removed but for the alien’s refusal to make all reasonable efforts to comply and cooperate with the Secretary of DHS’ efforts to remove him; the alien has a highly contagious disease; release would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences; release would threaten national security; or release would threaten the safety of the community and the alien either is an aggravated felon or has committed a crime of violence.

Under H.R. 1932, DHS would be able to detain such aliens for six months at a time, and that period could be renewed.  In addition to providing for the indefinite detention of aliens, H.R. 1932 also would expand instances where aliens are subject to mandatory detention.  And the measure would limit jurisdiction to review habeas corpus petitions from aliens subject to mandatory detention to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.


Opposition in Committee
Opposition to H.R. 1932 in the House Judiciary Committee centered around several themes.  First, Democrats argued that the bill is unconstitutional, in that it violates the due process provisions of the U.S. Constitution and does not comply with several decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States relating to the indefinite detention of aliens who cannot be returned to their countries of nationality in a reasonable timeframe.  Second, Democrats argued that the bill is overly broad, in that it would permit the detention of aliens who are not at all dangerous.  Indeed, Democrats argued, the bill would provide the Secretary the unreviewable authority to detain any alien for any reason.  And third, Democrats argued that specific portions of the bill were unjust, in that they would result in long-term detention for asylum seekers who have been found to have a credible fear of persecution or the unjust detention of people who have committed minor crimes and have turned their lives around.

Chairman Smith and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement Chairman Elton Gallegly (R-CA) defended the bill, saying it is constitutional and that it is necessary in the wake of the June 28, 2001 ruling of the United States Supreme Court in the case of Zadvydas v. Davis that they maintain has resulted in "dangerous" aliens being released into the streets of the United States when they cannot be removed to their countries of nationality.


Amendments Agreed To
The Committee only agreed to one amendment during its markup of H.R. 1932:
  • Jackson-Lee Due Process Sense of Congress Amendment.  The only amendment to H.R. 1932 that the Committee agreed to was one offered by Representative Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX), which states that "[i]t is the sense of Congress that the Act should ensure that Constitutional rights are upheld and protected" and that "it is the intention of Congress to uphold the Constitutional principles of due process and that due process of the law is a right afforded to everyone in the United States."
The Committee agreed to the Jackson Lee Sense of Congress Amendment by a voice vote.

Amendments Rejected
Nine amendments that the Committee took up were not agreed to, either because they were ruled out of order, withdrawn, or rejected outright.

Among the amendments offered and rejected during the Committee markup were amendments by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) to strike the provision in the bill (found in Section 2(b)(2) of H.R. 1932) providing for prolonged detention of arriving aliens; two Jackson Lee amendments substituting a civil commitment process for the bill's indefinite detention provisions; and an amendment by Representative Jerald Nadler (D-NY) that sought to strike the bill's provision (found in Section 2(a)(7) of the H.R. 1932) that consolidates exclusive jurisdiction for habeas corpus proceedings under Section 241(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and only if the alien has exhausted all administrative remedies (statutory and regulatory) available to the alien as a right.  The Committee also rejected an amendment by Representative Chu providing that an alien who has been found to have a credible fear of persecution be permitted to request a custody review hearing to challenge his or her detention, and several other amendments.


Next Steps
Now that the House Committee on the Judiciary has approved H.R. 1932, the next step in the legislative process is for the Committee to prepare a formal written report on the measure and then to formally report the bill to the full House of Representatives.  Following that, the House could take up the measure at any time. 

 
 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Introduces Bill to Circumscribe President Obama's Authority to Grant Immigration Relief or Temporary Protected Status to Aliens in the United States


By Micheal E. Hill
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 -- 4:40 pm EDT
--Updated on Sunday, July 17, 2011, at 12:20 pm EDT--

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) has introduced legislation that would take the extraordinary step of barring President Barack Obama from granting relief from removal, discretionary grants of work authorization, cancellation of removal, and even Temporary Protected Status (TPS) during the remainder of his presidential term. 

Chairman Smith introduced the bill, titled the "HALT (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation) Act”, on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, as H.R. 2497.  Senator David Vitter (R-LA), Chairman of the Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus, is planning to introduce a companion measure in the Senate.

According to Chairmen Smith and Vitter, H.R. 2497 would prevent the Obama Administration from  --
  • Granting parole, except in narrow circumstances
  • Issuing deferred action, except in narrow circumstances
  • Issuing extended voluntary departure to removable aliens
  • Granting work authorization to aliens on a discretionary basis
  • Granting temporary protected status to any new groups of aliens
  • Waiving the three and ten year bars to admittance for aliens who have been illegally present in the U.S.
  • Granting cancellation of removal to illegal immigrants.
In introducing the measure, Chairman Smith said, "Congress has defeated amnesty for illegal immigrants several times in recent years but this has not stopped President Obama from trying a backdoor amnesty.  Over the course of the last year, the Obama administration has ignored the will of Congress and the American people by using executive branch authority to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S.  “While this authority is justifiable when used responsibly, it’s clear this Administration plans not to use but to abuse these powers.  If the President gets his way, millions of illegal immigrants will be allowed to legally live and work in the U.S. without a vote of Congress.  That is why I have introduced the HALT Act, which will prevent the Obama administration from granting a massive administrative amnesty to illegal immigrants.  The Obama administration should not pick and choose which laws it will enforce.  Congress must put a halt to this administrative amnesty."

Chairman Smith is planning a hearing on the "HALT Act" in the House Committee on the Judiciary that could be held before the end of July.


Text of the June 23, 2011, Smith "Dear Colleague" Letter on the HALT Act
 
 

Markups This Week of Bills on Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens, the Diversity Visa Program, and Funding for EOIR, Highlight a Busy
Immigration and Refugee Legislative Week


By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 11, 2011 -- 12:01 am EDT
--Updated on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at 7:30 am EDT--
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 8, 2011 at 6:57 pm EDT--

An extraordinarily busy week is on tap in this week, with markups, hearings, and floor action scheduled on a broad range of immigration- and refugee-related matters. 

This week could finally see the House Committee on the Judiciary conduct the oft-delayed markup of Chairman Lamar Smith's bill providing for the indefinite detention of "dangerous" aliens.  But if that was not enough controversy for one week, the Committee also is expected to mark up a bill to eliminate the diversity visa program.  Also on tap this week is a markup of the fiscal year 2012 bill that funds the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

In addition to markups, several hearings are scheduled for this week that could get into controversial immigration- and refugee-related matters, including a Senate hearing that will examine terrorist travel and a House hearing on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).


This Week's On-the-Hill Activity
In all, at the time of this writing, four hearings on immigration-, border security-, or refugee-related matters, five markups of bills containing significant immigration-related provisions, and two floor actions on bills containing significant immigration-related provisions was scheduled on Capitol Hill this week.

The following lists the highlights of this immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill on the Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens.  The House Committee on the Judiciary this week is scheduled to mark up H.R. 1932, the "Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011", a measure introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) that would provide for the indefinite detention of "dangerous aliens".
  • House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program. The House Committee on the Judiciary is scheduled this week to mark up  H.R. 704, the "SAFE for America Act", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to eliminate the diversity visa program.
  • House Appropriations Committee to Mark Up FY '12 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill. The House Committee on Appropriations is scheduled this week to mark up its yet-to-be-introduced version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.  Each year, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of Justice, including appropriations for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), and the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), all agencies within the Department of Justice.
  • Full House to Take Up FY '12 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill Containing a Number of Immigration Provisions. The full House of Representatives is expected this week to take up H.R. 2434, the Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Services, General Government, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which contains several immigraton-related provisions, including a controversial set of provisions relating to remittances and travel to Cuba from the United States.  Several immigration-related floor amendments could be offered to the bill while it is on the House floor.
  • Full House to Resume Consideration of the FY '12 Energy-Water Development Bill Containing E-Verify Provision. The full House this week is expected to take up H.R. 2354, the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy, Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which contains a provision barring the hiring of federal employees unless their employment eligibility is verified through the E-Verify System.  Several immigration-related floor amendments could be offered to the bill while it is on the House floor.
  • House Homeland Security Panel to Hold Hearing on Maritime Border Security. The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security has scheduled a hearing for this week, "Protecting the Maritime Borders -- Leveraging Law Enforcement Cooperation to Enhance Security Along America's Coasts." 
  • Senate Panel to Hold Hearing on Terrorist Travel. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is planning a hearing for this week titled, 'Ten Years After 9/11: Preventing Terrorist Travel."  The hearing will examine the security processes for visa recipients and refugee applicants, focusing on the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges that remain in identifying, preventing, and interdicting terrorist travel.  As such, it will examine the security of our visa issuing process for immigrants and nonimmigrants, the passenger pre-screening and screening programs that have been implemented to secure international flights bound for the United States, and our watchlisting systems. 
  • Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on the Violence Against Women Act. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing for this week on the Violence Against Women Act.  The title of the hearing is, "The Violence Against Women Act: Building on Seventeen Years of Accomplishments." 
  • House Natural Resources Panel to Hold Hearing on Immigration Issues in the Northern Mariana Islands. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs has scheduled a hearing for this week on H.R. 1466, the "Consolidated Natural Resources Act", which would resolve the status of certain persons legally residing in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under the immigration laws of the United States; and H.R. 44, the "Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act." 
 
This Week's "Off-of-the-Hill" Activity
In addition to the schedule of immigration-related action taking place during this week on Capitol Hill, a number of significant "off of the Hill" immigration-related activities also could occur.

The following lists highlights of this week's "off-of-the-Hill" immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • White House Hispanic Policy Conference. The White House is hosting a Hispanic Policy Conference this week, during which it will bring community leaders from across the country to discuss a broad range of issues with cabinet officials and senior White House staff.  Among the sessions scheduled for the conference is one titled, "Fixing America's Broken Immigration System".  Participants in that session will include Felicia Escobar, Senior Advisor for Immigration Policy, White House Domestic Policy Council; and Margo Schlanger, Director, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security.
  • Panel Presentation on Displaced Young Persons. The Urban Institute has scheduled a panel discussion for this week titled, "Young and Displaced - A Multinational Look at Youth on Their Own, as Refugees, on the Run, and In Need of Help."  Participants in the discussion will include Lavinia Limon, President & CEO of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; John Monahan, Special Adviser for Global Health Partnerships at the State Department; Matthew Stagner, Executive Director of Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago; and Olivia Golden, Urban Institute Fellow and Former Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the Health and Human Services Department.
  • Press Conference on the DREAM Act. Richard Durbin (D-IL) is planning a press conference with religious leaders for this week to announce  the DREAM Act Sabbath, which will enlist churches, synagogues and mosques around the country to dedicate time during their regular weekly worship service to a conversation about the DREAM Act.  Among the participants in the press conference will be Cardinal Theordore McCarrick, retired Catholic Archbishop of Washington.
  • Briefing on Human Rights in Cuba. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) has scheduled a briefing for this week on human rights in Cuba.  Participants in the briefing will include Reina Loina Tamayo, mother of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a Cuban political prisoner who died in February 2010 after enduring a months-long hunger strike while incarcerated in Cuban jails.
The panel briefing is scheduled for 12:00 Noon EDT on Tuesday, July 13, 2011, in Room 2200 of the Rayburn House Office Building.


Still Looming Over the Horizon
As active as the House will be this week on immigration-related matters, far more significant immigration-related  legislative action looms just over the horizon.

It is widely expected that in the coming month, the House Committee on the Judiciary will move to mark up a highly controversial mandatory E-Verify bill that will roil the pro-immigrant advocacy community and could split both the business community and the immigration restrictionist community; the Senate could begin to move its version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Bill, providing a forum for what could be a freewheeling debate in the Senate on immigration enforcement policy; and negotiations between the White House, House, and Senate could yield a debt reduction agreement that could place enormous downward pressure on discretionary spending, including pressure on spending for the federal government's refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement functions and activities.

The coming month also could test whether or not bipartisan agreement can be reached on several matters that traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, including on just-introduced bipartisan bills on torture victim assistance and trafficking victim assistance.



Click Here to See Detailed Listing of the Likely Immigration Actions For the Week of July 11


 

Discussions on the Subject of Immigration Seen as Unlikely During This Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 8, 2011  -- 8:15 am EDT
--Updated on Sunday, July 10, 2011, at 9:10 am EDT--
 

Debt limit discussions and presidential politics will dominate the Sunday public affairs programs this weekend, likely pushing the subject of immigration to the side.

The following is a guide to what can be expected on this weekend's programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  The guest list for the July 10, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program includes White House Chief of Staff William Daley and Christine Lagarde, the newly elected head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Appearing on the program to discuss the current state of journalism will be Vanity Fair columnist and ADWEEK Editorial Director Michael Wolff, NPR's Nina Totenberg, and CourtTV founder Steve Brill.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be ABC's George Will, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, Bloomberg's Al Hunt, and ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Jonathan Karl.  Given the lineup of guests, it is unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • CBS - Face the Nation.  Among the guests on the July 10, 2011, edition of CBS's "Face the Nation" program will be Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and Senate Budget Committee Ranking Minority Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL).  Given the lineup of guests, it is highly unlikely that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • CNN - State of the Union. The guest list for the July 10, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program includes House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Budget Committee Ranking Minority Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).  Also appearing on the program will be former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.  Given the uncertainty of the guests, it iwas not possible at the time of this writing to predict whether the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • FOX - FOX News Sunday.  The guest list for the July 10, 2011, edition of FOX's "FOX News Sunday" will include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC).  Also appearing on the program will be Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), a member of the House Democratic Leadership.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Fox News Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume; Mara Liasson, National Political Correspondent for National Public Radio and Fox News Contributor; Stephen Hayes, Senior Reporter at The Weekly Standard; and Juan Williams, Political Analyst, Fox News Channel.  It is too soon to know whether the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.
  • NBC - Meet the Press.  Among the guests on the July 10, 2011, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press" program will be Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner; former Governor Tim Pawlenty, a candidate for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination.  It is possible, but unlikely, that the subject of immigration will be discussed on the program.

Check Back with MicEvHill.Com on Sunday afternoon for video clips of any immigration-related discussions that appear on the programs

 

House Agrees to Anti-Trafficking Amendment to FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill


By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 8, 2011 -- 8:15 am EDT


The full House of Representatives has agreed to an anti-trafficking amendment that was offered by Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) to the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill that funds the Department of Defense. House floor action occurred in connection with Bass Amendment Number 71 to H.R. 2219, the Fiscal year 2012 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The House agreed to the amendment on Thursday, July 7, 2011, by a voice vote.  The House went on to pass H.R. 2219, doing so on Friday, July 8, 2011, by a vote of 336-87.

The Bass Amendment provides that none of the funds made available by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act may be used in contravention of section 1590 or 1591 of title 18, United States Code, or in contravention of the requirements of section 106(g) or (h) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.  According to Bass, the amendment was necessary because thousands of private contracting defense firms, including some of the industry's biggest names, such as DynCorp International and Halliburton subsidiary KBR, have been linked to trafficking-related incidents wherein thousands of nationals from impoverished countries are lured by the promise of good jobs, but sometimes end up victims of scams that leave them virtual slaves with no way to return home or seek legal recourse.  Representative Bass said that, despite this, allegations against federal contractors engaged in illegal labor practices ranging from contract worker smuggling to human trafficking in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to surface in the media.

Representative Bass said on the House floor that while the Inspectors General at the Departments of State and Defense and USAID continue audits of federal contracts to monitor vulnerability to human trafficking, more can and must be done to explicitly prohibit the human rights violations that are taking place and ensure compliance with the law.  She contended that her amendment will help ensure that the deceptive and illicit activities that have been occurring do not happen on our watch, especially as we draw down troops and more foreign nationals are hired to keep military bases operational.

The House of Representatives began considering H.R. 2219 on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.  At the time of this writing, it had considered more than 60 floor amendments to the measure, and the only immigration-related amendment that it had considered was the Bass anti-trafficking amendment.  The House is expected to complete consideration of the measure on Friday, July 8.

The following are the immigration-related provisions that were contained in the House Appropriations Committee-reported version of H.R. 2219:
  • Waiver of Bar on Employment of, Payment, or Compensation to Non-U.S. Citizens by the Department of Defense. Section 8002 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that provisions of law prohibiting the payment of compensation to, or employment of, any person not a citizen of the United States shall not apply to personnel of the Department of Defense.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Section 9008 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds made available by the Act may be used in contravention of several laws enacted or regulations promulgated to implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (done at New York on December 10, 1984).
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Bar on Admission of Guantanamo Detainees. Section 8123 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act may be used to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee once held at the United States Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense unless that person is a United States Citizen or a member of the Armed Forces.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Bar on Transfer of Guantanamo Detainees to Other Countries. Section 8124 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act may be used to transfer any detainee once held at the United States Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense to the control of another country unless certain certifications are made by the Secretary of Defense.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.


Click on the Play Button, above, to see video of the House floor debate on the Bass Anti-Trafficking amendment.

 

Chairmen Smith and Aderholt Write Secretary Napolitano Warning Against "Administrative Amnesy" They Believe is Planned or Underway


By Micheal E. Hill
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 -- 7:00 pm EDT

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) have written to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano accusing the Obama Administration of circumventing Congress by using executive branch authority to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States.  The two chairmen demanded that the Secretary "halt any current or planned administrative actions that will result in mass legalization of illegal immigrants and that imply that immigration law should not be fully enforced."  The two chairmen expressed their concerns in a July 5, 2011, five page-long letter that they sent to the Secretary and released to the public.

Chairmen Smith and Aderholt indicated in their letter that their concerns were first raised last year when an internal, unreleased memorandum on forms of administrative immigration relief available to the Administration was leaked to Congress.  They indicate that their concerns were expanded with the release on June 17, 2011, of a memorandum on prosecutorial discretion from ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and the release on the same date of a memorandum from ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton on prosecutorial discretion for victims of and witnesses to domestic violence.  The two chairmen called the Morton memoranda, in particular, "a grossly irrresponsibile expansion of the use of prosecutorial discretion for the apparent purpose of administrative amnesty" and asserted that, "[u]ltimately, these memos could potentially make millions of deportable illegal and criminal immigrants eligible for administrative amnesty."

Chairmen Smith and Aderholt expressed concern in their letter "that DHS continues to use the excuse of 'limited resources' as a justification for its flagrant disregard of the law" and they requested that "ICE utilize the extensive resources available to rigorously enforce the immigration laws of the United States and that ICE's future budget requests include the funds necessary to effectively support the men and women of ICE in execurting their critical mission."

The Smith/Aderholt letter comes just two weeks after Chairman Smith sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives uring them to join him in cosponsoring the “HALT (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation) Act”, which he plans to introduce in the U.S. House of Representatives in the coming days.

According to the Smith "Dear Colleague" letter, the HALT Act would prevent the Obama Administration from --
  • granting parole (except in narrow circumstances)
  • issuing deferred action (except in narrow circumstances)
  • issuing extended voluntary departure to removable aliens
  • granting work authorization to aliens on a discretionary basis
  • granting TPS to any new groups of aliens
  • waiving the three and 10 year bars to admittance for aliens who have been illegally present in the U.S.
  • granting cancellation of removal to illegal immigrants. 
The Smith "Dear Colleague" letter indicates that the bill "will restore these powers to the next president whom the American people elect – on January 22, 2013."

Smith asserted in that letter that, "[b]ecause of the Obama Administration’s record, it cannot be trusted with these powers."  He posed the question, "How do we handle extraordinary humanitarian situations that might arise in the interim?"  And he answers it by asserting, "Congress can always act by passing private bills to help individual aliens in the U.S. or outside the U.S. when we deem it wise, just and prudent."


Text of the July 5, 2011, Smith/Aderholt Letter to Secretary Napolitano
Text of the June 23, 2011, Smith "Dear Colleague" Letter on the HALT Act


 

President Obama Comments on the Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Foreign Assistance During Twitter-Driven
Town Hall Meeting


By Micheal E. Hill
Wednesday, July 6, 2011  -- 3:45 pm EDT
--Updated on Saturday, July 6, 2011, at 4:15 pm EDT--

President Barack Obama commented on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and on how foreign assistance prevents refugee flows during a first-ever Twitter-driven presidential Town Hall Meeting.  The President's comments on comprehensive immigration reform came during a response he gave to a question from a Twitter user who asked if he supports increasing visas for immigrants who are entrepreneurs and create jobs in the United States.  His comments on foreign assistance and refugee flows came in reponse to a question from a Twitter user who asked why the President did not make deeper cuts to foreign assistance.

The Twitter Town Hall meeting was held on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.  In it, Twitter users posed questions to the President of 140 characters or less, the President and co-founder of Twitter read them from a monitor, and the President Obama responded to them orally.


Click on the Play Button, above, to see video of the President's comments on comprehensive immigration reform and entrepreneur visas.

 

House to Resume Consideration of Amendments to FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill Containing Several
Immigration-Related Provisions


By Micheal E. Hill
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 -- 9:13 am EDT

The full House of Representatives today is scheduled to resume consideration of its version of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill that funds the Department of Defense. Today's floor action is expected to occur in connection with H.R. 2219, the Fiscal year 2012 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The House is expected to take up the measure sometime today and to complete action on the measure on Thursday, July 7.

The following immigration-related provisions are contained in the House Appropriations Committee-reported version of H.R. 2219:
  • Waiver of Bar on Employment of, Payment, or Compensation to Non-U.S. Citizens by the Department of Defense. Section 8002 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that provisions of law prohibiting the payment of compensation to, or employment of, any person not a citizen of the United States shall not apply to personnel of the Department of Defense.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Section 9008 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds made available by the Act may be used in contravention of several laws enacted or regulations promulgated to implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (done at New York on December 10, 1984).
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Bar on Admission of Guantanamo Detainees. Section 8123 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act may be used to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee once held at the United States Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense unless that person is a United States Citizen or a member of the Armed Forces.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.
  • Bar on Transfer of Guantanamo Detainees to Other Countries. Section 8124 of the Committee-Approved version of H.R. 2219 provides that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act may be used to transfer any detainee once held at the United States Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the Department of Defense to the control of another country unless certain certifications are made by the Secretary of Defense.
A version of this provision has appeared in previous FY ’12 Department of Defense Appropriations Bills.


Possible Immigration-Related Floor Amendments
At time of this writing, sixty floor amendments to H.R. 2219 had been printed, none of which would have an impact on immigration policy.  It was not known at the time of this writing whether any immigration- or refugee-related amendments will eventually be offered to H.R. 2219 on the House floor. However, it is reasonably likely that amendments may be offered relating to the use of the National Guard on the U.S. border with Mexico.


Outlook
The House is virtually certain to pass H.R. 2219. It was not possible at the time of this writing, however, to predict with certainty whether any immigration-related amendments will be offered to the bill during House floor consideration of it.

 

Markups of the FY '12 Bill that Funds EOIR and of a Bill Providing for the Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens Highlight This Week's Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Action


By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 4, 2011 -- 12:01 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm EDT--

Under pressure from President Obama, the U.S. Senate abruptly canceled the week-long Independence Day recess it had planned for this week, leaving it in town but with no scheduled committee activities.  Notwithstanding the paucity of scheduled immigration-related legislative action in the Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives has long planned to be in session during the week, and it has a full plate of immigration-related committee and floor activities.


Looming Over the Horizon
As active as the House will be this week on immigration-related matters, far more significant immigration-related  legislative action looms just over the horizon.

It is widely expected that in the coming month, the House Committee on the Judiciary will move to mark up a highly controversial mandatory E-Verify bill that will roil the pro-immigrant advocacy community and could split both the business community and the immigration restrictionist community; the Senate could begin to move its version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Bill, providing a forum for what could be a freewheeling debate in the Senate on immigration enforcement policy; and negotiations between the White House, House, and Senate could yield a debt reduction agreement that could place enormous downward pressure on discretionary spending, including pressure on spending for the federal government's refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement functions and activities.

The coming month also could test whether or not bipartisan agreement can be reached on several matters that traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, including on just-introduced bipartisan bills on torture victim assistance and trafficking victim assistance.


This Week's On-the-Hill Activity
In all, at the time of this writing, one hearing on immigration-, border security-, or refugee-related matters, two markups of bills containing significant immigration-related provisions, and two floor actions on bills containing significant immigration-related provisions was scheduled on Capitol Hill this week.

The following lists the highlights of this immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • House Judiciary Committee Likely to Markup Bill on the Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens.  The House Committee on the Judiciary this week is scheduled to mark up H.R. 1932, the "Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011", a measure introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) that would provide for the indefinite detention of "dangerous aliens".
  • House Appropriations Subcommittee to Markup of Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies is scheduled this week to markup its yet-to-be-introduced version of the Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill in early July.  Each year, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of Justice, including appropriations for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), and the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), all agencies within the Department of Justice.
  • Full House to Resume Consideration of Defense Appropriations Bill Containing Several Familar Immigration-Related Provisions. The full House this week is expected to take up H.R. 2219, the Fiscal Year 2012 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, which contains several immigration-related provisions and could be the target for immigration-related amendments on the House floor.  Among the immigration-related provisions in the House Appropriations Committee-reported version of the bill are those that would bar use of funds in contravention of U.S. laws and regulations implementing the U.N. Torture Convention and provisions prohibiting the transfer into the United States or to other countries of Guantanamo detainees.  Several immigration-related floor amendments could be offered to the bill while it is on the House floor.
  • Full House to Take Up Energy-Water Development Bill Containing E-Verify Provision. The full House this week is expected to take up H.R. 2354, the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy, Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which contains a provision barring the hiring of federal employees unless their employment eligibility is verified through the E-Verify System.  Several immigration-related floor amendments could be offered to the bill while it is on the House floor.
  • Senate Appropriations Committee Panel Could Markup Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.  While not on the official schedule at the time of this writing, it is possible that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Appropriations could move as soon as this week to mark up the version of the fiscal year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.  Each year, the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill includes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, including its three immigration-related bureaus: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CPB), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

 
This Week's "Off-of-the-Hill" Activity
In addition to the schedule of immigration-related action taking place during this week on Capitol Hill, a number of significant "off of the Hill" immigration-related activities also could occur.

The following lists highlights of the coming week's "off-of-the-Hill" immigration- and refugee-related legislative-related action:
  • Panel Presentation on Foreign Adoptions. The National Council for Adoption this week is scheduled to hold a forum on foreign adoptions during its 2011 National Adoption Conference.  Participants in the event will include Tiffany Murphy of the State Department; Whitney Reitz and Carrie Rankin of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Donna Campagnolo of the National Benefits Center; and Bill Rosen, adoption attorney.


Click Here to See Detailed Listing of the Likely Immigration Actions For the Week of July 4


 

Immigration Makes an Appearance on the Weekend's
Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Sunday, July 3, 2011  -- 3:00 pm EDT


After months of absence from the Sunday public affairs programs, the subject of immigration returned to them on Sunday, July 3, with Steve Case, the founder of America Online; ABC Commentator George Will; former District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee; former Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), an immigrant from Cuba; and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who recently acknowledged that he is an illegal immigrant; all participated in animated discussions on U.S. immigration policy and the value of immigration to the United States.

The following is a summary of the immigration-related comments made on the July 3 public affairs programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  Among the guests on the July 3, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program was former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, a first-generation American, former Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), who immigrated from Cuba as a boy, and Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for The Washington Post who recently published an article acknowledging he is an undocumented immigrant.  All three appeared in an animated discussion, along with ABC's George Will, about U.S. immigration policy.
  • CNN - State of the Union. Among the guests on the July 3, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program was Startup America Partnership, Steve Case, the founder of America Online, who discussed the value of the immigration of exceptional persons to the United States.

Click on the play button, above, to view video clips of the immigration discussions on the July 3 programs.

 

Discussions on the Subject of Immigration to Return During This Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs


By Micheal E. Hill
Saturday, July 2, 2011  -- 10:00 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 1, 2011 at 11:15 am EDT--
 

A look of the guest lists for this weekend's Sunday public affairs programs indicates that at least one of the programs, ABC's "This Week", will feature a discussion on immigration.

The following is a guide to what is known at the time of this writing about what can be expected on this weekend's programs:
  • ABC - This Week.  Among the guests on the July 3, 2011, edition of ABC's "This Week" program will be former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, a first-generation American, former Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), who immigrated from Cuba as a boy, and Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for The Washington Post who recently published an article acknowledging he is an undocumented immigrant.  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be ABC's George Will; Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at Georgetown University; Jill Lepore, a professor of history at Harvard University; and Time magazine editor-in-chief Richard Stengel.   It is a certainty that the subject of immigration will be discussed extensively during the Rhee, Martinez, and Vargas segments of the program.
  • CBS - Face the Nation.  Among the guests on the July 3, 2011, edition of CBS's "Face the Nation" program will be Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA), Governor John Kasich (R-OH), Governor Scott Walker (R-WI), and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles).  It is uncertain whether the issue of immigration will come up during the program.
  • CNN - State of the Union. Among the guests on the July 3, 2011, edition of CNN's "State of the Union" program will be Startup America Partnership, Steve Case; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development  Shaun Donovan; Harlem Children's Zone CEO Geoffrey Canada; personal finance expert Suze Orman; and entrepreneur Russell Simmons.  Given the lineup of guests, it is uncertain whether the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.
  • FOX - FOX News Sunday.  Among the guests appearing on the July 3, 2011, edition of FOX's "FOX News Sunday" will be Senate Republican Campaign Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX), who also is the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security.  Also appearing on the program will be Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-CT).  Appearing during the roundtable segment of the program will be Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard and Fox News; Nina Easton, Washington columnist and Senior Editor of Fortune Magazine; Chris Stirewalt, Fox News Digital Politics Editor; and Kirsten Powers, New York Post Columnist and Fox News Contributor.  Given the lineup of guests, it is possible that the subject of immigration will be discussed during the program.  However, it is more likely that discussion on the program will be devoted to debt relief, presidential politics, and the ongoing wars that the United States is involved in.

Check Back with MicEvHill.Com Sunday Afternoon for Video Clips of any Immigration-Related Comments Made on the Programs

 

Senate Appropriations Committee Strips House-Passed E-Verify Contractor Provision From its FY '12 Military Construction Funding Bill


By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 1, 2011  -- 10:25 am EDT
--Updated on Saturday, July 2, 2011, at 9:00 pm EDT--

The Senate Committee on Appropriations has stripped a provision on federal contractor use of the E-Verify System from its version of a bill that funds military construction and veterans affairs.  The committee action occurred on Thursday, June 30, 2011, in connection with the House-passed version of H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.  However, while the E-Verify provision that is in the House-passed version of the bill has been stripped from the Senate Appropriations Committee-approved Version of H.R. 2055, from a practical perspective, it may not matter at all, given that most experts believe that the provision in the House-passed version of H.R. 2055 is merely a restatement of the current state of law and practice with regard to federal contractors and the E-Verify System.

The provision in question is found in Section 414 of the House-passed version of H.R. 2055.  It would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees.

The provision was stripped in the Chairman's Mark of the bill that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies approved on Wednesday, June 29, 2011.

The full Senate Committee on Appropriations approved its version of H.R. 2055 by a voice vote. 


Summary of Immigration- and Refugee-Related Provisions
There are no immigration- or refugee-related provisions in the Committee-approved version of the bill.


Next Steps
Now that the Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved its version of H.R. 2055, the next step in the legislative process is for the Committee to formally report the measure to the full Senate, which could take it up at any time.

At the time of this writing, no timetable for Senate consideration of the measure had been announced.
 
New This Weekend!
NEW! MicEvHill.Com has posted the Sunday, July 31, 2011, edition of its "Today on the Hill" page, which details the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity for Sunday, July  31, 2011. -- Click Here to See the July 31, 2011, Edition of "Today on the Hill"
 
New This Week!
UPDATED! MicEvHill.Com has posted a sneak peek at the possible immigration-related discussions that could take place during the July 31, 2011, Sunday public affairs programs. -- Click Here to See a preview of the July 31 2011, Sunday Public Affairs Programs
MicEvHill.Com has posted a write-up summarizing action on July 27, 2011, in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, in which the Subcommittee approved a measure making significant fiscal year 2012 cuts in refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs. -- Click Here to See the Write-Up on the House Appropriations Subcommittee Action on the FY '12 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Bill
MicEvHill.Com has posted a link to the "Weekly Update on "Immigration and Refugee