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Top Immigration, Asylum, and Refugee Legislative and Political Developments
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Congress Faces a Light Agenda of Scheduled Immigration Legislative Activity Before Beginning a Five Week-Long August Recess, But Significant Unscheduled Action Could Occur, As Well
By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 30, 2012 -- 12:01 am EDT
Congress convenes this week for a final push of legislative activity before begnning its five week-long August recess.
The recess that follows this week's legislative action will be eventful. A number of states, including such immigration-centric states as Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina, will decide their nominees for several highly contested House and Senate races. Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA), the presumptive 2012 Republican presidenital nominee, will unveil his Vice Presidential running mate during the August recess, and there is a significant possibility that his choice will come with a significant record on immigration matters. And Republicans and Democrats will hold their respective 2012 presidential nominating conventions during the latter period of the coming August recess, and it is possible that the subject of immigration will be featured in their respective party platforms and in speeches given from their respective convention floors.
But before Congress leaves for what promises to be an eventful August recess, it will have to get through this week's legislative activity.
Congress faces a light agenda of scheduled legislative activity on immigration- and refugee-related matters, with just one hearing, one markup, and one floor action scheduled. However, the most eventful immigration actions could turn out to be events that are not scheduled to occur this week.
Immigration advocates have expected that sometime before Congress leaves the Nation's Capitol for its August recess, three actions might occur:
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Increased STEM Visas. First, they have been awaiting word on whether House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) will reach agreement with key players in the House and Senate on legislation that would provide additional immigrant visas to foreign graduates of American universities in high-tech fields and offset the increased visas by eliminating the Diversity Visa program.
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Violence Against Women Act. Second, advocates have eagerly awaited word on whether a compromise might be reached that would allow the House and Senate to formally begin talks to resolve differences between their respective versions of legislation reauthorizing and revising programs under the umbrella of the Violence Against Women Act.
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Expiring Immigration Provisions. And third, advocates have eagerly awaited word on whether an agreement can be struck in the Senate to pass legislation extending four expiring immigration programs: the E-Verify System, the Conrad 30 Visa Waiver Program, the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker Visa Program, and the EB-5 Investor Visa Regional Centers program.
A more detailed look at the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative agenda during the week of July 30, 2012, can be found after the jump.
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Associate Justice Scalia Talks immigration During the
July 29th Sunday Public Affairs Programs
By Micheal E. Hill
Sunday, July 29, 2012 -- 11:00 pm EDT
For the first time in weeks, the subject of immigration was discussed on the Sunday public affairs programs.
This week's discussion came from Supreme Court of the United States Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who talked about his dissent in the Court's decision in the Arizona v. United States case regarding the constitutionality of portions of Arizona's SB 1070 immigration enforcement law.
See a summary of and video excerpt from the mentions of immigration and the Latino vote that were made during the July 29, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs after the jump.
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Numerous Hearings and the Possible Markup of a Bill Making Deep Cuts in FY '13 Funding for Refugee Resettlement Highlight the Coming Week's Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity
By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 23, 2012 -- 12:01 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 20, 2012, at 4:50 pm EDT--
Numerous hearings focusing on various aspects of immigration policy and the possible markup of a bill that would make deep cuts in refugee
There actually are five hearings scheduled for the coming week at which immigration-related matters could be examined, including one at which Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is expected to testify on the future of homeland security, another focusing on the operations of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and other hearings on immigration attorney fraud and student visas at sham educational institutions. The hearing on the operations of the Civil Rights Division could be particularly contentious, airing such matters as the Department of Justice lawsuit against Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio; concerns about racial profiling in various states in the wake of their enactment of immigration enforcement laws that give their state and local police officials a role in enforcing federal immigration law; and actions in a number of states that civil rights activists contend are voter suppresion schemes.
At the time of this writing, only one markup is anticipated for the coming week that is likely to address immigration- or refugee-related matters. The bill that is the subject of that markup is the Fiscal Year 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure, which was approved by the panel's Subcommiteee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, would cut fiscal year 2013 funding for the Department of Health and Human Services's refugee and entrant assistance programs by more than 14 percent relative to spending on those programs in fiscal year 2012 and by more than 18 percent relative to the Obama Administration's fiscal year 2013 budget request.
Other action impacting immigration policy that could occur at any time is the introduction by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) of legislation that would provide additional immigrant visas to foreign graduates of American universities in high-tech fields and offset the increased visas by eliminating the Diversity Visa program. Additionally, the House and Senate at any time could take steps to formally begin to resolve differences between their respective versions of legislation reauthorizing and revising programs under the umbrella of the Violence Against Women Act. And the Senate could act in the next week or two on legislation extending four expiring immigration programs: the E-Verify System, the Conrad 30 Visa Waiver Program, the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker Visa Program, and the EB-5 Investor Visa Regional Centers program.
A more detailed look at the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative agenda during the week of July 23, 2012, can be found after the jump.
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Will the Subjects of Immigration or the Latino Vote Be Topics of Discussion on the Coming Weekend's Sunday Public Affairs Programs?
By Micheal E. Hill
Friday, July 20, 2012 -- 3:20 pm EDT
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The presidential campaigns are likely to be a secondary story on the July 22 Sunday public affairs programs as all five programs are likely to feature segments examining the mass shooting that occurred on Friday morning, July 20, in Aurora Colorado. As a consequence of the tragic shooting in Colorado, a number of the programs were still scrambling at the time of this weriting to find guests to discuss the subject of gun violence, in general, and the Aurora shooting, in particular. Accordingly, it would appear that the chances of the subjects of immigration or the Latino vote being discussed on the programs are remote, at best.
While the guest lists for most of the programs had not been finalized at the time of this writing, the headliner political figures appearing on the programs so far include former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who is appearing on two programs, and Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA), who is appearing on one of the programs. Both are reportedly on the short list of persons being considered to be presumptive 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate. At the time of this writing, no obvious key immigration or Latino vote guests had been announced.
Will any of the various guests discuss the subjects of immigration or the Latino vote during the July 22 Sunday public affairs programs?
We'll find out on Sunday!
See a more detailed breakdown of the guest lists and possible immigration discussions on the July 22 Sunday public affairs programs after the jump.
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A House Judiciary Committee Hearing Featuring Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Markup of the FY '13 Bill that Funds Refugee Resettlement Highlight the Coming Week's Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity
By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 16, 2012 -- 8:00 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012, at 3:00 pm EDT--
A hearing in the House Committee on the Judiciary that promises to be long and contentious and a markup in a House Appropriations subcommittee that is likely to be equally long and contentious highlight the coming week's immigration and refugee legislative agenda.
There actually are three hearings scheduled for the coming week at which immigration-related matters could be examined, including one on human trafficking featuring testimony from actress Jada Pinkett Smith. However, the hearing that is likely to generate the most attention during the coming week is occurring on Thursday, July 19, in the House Committee on the Judiciary. That hearing will feature as its sole witness Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Republicans can be expected to grill the Secretary on such subjects as the Administration's prosecutorial discretion for DREAM Act children initiative, the Administration's general exercise of prosecutorial discretion in immigration cases, the Administration's position on extending, terminating, and operating 287(g) agreements, the Administration's new detention standards, and the Administration's lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of various states' immigration enforcement laws.
At the time of this writing, only one markup is scheduled for the coming week that is likely to address immigration- or refugee-related matters. The bill that is the subject of that markup, the yet-to-be-unveiled Fiscal Year 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, will likely include provsions that provide fiscal year 2013 funding for the federal government's refugee resettlement program, funding for assistance to foreign-born trafficking and torture victims found in the United States, and funding for the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children who are found here. The controversy that will surround that bill will likely have nothing to do with immigration. Rather, the markup of the measure is likely to become mired in controversy and contentiousness because of deep cuts that it llikely will make in domestic spending programs and because of efforts that Republicans are expected to make to defund programs and activities mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
Other action impacting immigration policy that could occur at any time is the introduction by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) of legislation that would provide additional immigrant visas to foreign graduates of American universities in high-tech fields and offset the increased visas by eliminating the Diversity Visa program. Additionally, the House and Senate at any time could take steps to formally begin to resolve differences between their respective versions of legislation reauthorizing and revising programs under the umbrella of the Violence Against Women Act.
A more detailed look at the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative agenda during the week of July 16, 2012, can be found after the jump.
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Congress Returns From its Independence Day Recess to a Relatively Light Schedule of Immigration- and Refugee-Related
Legislative Activity
By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 9, 2012 -- 9:30 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, July 6, 2012, at 1:15 pm EDT--
--Updated on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, at 12:45 am EDT--
The House and Senate return on Monday, July 9, 2012, from their week-long Independence Day Recesses.
Upon their return to Washington, the House and Senate will remain in session through the close of business on Friday, August 3, 2012, at which time they will begin a five week-long August recess -- a recess that will include time away from Washington for the 2012 Republican and 2012 Democratic National Conventions.
The biggest legislative action occurring on Capitol Hill during the week of July 9 has nothing to do with immigration; the big action will be yet another vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is more popularly known as ObamaCare. The House is expected to take up a measure to repeal the law sometime on Tuesday, July 10, completing action on the measure on Wednesday, July 11. The other big legislative action occurring on Capitol Hill during the week of July 9 could, conceivably impact immigration, is the House Agriculture Committee markup of its version of the Farm Bill. The draft measure does not contain any immigration- or refugee-related provisions. However, it is possible that immigration-related amendments could be offered to the measure during the markup.
Other action impacting immigration policy that could occur at any time is the introduction by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) of legislation that would provide additional immigrant visas to foreign graduates of American universities in high-tech fields and offset the increased visas by eliminating the Diversity Visa program. Additionally, the House and Senate at any time could take steps to formally begin to resolve differences between their respective versions of legislation reauthorizing and revising programs under the umbrella of the Violence Against Women Act.
A more detailed look at the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative agenda during the week of July 9, 2012, can be found after the jump.
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Very Little Discussion about Immigration or the Latino Vote Occurred During the July 8th Sunday Public Affairs Programs
By Micheal E. Hill
Sunday, July 8, 2012 -- 1:17 pm EDT
For the second consecutive week, the subjects of immigration and the Latino vote were largely absent from the July 8, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs, with only two brief discussions about the issues occurring.
While there were several immigration heavyweight guests on the programs, economic issues and the continuing political and legislative fallout from the Supreme Court of the United States' decision on the Affordable Care Act dominated the airwaves, leaving little oxygen left for immigration.
In the end, the only references to immigration or the Latino vote were made by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who chairs the Democratic National Committee; and A.B. Stoddard, Associate Editor of "The Hill" newspaper.
See a summary of and video excerpts from the mentions of immigration and the Latino vote that were made during the July 8, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs after the jump.
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The House and Senate Begin a Week-Long Recess but a Substantial and Uncertain Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Agenda
Awaits their Return in July, and Beyond
By Micheal E. Hill
Monday, July 2, 2012 -- 8:00 am EDT
--Original Version Posted on Friday, June 29, 2012, at 5:12 pm EDT--
The House and Senate have begun their week-long Independence Day Recesses.
Upon their return to Washington on Monday, July 9, 2012, the House and Senate will remain in session through the close of business on Friday, August 3, 2012, at which time they will begin a five week-long August recess -- a recess that will include time away from Washington for the 2012 Republican and 2012 Democratic National Conventions.
The House is scheduled to return from its August recess on Monday, September 10, for what is expected to be 13 days of legislative session before breaking for a five-week long recess running up to the 2012 general election.
While the Senate's long-term schedule is still subject to change, it is scheduled to return from its August recess on Monday, September 10, as well. However, unlike the House, the Senate (for now) is scheduled upon its return in September to remain in legislative session right up to Election Day.
The relatively few number of legislative days that are left before the election and the increasingly political nature of everything that is occurring in Washington makes for a crowded, yet uncertain legislative schedule.
From an immigration and refugee perspective, there are four categories of measures that could see action on Capitol Hill between now and Election Day:
- First are items that Congress absolutely must act on in order to prevent a shutdown of vital executive branch functions. This category includes such items as funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human Services.
- Second are items that Congress may feel compelled to act on because of expiring (or expired) provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This category includes such expiring programs and authorities as the E-Verify System, the EB-5 Regional Centers Program, the Conrad 30 Visa Waiver Program, and the Special Immigrant Non-minister Religious Worker Visa Program.
- Third are items that Members or Senators feel compelled to act out of principal or political necessity. This category includes such authorities as those found in the expired and expiring provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
- Fourth are relatively easy items that don't require the exercise of much political capital. This category includes such matters as legislation to clamp down on fraud in the issuance of student visas.
A more detailed write-up on the likely post-recess immigration- and refugee-related legislative agenda can be found after the jump.
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The Subjects of Immigration and the Latino Vote Dwarfed by Discussions about the Supreme Court's Decision on the Affordable Care Act During the July 1st Sunday Public Affairs Programs
By Micheal E. Hill
Sunday, July 1, 2012 -- 1:00 pm EDT
Notwithstanding the Monday, June 25, decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Arizona v. the United States, relating to Arizona's SB 1070 immigration enforcement law, the subjects of immigration and the Latino vote received only the tiniest of mentions during the July 1, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs.
Indeed, the only mention of the subjects lasted a record-short 20 seconds as the Supreme Court's decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the weather-related disruptions on the East Coast, and the contempt of Congress vote regarding Attorney General Eric Holder dominated the programs.
See a summary of and video excerpts from the mentions of immigration and the Latino vote that were made during the July 1, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs after the jump.
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| New in July! |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted the July 30, 2012, edition of its "This Week on the Hill" page, which presents a detailed look at the immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that will likely occur during the week of July 30, 2012. -- Click Here to See the July 30, 2012, edition of "This Week on the Hill" |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a brief write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face during the week of July 30, 2012. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity for the Week of July 30, 2012 |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted video excerpts of the immigration-related comments made by guests on the July 29, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs. -- Click Here to See Video of the Immigration-Related Comments Made on the July 29, 2012, Sunday Public Affairs Programs |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a brief write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face during the week of July 23, 2012. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity for the Week of July 23, 2012 |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted the July 23, 2012, edition of its "This Week on the Hill" page, which presents a detailed look at the immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that will likely occur during the week of July 23, 2012. -- Click Here to See the July 23, 2012, edition of "This Week on the Hill" |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a sneak peek at the possible immigration-related discussions that could take place during the July 22, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs. -- Click Here to See a preview of the July 22, 2012, Sunday Public Affairs Programs |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a brief write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face during the week of July 16 , 2012. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity for the Week of July 16, 2012 |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted the July 16, 2012, edition of its "This Week on the Hill" page, which presents a detailed look at the immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that will likely occur during the week of July 16, 2012. -- Click Here to See the July 16, 2012, edition of "This Week on the Hill" |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a brief write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face during the week of July 9, 2012. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity for the Week of July 9, 2012 |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted the July 9, 2012, edition of its "This Week on the Hill" page, which presents a detailed look at the immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that will likely occur during the week of July 9, 2012. -- Click Here to See the July 9, 2012, edition of "This Week on the Hill" |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted video excerpts of the immigration-related comments made by guests on the July 8, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs. -- Click Here to See Video of the Immigration-Related Comments Made on the July 8, 2012, Sunday Public Affairs Programs |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face upon its return from its Independence Day recess. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity After the Independence Day Recess |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted video excerpts of the immigration-related comments made by guests on the July 1, 2012, Sunday public affairs programs. -- Click Here to See Video of the Immigration-Related Comments Made on the July 1, 2012, Sunday Public Affairs Programs |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted a brief write-up previewing the likely immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that Congress will face upon its return from its Independence Day recess. -- Click Here to See a Summary of the Likely Immigration- and Refugee-Related Legislative Activity After the Independence Day Recess |
| MicEvHill.Com has posted the July 2, 2012, edition of its "This Week on the Hill" page, which presents a detailed look at the (in this case nonexistent) immigration- and refugee-related legislative activity that will likely occur during the week of July 2, 2012. -- Click Here to See the July 2, 2012, edition of "This Week on the Hill" |
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