Legislative Bulletin

 

 

Hello all,

The National Immigration Forum's Legislative Bulletin for Friday, April
28, 2023, is now posted.

You can find the online version of the bulletin
here: [link removed]
<[link removed]>
[link removed]


All the best,

Alexandra 

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - Friday, April 28, 2023**Welcome to the National
Immigration Forum's weekly bulletin! Every Friday, our policy team
rounds up key developments around immigration policy in Washington and
across the country. The bulletin includes items on the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches, as well as some coverage at the state
and local levels. 

Here's a breakdown of the bulletin's sections:

BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED <#bills-introduced-and-considered>

LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR <#legislative-floor-calendar>

UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS <#upcoming-hearings-and-markups>

DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION THIS WEEK <#Themes-In-Washington-This-week>

GOVERNMENT REPORTS <#government-reports>

SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES
<#spotlight-on-national-immigration-forum-resources>

**BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED**It can be challenging to keep up with
the constant barrage of proposed legislation in Congress. So, every
week, we round up a new list of bills here. This section includes
federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and
that are relevant to immigration policy. 

**S.1192**
<[link removed]>Stop
Fentanyl Border Crossings Act

This bill
<[link removed]>
would authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend the entry
of persons from certain countries under Title 42 if the Secretary
determines that drugs are being smuggled from those countries.

Sponsored by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) (10
<[link removed]>
cosponsors - 10 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

04/19/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Bill Hagerty

04/19/2023 Referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions

**S.1263**
<[link removed]>Filipino
Veterans Family Reunification Act

This bill
<[link removed]>would
amend immigration law to exempt the children of certain Filipino World
War II veterans from global limits on immigration. The House companion,
H.R.2823
<[link removed]>,
was introduced by Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii).

Sponsored by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) (14
<[link removed]>
cosponsors - 2 Republicans, 11 Democrats, 1 Independent)

04/25/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono 

04/25/2023 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary

**S.1312**
<[link removed]>Securing
Our Border Act

This bill
<[link removed]>
would, in part, redirect $15 billion in funding meant for Internal
Revenue Service agents to pay for border inspections, border wall
construction, and retention bonuses for Border Patrol agents. 

Sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) (7
<[link removed]>cosponsors
- 7 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

04/26/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tim Scott 

04/26/2023 Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance

**S.1343**
<[link removed]>A
bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to alter the
definition of "conviction"

Sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) (9
<[link removed]>
cosponsors - 0 Republicans, 8 Democrats, 1 Independent)

04/27/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Alex Padilla  

04/27/2023 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary

**H.R.2794**
<[link removed]>Border
Reinforcement Act of 2023

This bill
<[link removed]>
would restart construction of a border wall, increase the number of
Border Patrol agents, require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to come
up with a technology investment plan, upgrade current technology, and
make other changes to U.S. border enforcement.

Sponsored by Rep. Mark E. Green (R-Tennessee) (17
<[link removed]>cosponsors
- 17 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

04/24/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Rep. Mark E. Green 

04/24/2023 Referred to the House Committees on Homeland Security, on
Ways and Means, and on the Judiciary

**H.R.2806**
<[link removed]>DHS
Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023

This bill
<[link removed]>
would mitigate personnel shortages affecting U.S. Customs and Border
Protection in rural communities.

Sponsored by Rep. Jared F. Golden (D-Maine) (3
<[link removed]>cosponsors
- 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat)

04/24/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Rep. Jared F. Golden

04/24/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security

**H.R. 2827**
<[link removed]>Partner
with Korea Act

This bill
<[link removed]>
would allot 15,000 E-4 visas for Koreans. The Senate companion, S.1301
<[link removed]>,
is sponsored by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Sponsored by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Virginia) (1
<[link removed]>
cosponsor - 1 Republican, 0 Democrats) 

04/25/2023 Introduced in the Senate by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly

04/25/2023 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

**H.R.2837**
<[link removed]>To
provide for higher minimum pay for certain U.S. Border Patrol agents

Sponsored by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) (0
<[link removed]>
cosponsors)

04/25/2023 Introduced in the House by Rep. Tony Gonzales 

04/25/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and
Accountability

**H.R.2843**
<[link removed]>To
prohibit the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
from accepting warrants for the arrest of aliens as valid proof of
identification at aviation security checkpoints

Sponsored by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) (0
<[link removed]>
cosponsors)

04/25/2023 Introduced in the House by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis 

04/25/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security

**H.R.2844**
<[link removed]>To
require the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to make available to the public on the websites of
their respective departments certain information relating to individuals
processed through U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Department of
Health and Human Services facilities

Sponsored by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) (0
<[link removed]>
cosponsors)

04/25/2023 Introduced in the House by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis 

04/25/2023 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

**H.R.2913**
<[link removed]>To
designate Lebanon under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality
Act to permit nationals of Lebanon to be eligible for temporary
protected status under such section

Sponsored by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) ((1
<[link removed]>
cosponsor - 0 Republicans, 1 Democrat)

04/26/2023 Introduced in the House by Rep. Rashida Tlaib

04/26/2023 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary and on the
Budget

**H.R.2946**
<[link removed]>Safe
Zones Act (SZA) of 2023

This bill
<[link removed]>
would broaden which staff could conduct credible fear analysis and
streamline the asylum process to expedite adjudications. It would also
establish "safe zones" at embassies, consulates, or similar facilities,
and make other changes.

Sponsored by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) (0
<[link removed]>
cosponsors)

04/27/2023 Introduced in the House by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez 

04/27/2023 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary and on
Homeland Security

**LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR**The U.S. Senate will be in session from
Monday, May 1 through Thursday, May 4, 2023. 

The U.S. House of Representatives will not be in session the week of May
1, 2023. 

**UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS**Here, we round up congressional
hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington. 

There are no immigration-related policy hearings announced for the week
of May 1, 2023. 

**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION THIS WEEK**Immigration policy is a dynamic
field subject to constant change. Here, we summarize some of the most
important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal,
legal, state, and local levels. 

Content warning: This section sometimes includes events and information
that can prove disturbing. 

****Federal ****

**House Leadership Announces Immigration Bill Package After Months of
Internal Debate **On April 27, House Republicans officially announced
<[link removed]>
their immigration package, which combines two bills that were recently
advanced through
<[link removed]>
the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees for an
enforcement-only approach to the challenges at the U.S.'s southern
border. 

Although Republican leadership in the House had hoped to pass a
legislative proposal on border security early into the new Congress,
divisions between moderates and more right-leaning members of the party
spawned months of delays and debate over especially draconian
restrictions. But - after a number of quiet concessions and amendments
- Republican lawmakers seem to have reached a compromise
<[link removed]>. 

"It's in a good spot," Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said of the
legislative plan
<[link removed]>
Thursday, after leading opposition to some of its earlier provisions.
"As long as nobody does any funny business - you've got to watch it
till the very end."

The package is still focused on immigration enforcement alone, with no
new legal pathways to relieve pressure at the U.S.'s southern border.
In fact, if enacted, some of the pieces
<[link removed]>
from the House Judiciary Committee would curb existing humanitarian
pathways by placing limitations on asylum, the executive branch's
parole authority, and a special status to protect migrant youth. 

Meanwhile, the bill that was considered and reported favorably
<[link removed]>
out of the House Homeland Security Committee earlier this week
<[link removed]>
would resume border wall construction, limit the use of the CBPOne phone
application, increase the number of border agents, and make other
changes. 

House Republicans are teeing up the proposed legislation for a floor
vote next month, timed around the end
<[link removed]>
of the Title 42 policy. But for Democrats - and likely the
Democratic-controlled Senate - the GOP package remains a
non-starter. 

"Democrats aren't going to vote for a border bill that doesn't
include any kind of immigration reform," said Rep. Robert Garcia
<[link removed]>
(D-California).

**The Biden Administration Unveils Sweeping Plan to 'Manage Regional
Migration' Ahead of Title 42's Anticipated End**On April 27, the
Biden administration debuted its expansive plan
<[link removed]>
to address an expected uptick in migration at the United States-Mexico
border once the Title 42 public health order is set to expire on May
11. 

Part of the announcement included new regional processing centers
<[link removed]>
in Colombia and Guatemala, where people will be able to make phone
appointments and be vetted for lawful pathways to the U.S., Canada, and
Spain. Officials hope that - by providing an option in-region -
migrants won't need to rely on smugglers, who charge exorbitant fees
as guides for dangerous transnational journeys.  

The administration will also debut a new family reunification process
for Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Colombians, plus modernize
similar programs that already exist for Cubans and Haitians. And it'll
give migrants in Mexico access to more appointments for processing into
the U.S. through the CBPOne phone app, while doubling its goal for
resettling refugees from within the Western Hemisphere. 

Meanwhile, the plan detailed new restrictions and stiff enforcement of
penalties for people who try to cross the U.S.-Mexico border without
authorization. Generally, these individuals will be rapidly processed
through expedited removal
<[link removed]>,
where newcomers are quickly deported, often without ever going before an
immigration judge. With limited exceptions, they will be presumed
ineligible for asylum, removed on an increased number of flights,
subjected to a five-year bar on returning to the U.S., and potentially
prosecuted on criminal charges if they make a repeat attempt. 

"Let me be clear. Our border is not open and will not be open after May
11," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a press
conference.
<[link removed]>

**Biden Announces 2024 Presidential Bid, Taps Julie Chávez Rodriguez as
Campaign Manager **On April 25, President Joe Biden officially launched
his re-election <[link removed]>campaign by
framing next year's election
<[link removed]>
as a choice between "more freedom or less freedom, more rights or
fewer." 

Biden selected Julie Chávez Rodríguez - granddaughter of the
workers' rights champion César Chávez, and currently the
highest-ranking Latina
<[link removed]> in the White House
- to manage his campaign. But while immigration advocates cheered her
appointment as a positive sign, they also used Biden's announcement of
a re-election bid to express disappointment
<[link removed]>
with the administration's record on immigration policy thus far. 

Meanwhile, Biden's domestic policy adviser Susan Rice will be leaving
the White House, according to NBC News
<[link removed]>.
Her departure could open the door for a potential shift in immigration,
as she has reportedly
<[link removed]>
been instrumental in some of the administration's more hardline
responses to the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

**U.S. Deportations to Cuba Resume**On April 24, the Biden
administration restarted deportation flights
<[link removed]>
to Cuba for the first time since December 2020. 

Among the 123 Cubans that the Cuban interior ministry said arrived on a
removal flight Monday, 83 had been processed at the U.S.-Mexico border,
while 40 more had been interdicted at sea. 

The Cuban government said it would "take no retaliatory action" against
those deported, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
U.S. officials on the ground plan to monitor the situation. 

Resumed deportations to Cuba come as the Biden administration generally
scales up removal flights in anticipation of the Title 42 public health
order's planned end. 

"The number of weekly flights will double or triple for some countries,"
DHS said Thursday
<[link removed]>.
"With this increase in removal flights, migrants who cross the U.S.
border without authorization and who fail to qualify for protection
should expect to be swiftly returned with at least a five-year bar to
returning."

****State and Local ****

**Florida State Lawmakers Poised to Pass Immigration Bill **Florida
state lawmakers have revised
<[link removed]>
an immigration bill that would make knowingly transporting migrants
without legal status within the state a felony.

Supporters say state-level action is needed because the federal
government hasn't adequately addressed unlawful immigration, but
opponents note the bill will hurt Florida's immigration-powered
economy and further drive undocumented families into the shadows. 

The revised legislation (HB 1617/S.B.1718) would expand penalties for
knowingly transporting undocumented individuals into Florida, making it
a second-degree felony. The original version of the legislation
<[link removed]>
would have made it unlawful to transport into or within the state an
undocumented person, which risked encompassing routine, day-to-day
activities like providing transportation services to parishioners to
attend a church service or driving an undocumented family member to a
doctor's appointment.

One of the legislation's most contentious provisions is the
requirement for businesses to verify immigration status through a
federal database called E-Verify. The bill would require employers with
25 or more workers to use the system, despite the fact that many key
industries in the state, such as agriculture and hospitality, already
face acute labor shortages.

Amendments to dull some of the House bill's provisions were put forth
by Democrats, but were easily dispatched by the Republican-controlled
House Commerce Committee, who approved the proposal on Monday
<[link removed]>.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee approved the Senate bill on Tuesday.
The state legislature is expected to vote on the bill before its session
ends on May 5.

**El Paso Mayor Announces Plans for Emergency Declaration Ahead of Title
42's Planned End**On April 24, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser announced his
city
<[link removed]>will
declare a state of emergency before the Title 42 public health order is
expected to end on May 11, in anticipation of an increase in the number
of migrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. 

"It's going to really take a lot of work from our teams to be prepared
and I know we've been working on it and we will be prepared," Leeser
said. 

On the other side of the border, advocates fear
<[link removed]>
migrants could face exacerbated human rights abuses - including
inadequate health care, cruel treatment, intimidation, and wrongful
detention - once Title 42 expires and Mexico's migrant detention
system potentially faces even more strain. 

Under pressure from the U.S., the Mexican government has been increasing
its use of detention, and last year, Mexico held more than 444,000
migrants - a 44% increase from 2021. But a fire at a detention center
in Ciudad Juárez that killed 40 migrants in March shone a light on the
shortcomings of these facilities, and thousands
<[link removed]>
marched in mass protest on Sunday, calling for an end to Mexico's
detention centers and a dissolution of its immigration agency.

"It could well have been any of us," said Salvadoran Miriam Argueta, in
reference to the tragedy in Juárez. "In fact, a lot of our countrymen
died. The only thing we are asking for is justice, and to be treated
like anyone else."

**GOVERNMENT REPORTS**Reports by bodies such as the U.S. Government
Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the
Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General provide
invaluable information on immigration policy and practice. Here, we give
brief summaries of new immigration-related reports, with links to the
resources themselves in case you want to learn more. 

**U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO);****Customs and Border
Protection: Actions Needed to Enhance Acquisition Management and
Knowledge Sharing** <[link removed]>

**; April 25, 2023**This report analyzes U.S. Customs and Border
Protection's (CBP) acquisition programs, including collaboration with
key stakeholders and lessons learned practices.

**U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO);****Immigration Courts:
Actions Needed to Address Workforce, Performance, and Data Management
Challenges** <[link removed]>

**; April 26, 2023**This report explores management functions at the
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), with a particular focus
on needed improvements to workforce planning, performance appraisals,
and data quality.

**Office of Inspector General (OIG);****DHS Has Refined Its Other than
Full and Open Competition Reporting Processes**
<[link removed]>

**; April 26, 2023**This report finds that the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) followed guidance around awarding contracts and grants.

**SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES**The Forum is
constantly publishing new policy-focused resources that engage with some
of the most topical issues around immigration today. Here are a few that
are particularly relevant this week: 

**Mexico's Asylum System: Good in Theory, Insufficient in Practice**
<[link removed]>This
paper details Mexico's asylum system - its progress and deficiencies
- amid the Biden administration's proposed rule that would push
migrants to apply for asylum elsewhere, including in Mexico.

**Bill Summary: The Border Security and Enforcement Act of 2023**
<[link removed]>This
bill summary details H.R.2640, including key provisions from House
Republicans' border package. 

**Border Resources Directory**
<[link removed]>This
resource page is a one-stop shop for answers to questions about the
U.S.-Mexico border and migration. 

* * *

*This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact
Alexandra Villarreal, Policy and Advocacy Associate at the National
Immigration Forum, with comments and suggestions of additional items to
be included. Alexandra can be reached at
[email protected]. Thank you.

 

DONATE
<[link removed]>

 

**Follow Us**

 

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

National Immigration Forum

10 G Street NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002

www.immigrationforum.org <[link removed]>

 

Unsubscribe from the Legislative Bulletin <[link removed]>
or opt-out from all Forum emails. <[link removed]>

 

                                               
           
_________________

Sent to [email protected]

Unsubscribe:
[link removed]

National Immigration Forum, 10 G St NE, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20002, United States