welcome to the "Inside Immigration" Newsletter of NumbersUSA
FEDERAL (GRANT NEWMAN)
Senate to Address ITS Most Pressing Immigration Issue… Amnesty?
To add insult to the injury of the Senate majority deciding it isn't willing to take any action to address the continuing disaster at the southern border, the Senate Judiciary Committee is having its first immigration hearing since October. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the border crisis.
Instead, the Judiciary Committee will be dedicating its valuable time next week to a hearing about the need to pass an amnesty for "Dreamers."
As we've discussed in the past, promises of amnesty generally result in a surge at the border, most recently with DACA and the 2018 amnesty proposal, so holding this hearing now is nothing short of tone-deaf. Sadly, this is one of the few issues where both Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Graham agree.
This is just a hearing, not a bill markup, but tune in next Wednesday to see where the Senators on the Committee stand.
Immigration Bills and Amendments on the Floor
The House of Representatives is keeping its focus on the border by planning more standalone immigration bills, including a bill by Rep. Van Drew (NJ-02) to require the detention of illegal aliens who assault police officers and a bill by Rep. Edwards (NC-11) to include a citizenship question on the Census and exclude aliens from apportionment.
The Senate is still considering a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Senator Lee (R-UT) is working overtime to keep improperly vetted illegal aliens from being allowed to board commercial flights without proper identification.. There's still time to tell your Senator where you stand, so take action today.
Top Articles of the Week
- America First Policy: "The Biden Administration's Hispanic Chain Gang." This is a good summary of the tragic costs associated with the Biden Border Crisis and is especially relevant for those claiming Secretary Mayorkas was impeached for 'policy differences.'
- The Washington Times: "Immigration groups demand crackdown on migrants boarding planes" Did you know that illegal aliens are allowed to fly without verified identification? There is a push to change that so illegal aliens have to abide by the same rules as American citizen passengers.
- The xxxxxx: "'Donald Trump Did This': How to Beat MAGA on Border Security" Who needs a time machine when there is The xxxxxx around to take you back to 2004? You can smell the fear in this article as the author attempts to blame Trump for Biden's three-year catastrophe at the border.
- ABC News: "Lottery bids for skilled-worker visas plunge in the US after changes aimed at fraud and abuse." The Biden Administration made a simple change to the H-1B lottery that stopped fraudulent and duplicative applications and immediately there was a dramatic drop in H-1B applications. Who knew that simply reducing fraud would lead to such a dramatic drop?
- Reuters: "Unions, businesses eye migrants to fill labor gaps in Ohio." The unholy alliance of unions and businesses in support of mass migration has been the most damaging development for American workers in the last 20-25 years. The labor movement must wake up.
SUSTAINABILITY (ROB HARDING)
IMMIGRATION AND SPRAWL ON THE AGENDA AT EARTHX 2024
Inspired by Earth Day, Dallas-based EarthX hosted its annual Congress of Conferences last week. NumbersUSA's contributions to the event emphasized barriers to successful conservation, including the ever-increasing demands of America's immigration-driven population growth on land, water, wildlife, and people. My takeaways from the experience highlight the need for an immigration policy that's compatible with conservation where wildlife has room to roam.
To give wildlife room to roam, reduce immigration.
ALLIANCES (JIM ROBB)
NumbersUSA is proud to belong to Braver Angels, an organization trying to help Americans work out our political conflicts more constructively.
Are you frustrated by how angry American politics has become in recent years? Do you wish there was some place Republicans and Democrats and Independents could gather to discuss issues in a calm, respectful manner? Would you like to discover more people who want the exact same thing?
Join NumbersUSA Vice-President Jim Robb as a delegate to the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention at beautiful Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The date is Friday, June 27 - Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Braver Angels is unlike any other group in America. Delegates to the convention are evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Participants are not asked to give up any of their political convictions. Rather, we speak freely and fully without fear, we listen to each other, and we strive to see the best in each other. We will likely find some policy directions where we can agree.
This year, immigration is a big focus of the convention. NumbersUSA's Jim Robb will be one speaker at a high-profile discussion on Immigration policy. There will also be a debate on immigration where, if you're a delegate, you too can speak at the debate! Delegates will be voting on which national issue Braver Angels should focus on in the coming year, and immigration is one of the choices.
Other interesting topics at the Convention include Newsweek editor Batya Ungar-Sargon talking about her new book Second Class, Great Barrington Declaration co-author Jay Bhattacharya debating "How to Have a Better Pandemic" with a leader who disagrees with him, and a lively discussion on "Is It Racist to Be Colorblind?"
Braver Angels and NumbersUSA work together closely every single day to help America get closer to AGREEMENT on issues that currently divide us! Do you feel called to that kind of critical work? Then join us! Housing and food is all provided on campus, and the atmosphere is very relaxed and joyful.
"I had a wonderful time at last year's convention," said Jim Robb. "I know that NumbersUSA members will love having the rare experience of being able to talk about important national issues with respectful and sympathetic hearers." There will be an informal gathering of NumbersUSA friends during the convention.
Find out more and apply to be a delegate (convention goer) here. The convention is reasonably priced, especially since food and lodging are covered by the fee. And the Carthage College campus is situated on gorgeous Lake Michigan.
ALSO, as a part of our ongoing partnership with Braver Angels, Jim Robb is leading a new interest area for NumbersUSA members who are also involved with Braver Angels. Interested in participating? Contact Jim directly: [email protected].
Interested in joining Braver Angels, a responsible and constructive organization that several NumbersUSA staff members belong to? Because we are an official sponsor of the 2024 Braver Angels National Convention, the first 100 NumbersUSA members who wish to join Braver Angels can do so for free--this is a $12 annual savings. Join today!
NUMBERS THAT MATTER
55,000 Lottery Winners Get Green Cards: No Joke!
U.S. citizenship is one of the world's greatest treasures; one that scores of millions – foreign and domestic – have sacrificed and suffered to attain over the past 200 hundred years. Yet our current system treats citizenship like a lottery. The U.S. government holds a visa lottery every year to give away 55,000 green cards (i.e. a permanent U.S. work permit and a path to citizenship) every year. Is this the way to run an immigration system?
The lottery was originally conceived by Irish-American lawmakers to grant green cards to Irish who were in the country illegally. Eligibility for the "diversity visa lottery" – better known as the "Green Card Lottery" – is determined by national origin (i.e. you are eligible – or not – based on the country of your birth).
A better immigration policy would be fair, not random.
Tell your Member of Congress.
HIRING LINE (ANDRE BARNES)
Getting into the Weeds
After I completed presentations on two different South Carolina campuses, the students asked tough questions about negative rhetoric during the election cycle, immigrant disenfranchisement, and the push for division between Black Americans and immigrants through discussions about mass immigration. When we started the Hiring Line Initiative we knew that eventually the wave of pushback would come and I would have to deal with hostile questions. My next article, Getting into the Weeds discusses questions students and professors had about immigrant bashing. NumbersUSA has a clear stance on immigrant bashing and we never blame immigrants for the issues we are seeing at the border. NumbersUSA always points out the policies and lack of action from Congress for the problems we see at the border.
Tell Congress that Immigration Limits are Not Anti-Immigrants.
NUMBERSUSA IN THE NEWS
NumbersUSA representatives are frequently featured in the media – on radio, TV, podcasts, and in print – providing commentary in support of sensible immigration policies. Check out a few recent highlights.
