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Legislative Bulletin

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Hello all,

The National Immigration Forum's Legislative Bulletin for Friday, June 28, 2024, is now posted.

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

All the best,

Arturo??

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - Friday, June 28, 2024**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK # Developments-In-Immigration-Policy-This-Week

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

LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR #legislative-floor-calendar

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

GOVERNMENT REPORTS #government-reports

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

**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY 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****

******Biden, Trump Spar in First Presidential Debate of the General Election******On June 27, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump - the two leading presidential candidates - participated [link removed] in the first of two scheduled debates before the election on November 5, 2024. Both candidates discussed their perspectives and ideas on the economy, foreign policy, health care, and immigration, among other topics [link removed].

On immigration, President Biden defended [link removed] his approach to reduce unauthorized crossings and enhance border security. Trump, however, accused Biden of allowing millions of undocumented migrants into the country.

During their respective tenures as U.S. Presidents, Trump and Biden have presented markedly different approaches to immigration and its value to the United States. In an effort to help our readers understand the different positions on immigration between both candidates, the National Immigration Forum created a comparison chart [link removed] that provides a top-level overview of eight immigration-related positions.

The next presidential debate is scheduled [link removed] for September 10, 2024.

******Biden Administration??Extends??and??Redesignates??Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)******On June 28, the Biden Administration??announced [link removed] extension??and??redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The 18-month extension - effective August 4, 2024 - will allow over 116,500 [link removed] Haitian TPS holders to retain their status through February 3, 2026. It also??extends??the protection to an estimated 309,000 Haitian nationals residing in the United States as of June 3, 2024.

In the announcement, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas??said [link removed] the renewal of TPS for Haiti was??appropriate??in light of the difficult conditions in the country due to ongoing conflict and the continuing humanitarian crisis.

TPS [link removed] granted by DHS to eligible foreign-born individuals who are unable to return home safely due to violence or other circumstances in their home country.

******Biden Administration Extends Employment Authorization for Certain TPS Beneficiaries******On June 20, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced [link removed] the extension of the validity period of employment authorization documents issued to TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan through March 9, 2025.

In the announcement, USCIS reminded TPS beneficiaries from these countries that the period to submit their re-registration applications ends on the following dates:

* El Salvador - March 9, 2025.

* Honduras - July 5, 2025.

* Nepal - June 24, 2025.

* Nicaragua - July 5, 2025.

* Sudan - April 19, 2025.

****Legal****

******SCOTUS Rules No Fundamental Right for American Citizens to Live with Noncitizen Spouses in the US******On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a6-3 decision [link removed]. that U.S. citizens do not have a fundamental right to live in the U.S. with their noncitizen spouses. The court decided against Sandra Mu??oz, who argued that the government had violated her fundamental right to live with her spouse in the United States. Mu??oz, a U.S. citizen sought [link removed] a spousal visa for her husband Luis Asencio-Cordero, a Salvadoran national. In 2015, the U.S. consulate in El Salvador denied his visa application, arguing [link removed] that his tattoos were considered gang-related. Mu??oz sued, claiming that the denial violated her right to marriage and that her husband was not a gang member and had never committed any crimes.

The Supreme Court majority reasoned that Mu??oz has the fundamental right to be married but nolegal interest [link removed] in her husband's visa application as a third party. The court also said that Asencio-Cordero has no fundamental right for a federal court to review a U.S. consul's visa decision as a noncitizen overseas. The Supreme Court dissent wrote that this ruling couldimpact [link removed]. people with limited access to legal and financial resources, as well as same-sex couples.

******Circuit Court Reverses Decision on Diversity Visas******On June 25, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed [link removed] four district court decisions that ordered the State Department to reserve and adjudicate diversity visa cases from fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

This ruling stems from an extended process [link removed] that started in 2020 when former President Donald Trump temporarily banned noncitizens from moving to the US on new immigrant??visas. The ban forced the State Department to suspend the adjudication of??visas??for recipients subject to the immigration ban. The suspension caused approximately 40,000 of the 55,000 available??diversity??visas??for FY 2020 to remain unissued by the September 30, 2020, deadline. One year later, on August 18, 2021, a federal district court ordered [link removed] the U.S. State Department to reserve and adjudicate diversity??visas that were unissued in that period.

The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled [link removed] that the district court lacked authority to order this relief. Despite the ruling, the State Department announced [link removed] that they will preserve the case records related to the diversity visas from that period until the litigation concludes.

The??Diversity??Visa Immigrant Program [link removed] designed to allow additional immigration opportunities to people from countries with relatively low rates of immigration to the U.S. Accessing a??diversity??visa is a multi-step process, which consists first of entering a computerized lottery which selects 55,000 individuals each year, and then a lengthy application, interview, and visa issuance stage before lottery winners can finally receive their green cards.

**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 new bills. This list includes federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy.

H.R. 8794 [link removed]

**Border Workforce Improvement Act**

The bill [link removed] would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with CBP, ICE, and USCIS to conduct an assessment of staffing needs at the southern border of the United States.

Sponsored by Representative Colin Allred (D-Texas) (3 [link removed] cosponsors - 0 Republicans, 3 Democrats)

06/21/2024 Introduced in the House by Rep. Colin Allred

06/21/2024 Referred to the House Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary

H.R. 8803 [link removed]

**Illegal Labor Accountability Act**

The bill [link removed] would triple civil penalties for employers who hire unauthorized migrants.

Sponsored by Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) (4 [link removed] cosponsors - 4 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

06/21/2024 Introduced in the House by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

06/21/2024 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 8804 [link removed]

**Family Reunification Act**

The bill [link removed] would require DNA testing of people claiming to have a familial connection with a child coming across the border, ultimately mandating the separation of the child if there's not a positive match.

Sponsored by Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) (4 [link removed] cosponsors - 4 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

06/21/2024 Introduced in the House by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

06/21/2024 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 8808 [link removed]

**To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure access to appropriate temporary shelter, food, and water for individuals apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection**

Sponsored by Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) (1 [link removed] cosponsors - 1 Republican, 0 Democrats)

06/21/2024 Introduced in the House by Rep. Elissa Slotkin

06/21/2024 Referred to the House Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary

H.R. 8851 [link removed]

**Strengthening Citizenship Services for Veterans Act**

The bill [link removed] would allow deported veterans who have successfully completed the preliminary naturalization process to attend their citizenship interview at a port of entry, embassy or consulate without navigating the complex process of parole.

Sponsored by Representative Juan Vargas (D-California) (5 [link removed] cosponsors - 1 Republican, 4 Democrats)

06/26/2024 Introduced in the House by Rep. Juan Vargas

06/26/2024 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

**LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR**The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are not expected to be in session the week of July 1, 2024.

**UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS**

Here, we round up congressional hearings and markups happening in the field or in Washington D.C.

**There are no hearings or markups scheduled for the week of July 1, 2024.**

**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.

**DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG);??****Management Alert - CBP Has Limited Information to Assess Interview-Waived Nonimmigrant Visa Holders - (REDACTED)** [link removed]

**; Published June 25, 2024**This DHS-OIG report highlights that CBP has limited information on whether the Department of State has interviewed nonimmigrant visa holders.

**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:****The Future of U.S. Immigration: Trump and Biden on Key Immigration Policy Areas** [link removed]

This explainer provides a top-level chart with an overview of eight positions Trump and Biden have taken during their tenure as President and their general election campaigns.

**Explainer: The Biden Administration's Announcement to Protect American Families** [link removed]

[link removed] This explainer provides an overview of President Joe Biden's executive actions to keep American families together.**D-3 Waivers for the Three- and Ten-Year Bars of Dreamers** [link removed]

[link removed] On June 18, 2024, the Biden administration announced [link removed] administrative actions to make it easier for Dreamers and DACA recipients who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education to become eligible for work visas [link removed] in the United States.

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

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