Legislative Bulletin

 

 

Howdy, 

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. Thank you for subscribing! 

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

With hope, 

Nicci 

***

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - Friday, February 14, 2025**

**DEVELOPMENTS IN IMMIGRATION POLICY THIS WEEK**Here, we summarize some of the most important recent developments in immigration policy on the federal, legal, state, and local levels.  

Federal 

******Pope Francis Issues Sharp Rebuke of Mass Deportation Policies as Religious Groups File Suit  **** ** The Trump administration has received vociferous backlash from various religious groups following a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive rescinding [link removed] the Biden administration’s Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas [link removed], which had established a principle limiting ICE officers from "tak[ing] an enforcement action in or near a location that would restrain people's access to essential services or engagement in essential activities." Such "protected areas" included schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship, among others.  

In response to the recission, 27 Christian and Jewish groups filed suit [link removed] in federal court, arguing that the new policy infringes on their religious freedom by limiting their ability to minister to migrant communities, many of whom have stopped attending church services due to fear of ICE raids [link removed].  

On February 11th, the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts drew criticism from Pope Francis himself, who wrote in an open letter [link removed] to the Catholic Bishops of the United States of America this week: "The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality...What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly." Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, responded to the Pope’s letter by suggesting [link removed] that the Pope should "[s]tick to the Catholic Church. Leave border enforcement to us." 

******Reconciliation Bills Advance in Senate and House Amid GOP Divisions ****  ** On February 12th, the Senate Committee on the Budget voted [link removed] 11-10, along party lines, to approve the FY 2025 budget resolution, advancing a fiscal framework that allocates $175 billion for border security. The resolution has sparked intense debate among lawmakers. During two-day the markup [link removed] process, Senate Budget Committee majority members, including Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Kennedy (R-LA), blamed President Biden’s "open border policies" for rising crime and drug trafficking, citing fentanyl as a key concern. Minority members, such as Alex Padilla (D-CA), criticized the focus on mass deportations, noting that half of those arrested by ICE have no criminal record and warning about the economic impact of targeting immigrant workers vital to key industries. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has repeatedly underscored his desire to swiftly implement [link removed] President Trump’s immigration agenda, including funding for the border wall, expanded detention capacity, and increased ICE personnel. The reconciliation bill now heads to the Senate floor for debate, with a vote expected [link removed] in late February or early March.  

If passed, the Senate reconciliation bill will provide a framework for advancing Trump’s immigration priorities while setting up further negotiations with House Republicans over final spending levels and policy details. The Senate’s approach, which separates border security from tax policy in a two-bill strategy, contrasts with the House’s "one big bill" plan that combines tax cuts, defense spending, and immigration enforcement into a single package. On February 13th, the House Budget Committee approved [link removed] its own budget resolution along party lines. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has faced challenges [link removed] uniting House Republicans around the proposal and has felt increased pressure [link removed] from top Trump officials to reach a compromise. The full House vote is expected later this month. 

******Unpublished Refugee Data Highlights Ongoing Federal Transparency Issues****  ** The monthly refugee arrival report for January 2025, typically published by the Refugee Processing Center [link removed] (RPC) on or around the 5th of each month, has not been released. The absence of this data coincides with President Trump’s January 20th executive order [link removed] suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) until further notice. Refugee arrivals continued up to inauguration day, with 27,308 refugees [link removed] admitted during the first quarter of FY 2025 as of December 31, 2024. However, no new arrivals have been recorded since the suspension took effect and tens of thousands of refugees slated for travel have had their flights canceled [link removed].  

This lack of transparency in refugee data is part of a broader trend under the new administration, with other immigration-related data, such as ICE enforcement statistics [link removed], also being withheld or delayed. Reports suggest [link removed] that outdated ICE activity articles have been manipulated to appear as recent updates in search engine results. Access to accurate and timely data is critical for understanding immigration trends and ensuring transparency in policymaking, and advocacy groups have long warned [link removed] that a lack of information hinders public oversight and obscures the impact of significant policy changes on vulnerable populations. 

******USCIS Announces Opening of FY2026 H1-B Cap Period**** ** On February 5th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced [link removed] that the initial registration period for the FY2026 H1-B Specialty Occupations visa [link removed] cap will open at 12:00 PM ET on March 7th and run through March 24th, 2025.  The H-1B visa program allows [link removed] U.S. employers to hire non-citizen workers for "specialty occupations" that requiring a bachelor’s degree. H1-B recipients include IT professionals, engineers, professors, doctors, lawyers, architects, and journalists. Congress set the H-1B visa cap [link removed] at 65,000 per year [link removed] in 1990, and an additional 20,000 visas for people with an advanced degree exemption was approved by Congress in 2004. 

****Legal** **

******Department of Justice Deploys Prosecutors to the Southern Border    ****** The Trump administration has directed federal prosecutors to prioritize immigration enforcement by reallocating resources to southern border districts. Specifically, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has instructed [link removed] all 93 U.S. attorneys within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to identify line prosecutors for deployment to these regions, framing the initiative as a response to what the administration describes as an "invasion [link removed]" of illegal immigration. During a late January conference call, Bove linked this directive to President Trump’s executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border [link removed] and emphasized the need to prosecute [link removed] immigration-related offenses as a top priority. 

This shift [link removed] in prosecutorial focus coincides with broader immigration policies under the second Trump administration, including the deployment of military personnel [link removed] and resources to support [link removed] Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations. During Trump’s first term, Attorney General Jeff Sessions implemented a zero-tolerance policy [link removed] to prosecute [link removed] all border crossers, which led to family separations that affected thousands of children. The Biden administration had formed a task force to reunite families that remained separated years later, but Trump disbanded [link removed] it on the first day of his second term. Reacting to the DOJ’s enhanced focused on immigration prosecutions, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover underscored [link removed] her office’s partnership with the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office, emphasizing their focus on tackling organized crime and collaborating with tribal law enforcement rather than prioritizing low-level immigration prosecutions. She criticized the Trump administration’s focus on immigration cases, linking it to Operation Streamline [link removed], a program which she argued diverted resources f [link removed] addressing major financial crimes like those that led to the 2008 financial crisis. Speaking to the Arizona Daily Star, an immigration attorney remarked [link removed]: "It’s a question of whether this is a practical use of our resources. Do you want to apply your resources to violent criminals and make that a priority, or do you want to potentially clog up the courts with so many more immigration cases?" 

****State and Local** **

******Florida Enacts Sweeping Immigration Crackdown After GOP Infighting**** ** On February 13th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed [link removed] into law what he characterized as "the strongest legislation to combat illegal immigration of any state in the entire country". The series of immigration enforcement-focused bills [link removed] which passed during a third [link removed] special legislative session, came after weeks of public disputes [link removed] between DeSantis and state Republican lawmakers over the scope and control of immigration enforcement. The compromise legislation establishes [link removed] a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, composed of the governor, agriculture commissioner, attorney general, and chief financial officer, to oversee immigration enforcement efforts and distribute $250 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies for federal collaboration. All decisions by the board will require unanimous approval.  

The new Florida laws, written by GOP bill sponsors in consultation [link removed] with the Trump administration, include the imposition of mandatory pretrial detention for undocumented individuals charged with forcible felonies, revoke in-state tuition for undocumented students, and allocate $298 million of state funds to hire and train additional law enforcement personnel. Minority Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo had proposed [link removed] an amendment that would require all employers in the state to use E-Verify, but it was ruled out of order. Responding to the passage of the bill, Pizzo said, "If we’re going to be tough on illegal immigration and we’re going to stem the tide and curb the crisis, we should be honest with ourselves and require all employers in Florida to use E-Verify." Other Democratic lawmakers in Florida have warned that several provisions of the newly signed bills violate [link removed] constitutional protections could burden taxpayers with costly litigation.  

BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED It’s challenging to keep up with the deluge of proposed legislation in the 119th Congress. So, every week, we round up federal legislative proposals that have recently been introduced and that are relevant to immigration policy. 

**S.512** [link removed]

**** 

**A bill to impose criminal and immigration penalties for intentionally fleeing a pursuing Federal officer while operating a motor vehicle**.  

Sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (9 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/11/2025 Introduced by Sen. Cruz  

02/11/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary  

**S.486** [link removed] 

**A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to immediately initiate removal proceedings for aliens whose visas are revoked on security or related grounds.** 

Sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) (4 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/06/2025 Introduced by Sen. Lee  

02/06/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary  

**S.461** [link removed] 

**A bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) (12 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/06/2025 Introduced by Sen. Hirono  

02/06/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary  

**S.455** [link removed] 

**A bill to amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations, to clarify the powers of immigration officers at sensitive locations, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) (23 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/06/2025 Introduced by Sen. Blumenthal  

02/06/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary  

**S.398** [link removed] 

**A bill to transfer and limit Executive Branch authority to suspend or restrict the entry of a class of aliens.** 

Sponsored by Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-DE) (31 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/04/2025 Introduced by Sen. Coons  

02/04/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary  

**S.363** [link removed] 

**A bill to impose sanctions with respect to foreign governments that resist efforts to repatriate their citizens who have unlawfully entered the United States and foreign governments and foreign persons that knowingly facilitate unlawful immigration into the United States, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) (4 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/03/2025 Introduced by Sen. Scott  

02/03/2025 Read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

**H.R.1348** [link removed] 

**To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the status of certain aliens who are nationals of Venezuela to that of aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-9) (3 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/13/2025 Introduced by Rep. Soto  

02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1337** [link removed] 

**To add Ireland to the E3 nonimmigrant visa program.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1) (1 [link removed] cosponsor)  

02/13/2025 Introduced by Rep. Neal  

02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1312** [link removed] 

**To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien who has been convicted of a crime is ineligible for asylum, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC-8) (8 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/13/2025 Introduced by Rep. Harris  

02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1241** [link removed] 

**To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA-10) (6 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/12/2025 Introduced by Rep. Collins  

02/12/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.Res.126** [link removed] 

**Celebrating the legacy and contributions of immigrants and opposing discriminatory immigration policies.  **

Sponsored by Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-3) (17 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/12/2025 Introduced by Rep. Ansari  

02/12/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1220** [link removed] 

**To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of State to increase the fee imposed on aliens filing an application abroad for a visa authorizing admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(B) who are nationals of certain countries, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) (1 [link removed] cosponsor)  

02/11/2025 Introduced by Rep. Wagner  

02/11/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1202** [link removed] 

**To establish vetting standards for the placement of unaccompanied alien children with sponsors, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8) (4 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/11/2025 Introduced by Rep. Luttrell  

02/12/2025 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure 

**H.R.1201** [link removed] 

**To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of physicians who may be provided Conrad 30 waivers.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY-17) (10 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/11/2025 Introduced by Rep. Lawler  

02/11/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.R.1061** [link removed] 

**To amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations, to clarify the powers of immigration officers at sensitive locations, and for other purposes.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) (47 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/06/2025 Introduced by Rep. Espaillat  

02/06/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary  

**H.Res.113** [link removed] 

**Directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to transmit to the House of Representatives certain documents relating to Department of Homeland Security policies and activities related to the security of Department information and data and the recruitment and retention of its workforce.** 

Sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2) (0 [link removed] cosponsors)  

02/05/2025 Introduced by Rep. Thompson  

02/05/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security 

**H.R.924** [link removed]  To transfer and limit Executive Branch authority to suspend or restrict the entry of a class of aliens. 

Sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-28) (88 [link removed] cosponsors) 

02/04/2025 Introduced by Rep. Chu 

LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR The U.S. Senate will be in session from Tuesday, February 18th, through Friday, February 21st. The U.S. House of Representatives will not be in session in observance of Presidents Day on Monday, February 17th and for a district working period during the rest of the week. 

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

**Hearings to examine the nominations of Troy Edgar, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and James Bishop, of North Carolina, to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.** [link removed]

** ** 

**Date:** Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET (Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs) 

**Location:**342 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 

**Witnesses:** Troy Edgar and James Bishop 

**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. 

**Government Accountability Office (GAO):****DHS Followed Applicable Regulations for Awarding Grants and Contracts Awarded by Any Means Other Than Full and Open Competition During Fiscal Year 2024** [link removed]

**; Publicly Released February 10**th

**, 2025**  This final report shows that DHS under the Biden administration effectively managed noncompetitive grants and contracts in FY2024, adhering to federal regulations and internal policies. It details how USCIS and CBP handled significant noncompetitive contracts, ensuring compliance with procurement standards while supporting operational needs critical to immigration policy implementation. 

**SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES** **Trump’s First 100 Days: Potential Immigration Actions** [link removed]

** **    Trump’s second-term immigration agenda promises sweeping changes, including mass deportations, stricter asylum restrictions, and the rollback of protections for millions. The Forum’s latest policy resource delves into the administration’s ambitious first 100-day plans and their profound legal, social, and economic implications. 

****Forum Analysis: ** ** The Forum policy team continues to analyze developments in federal immigration policy. Below are three resources we published exploring the implications of Trump's initial suite of executive orders focused on immigration.

**President Trump’s Executive Actions on Border Security** [link removed]   **President Trump’s Executive Order on the U.S. Refugee Program** [link removed]   **President Trump’s Executive Actions Relating to Immigration Enforcement and Mass Deportation** [link removed]  *As of publication (2/14/25 at 1PM EST) 

**This Bulletin is not intended to be comprehensive. Please contact Nicci Mattey, Senior Policy & Advocacy Associate at the National Immigration Forum, with comments and suggestions of additional items to be included. Nicci 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