• • CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly

This week in Washington two major immigration issues took center stage. In addition, Congress continued to grapple with how to legislatively address racism and police brutality as well as the next steps to stabilize the economy due to the coronavirus.

Immigration

On Monday the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule that would create sweeping changes to the U.S. asylum system. The proposed rule would drastically narrow the protections immigrants could claim to gain asylum status by eliminating their eligibility based on claims of gang and domestic violence. The rule would restructure the asylum application process, preventing most applications from being entitled to a full court proceeding.

Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, spoke out against the proposed changes, saying "Our country's current approach to immigration is inhumane and unconscionable." You can read the full statement here.

On June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled to preserve, for the time being, protections for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court upheld that the Trump administration's decision to terminate the program was "arbitrary and capricious" under the Administrative Procedure Act. The Court's decision is provisional, and the administration may try again to provide adequate reasons for ending the program.

The DACA program protects nearly 700,000 young immigrants from being deported. The program was introduced in 2012 as a stopgap measure to shield from deportation people who were brought into the United States as children and didn't have citizenship or legal residency status. The program does not provide a pathway to citizenship.

CCUSA continues to work with Congress to provide a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients. CCUSA issued a statement applauding the decision and calling on Congress to find a permanent solution. You can read the full statement here.

Combatting Racial Injustice

The House and Senate continued to pursue different legislative paths to dealing with police brutality. This week the Senate introduced a proposal, the Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020, (JUSTICE Act, S. 3985), that would condition federal funding to state and local agencies on their banning chokeholds and penalizing police departments that do not require the use of body cameras. The bill would also provide additional training for law enforcement on de-escalation tactics and additional data collection on the use of police force and "no knock" warrants.

The House marked up their bill, Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (H.R. 7120), this week. The bill, among other things, would ban use of chokeholds and certain "no knock" warrants at the federal level and incentivize state and local governments to follow suit. The House bill also includes a provision that would end the practice of granting police and public officials broad immunity from civil lawsuits, known as qualified immunity. The bill passed through the House Judiciary Committee on a party line vote and is expected to be taken up by the House next week.

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that would develop federal incentives for local police departments that seek "independent credentialing," certifying that law enforcement is meeting higher standards of force and de-escalation training. The order would also incentivize local departments to bring on experts in mental health, addiction, and homelessness encounters. The order encourages better information sharing between law enforcement to track officers with "credible abuses" to prevent them from moving between departments.

Economic Recovery

For a 13th consecutive week unemployment claims exceeded one million. The Labor Department reported another 1.5 million people applied for state unemployment benefits, while over 700,000 more filed claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal program assisting self-employed workers, independent contractors, and others who do not qualify for standard benefits.

As businesses begin to reopen across the country, layoffs have begun to slow compared to the high of 6.5 million in early April.

Congress and the White House continue to put together plans for potentially a fourth coronavirus aid package that would be aimed at supporting the U.S. economy. The House passed their $3 trillion aid package, the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) in mid-May. Negotiations are expected to take place next month.

God, give us strength of body to keep walking for freedom. God, give us strength to remain nonviolent, even though we may face death.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order Number 3 declaring "all slaves are free" and enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the Confederacy which was signed on January 1, 1863 but had yet to be implemented in Texas.  Nowadays Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievement and it encourages self-development and respect for all cultures. It is a day of national pride for all to celebrate.  Learn more about Juneteenth here.

What important document was signed on June 26, 1945?

Last week's question was, Where and what important proclamation was announced on June 19, 1865?

Samantha Yanity of Seattle, Washington was the first to identify the Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number Three in Galveston, Texas, proclaiming all enslaved people in the Confederacy to be emancipated on June 19, 1865 now celebrated as Juneteenth.

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