This Issue: Fate of the budget reconciliation amnesty still very much in the air

Fri, Nov. 5^th

Once again today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned a vote on the Democrats' $1.75 trillion budget reconciliation amnesty bill only to rescind the vote hours later. However, the threat of Congress passing what could become the largest illegal alien amnesty in U.S. history is still very much alive.

We received word late yesterday afternoon that there were about a dozen moderate House Democrats who had concerns about the immigration provisions -- which include granting work permits and lawful status, called "parole," to an estimated 7.9 million illegal aliens. We've been urging NumbersUSA activists who live in those districts to continue applying the pressure to those Members over the last 24 hours.

While some Members have apparently changed their minds and now support the legislation, there are still enough holdouts that Speaker Pelosi was forced to delay today's vote once again.

Pelosi then decided to decouple the two bills and hold a vote on only the infrastructure bill today, while continuing to delay the vote on the budget reconciliation amnesty. But House Progressives appear to be blowing up that strategy.

We'll continue to follow the drama on Capitol Hill and provide you with updates relevant to the budget reconciliation amnesty.

House on alert that a vote for 'Plan C' is a vote for amnesty

While Democrats' 'Plan C' does not directly offer illegal aliens green cards and a path to citizenship, it is still very much an amnesty since it conveys legal status and a work permit.

The NumbersUSA Hill Team sent a notice to House offices yesterday, alerting Members that we'll be grading their vote on the budget reconciliation amnesty.

It is reckless and inappropriate for the House of Representatives to include an amnesty for around eight million illegal aliens, along with hundreds of thousands of extra green cards, in a budget reconciliation bill. The American people deserve a full and transparent debate over policy changes that will have massive negative impacts on them.

Granting amnesty (and, yes, giving work permits and protection from deportation, or parole, to illegal aliens is amnesty) to a population larger than the total populations of 39 U.S. states in the middle of the worst border crisis in our lifetimes is outrageous and dangerous.

House Democrats are including...

...a massive cheap-labor bonus for Big Tech...

...a Buy-Your-Green-Card plan that busts the numerical limits on family-based and employment-based immigration categories...

There is no rational reason during a time of great economic insecurity and the collapse of our Southwest border to pass these dangerous and misguided policies...

As we learn more about today's behind-the-scenes effort to pass the budget reconciliation amnesty, we'll be posting new actions on your Action Board giving you the opportunity to contact your Members of Congress. Please keep an eye out over the weekend and next week for these specialized opportunities.

Chris Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

The GREEN line shows that support for "giving lifetime work permits to most of the estimated 12 million illegal residents of all ages who reside in the U.S." has dropped significantly in recent weeks, inching closer to a historic low.

The ORANGE line shows that likely voters are increasingly opposed to granting amnesty that is being considered as part of the giant budget reconciliation process underway in Congress.

The percentage of likely voters who strongly oppose amnesty now doubles the percentage who strongly support amnesty.

38% STRONGLY OPPOSE amnesty

19% STRONGLY FAVOR amnesty

House Set to Repeat History of Immigration Injustices

JEREMY BECK

Fri, Nov. 5^th

The economic conditions brought about by the pandemic give us a glimpse of what a landscape even marginally tilted toward workers might look like: more flexibility, better working conditions, higher wages, and last but not least: the dignity that goes hand in hand with meaningful work. The immigration framework drafted by the House for the budget reconciliation bill would short-circuit that progress.

CBO: Dems "Plan A" Amnesty Would Cost $500 Billion

Thu, Nov. 4^th

According to a report by the Congressional Budget Office, the amnesty Democrats hope to include in the Budget Reconciliation bill would cost taxpayers more than $500 billion over the next few decades.

Topics We're Supposed to Avoid

jeremy beck

Tue, Nov. 2^nd

Southwest border encounters are at an all-time high, interior enforcement is at a ten-year low, illegal presence in the United States is no longer enough to warrant removal, and new restrictions on workplace enforcement against illegal workers are going into effect. David Shor has advice for Democrats: Don't talk about it.

Analysis of Monthly Census Survey Shows Big Increase in Foreign-Born Population

Tue, Nov. 2^nd

A recent analysis of the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies shows that the total foreign-born population increased by 1.6 million from September 2020 to September 2021. The total foreign-born population fell for much of 2020 but rebounded immensely during recent months.

NYT blames the border crisis on the pandemic, natural disasters; readers disagree

Chris Johnson

Tue, Nov. 2^nd

Readers weigh in on an article in The New York Times that claimed erroneously that COVID-19 and natural disasters are driving the recent record surge in illegal immigration.