Legislative Bulletin

 

 

Hello all,

The National Immigration Forum's Legislative Bulletin for Friday, March
11, 2022, is now posted.

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

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All the best,

Arturo 

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - Friday, March 11, 2022**BILLS INTRODUCED AND
CONSIDERED

LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR

UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS

THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK

GOVERNMENT REPORTS

SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES

**BILLS INTRODUCED AND CONSIDERED**

H.R. 2471

**Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022**

The omnibus bill appropriates $1.5 trillion in federal spending for
fiscal year 2022. Among other provisions, the bill appropriates $14.8
billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), $8.26 billion for
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and $409.5 million for U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Sponsored by Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) (7

cosponsors- 3 Democrats, 4 Republicans)

04/13/2021 Introduced in the House by Representative Jeffries

04/13/2021 Referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs

03/09/2022 Passed the House of Representatives by a 248-180 vote

03/10/2022 Passed the Senate by a 68-31 vote

H.R. 6840

**Northern Border Reopening Act**

The bill would prohibit the suspension or limitation on entry to the
United States to a national of Canada based on any travel restriction
related to COVID-19.

Sponsored by Representative Chris Jacobs (R-New York) (10

cosponsors- 10 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

02/25/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Jacobs

02/25/2022 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 6842

**To provide for the imposition of sanctions on members of parliament of
the Russian Federation who voted on February 15, 2022, in favor of the
appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the regions of Donetsk
and Luhansk in southeastern Ukraine as one or more independent states.**

The bill, among various provisions, would revoke and prohibit the
issuance of any type of visas to members of parliament of the Russian
Federation who voted on February 15, 2022, in favor of recognizing the
regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in southeastern Ukraine as one or more
independent states.

Sponsored by Representative William Keating (D-Massachusetts) (28

cosponsors- 9 Republicans, 19 Democrats)

02/25/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Keating

02/25/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and the
Judiciary

H.R. 6853

**Russian Travel Sanctions for a Democratic Ukraine Act**

The bill would revoke and prohibit the issuance of any type of visas to
Russian oligarchs, employees of Russia's government, and employees of
companies that are owned by or receive funding from Russia's government.

Sponsored by Representative Dean Phillips (D-Minnesota) (49

cosponsors- 12 Republicans, 37 Democrats)

02/25/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Phillips

02/25/2022 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 6907

**Cuban Family Reunification Parole Act of 2022**

The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate
the processing of parole applications under the Cuban Family
Reunification Parole Program at the United States Embassy in Havana,
Cuba.

Sponsored by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) (7

cosponsors- 7 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

03/02/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Wasserman Schultz

03/02/2022 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 6911

**No Travel for Traffickers Act of 2022**

The bill would prohibit the participation in the Visa Waiver Program of
certain countries that have in effect programs permitting individuals
who are not nationals of that country to be provided with citizenship,
on condition that the individual makes an investment in that country.

Sponsored by Representative Burgess Owens (R-Utah) (3

cosponsors- 2 Democrats, 1 Republican)

03/03/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Owens

03/03/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and the
Judiciary

H.R. 6930

**Asset Seizure for Ukraine Reconstruction Act**

The bill would allow the President of the United States to confiscate
any property or accounts subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States and valued over $5,000,000 of any foreign person whose wealth,
according to credible information, is derived in part through corruption
linked to or political support for the regime of Russian President
Vladimir Putin. The confiscated money would be used to support Ukrainian
refugees and refugee resettlement in neighboring countries and in the
United States.

Sponsored by Representative Tom Malinowsky (D-New Jersey) (9

cosponsors- 4 Democrats, 5 Republicans)

03/03/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Malinowsky

03/03/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs

H.R. 7028

**To provide that the 3-month State residency requirement for applicants
for naturalized citizenship do not apply with respect to spouses of
members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty at a location in the
United States**

Sponsored by Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Washington) (1

cosponsor- 1 Democrat, 0 Republicans)

03/09/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Herrera Beutler

03/09/2022 Referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary

S. 3723

**Special Russian Sanctions Authority Act of 2022**

The bill, among various provisions, would revoke and prohibit the
issuance of any type of visas to members of the United Russia Party in
the State Duma, government officials of the Russian Federation at the
level of director or higher, and officers of the Armed Forces of the
Russian Federation with the rank of colonel or higher.

Sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) (0

cosponsors)

03/02/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Cassidy

03/02/2022 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders

S. 3724

**Ukraine Emergency Appropriations Act of 2022**

The bill, among various provisions, would appropriate $500,000,000 to
the Secretary of State for fiscal year 2022 to assist refugees from
Ukraine.

Sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) (0

cosponsors)

03/02/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Rubio

03/02/2022 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders

S. 3735

**Deterring Communist Chinese Aggression against Taiwan through
Financial Sanctions Act of 2022**

The bill, among various provisions, would revoke and prohibit the
issuance of any type of visas to persons engaged in any attempt by the
Government of the People's Republic of China to subject Taiwan to the
control of the People's Republic of China.

Sponsored by Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) (2

cosponsors- 2 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

03/02/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Scott

03/02/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs

S. 3739

**Preventing Usurpation of Power and Privileges by Extralegal
Territories' Sedition (PUPPETS) Act of 2022**

The bill, among various provisions, would designate as foreign terrorist
organizations the entities claiming to be the Government of the Donetsk
People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, or any other region of
Ukraine, that was not elected through the presidential or parliamentary
elections in 2019 or local elections in 2020. Hence, it would revoke and
prohibit the issuance of any type of visas to any person engaged in
these organizations. This is a companion bill of H.R. 6897
.

Sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) (1

cosponsor- 1 Republican, 0 Democrats)

03/02/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Rubio

03/02/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

S.  3774

**Women and Climate Change Act of 2022**

The bill, among various provisions, would establish in the Department of
State a Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change.
The working group would develop policies to protect, among various
groups, environmental refugees understood as people displaced due to
environmental causes, notably land loss and degradation, and natural
disasters, who have left their community or country of origin.

Sponsored by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) (6

cosponsors- 6 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

03/08/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Hirono

03/08/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

**LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR**

The U.S. Senate will be in session the week of Monday, March 14, 2022.

The U.S. House of Representatives will be in session from Tuesday, March
15, through Friday, March 18, 2022.

**UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS**

Hearing: Removing Barriers to Legal Migration to Strengthen our
Communities and Economy

**Date:**Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 2:00 pm E.T. (Senate Committee on
the Judiciary)

**Location:** Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226

**Witnesses:** TBD

**THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK**

**Federal**

**Congress Passes 1.5 Trillion Dollar Spending Bill**

On March 10, the U.S. Congress passed

a $1.5 trillion omnibus federal spending bill

for fiscal year 2022 that will fund the federal government through
September 30. Among the multiple provisions of the bill, it appropriates
billions of dollars for immigration-related agencies, including $14.8
billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), $8.26 billion for
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and $409.5 million for U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The bill

- which received bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress -
is expected to be signed into law by President Biden on March 11.

The budget contains several provisions

concerning the U.S.-Mexico border, including $30 million for
improvements in migrant processing, $256 million for new border security
technology, $30 million for body-worn cameras for Border Patrol
officers, $1 billion for CBP processing facilities, and $442.7 million
for alternatives to detention. The bill also includes $275 million in
funding for USCIS to address visa and naturalization backlogs and
delays. migrant medical care, transportation

Additionally, the bill allocates 6.8 billion in humanitarian assistance
to rebuild the Refugee Admissions program. It also appropriates

$13.6. billion in humanitarian relief and military support specifically
for Ukraine, including funding for Ukrainian refugees. The bill also
renewed the Lautenberg amendment
, which
provides an opportunity for persecuted religious minority groups from
the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine, to reunite with their family
members in the U.S.

**Biden Administration Pledges Assistance to Ukraine, but Concerns Over
Refugee and Visa Backlog Remain**

On March 8, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported

that over 2 million refugees have now fled Ukraine as a result of the
Russian invasion. The vast majority of these refugees have been welcomed
by five neighboring countries: Poland, Slovenia, the Republic of
Moldova, Romania, and Hungary. On March 10, Vice President Kamala Harris
announced that the U.S.
would provide $53 million to support affected Ukrainians. The
announcement came after the DHS announced

on March 3 that the United States would be offering Temporary Protected
Status

(TPS) to Ukrainian nationals temporarily present in the US which would
permit them to remain in the US for 18 months and apply for work
authorization.

Despite the announcement of TPS, the extent of the U.S. commitment to
welcome Ukrainian refugees remains unclear. Backlogged refugee and
immigration visa processing for Ukrainians has been further delayed by
the closure of U.S. embassies and processing centers in Russia, Belarus,
and Ukraine, which has added additional pressure

to other consular posts in the region that are already managing a
backlog of almost half a million cases.

In addition, on March 9, a Ukrainian woman with three of her children
was reportedly

turned away by border officials while attempting to join her family in
California. The woman, who was sent back under an asylum restriction
called Title 42, was later allowed into the country

to pursue her asylum claim through an exemption for particularly
vulnerable individuals.

**February Resettlement Levels Remain Low Despite February Increase**

On March 7, the State Department released
refugee resettlement
data for the month of February. The U.S. resettled 2,133 refugees in the
fifth month of fiscal year (FY) 2022, almost a twofold increase from the
1,094 refugees resettled in January. Despite the progress, the current
resettlement pace would lead to a total of only 15,586 refugees
resettled in all of FY 2022. That number continues to lag far behind the
refugee ceiling of 125,000 announced by President Biden in September.

The overall increase in resettlement came from all over the world, with
refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (476), Syria (324),
and the Northern Triangle (206), making up a notable proportion of the
total resettled. The released data also reveals that the U.S. is
resettling an increasing number of refugees from Ukraine, rising from 87
in January to 427 refugees in February.

The February resettlement data also reveals that just 205 Special
Immigrant Visas were granted to Afghans in February, a marginal increase
from 138 in January but still far below summer peaks prior to the Kabul
evacuation when the administration granted over 3,000 SIVs a month.

**Biden Administration Considers Ending Expulsions at the Border under
Title 42**

On March 9, a Reuters report revealed

that the Biden administration is considering whether to end the use of
Title 42, a pandemic-era public health order that both the Trump and
Biden administrations have used to rapidly expel arriving migrants
without providing them the opportunity to seek asylum.

The Reuters report came five days after two court rulings respectively
ordered - on the same day - to limit and expand the use of Title 42.
In the first order, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled

against the use of Title 42 expulsions at the border for migrant
families without first offering individuals the opportunity to request
legal protection. In the second, the Northern District Court of Texas
ordered

the Biden administration to resume the expulsions of unaccompanied
children, who are currently exempted from the protocol. Neither ruling
has yet gone into effect.

On March 4, Democratic Senators Menendez, Booker, Schumer, and Padilla
urged

President Biden to "restore access to asylum and end the usage of Title
42 once and for all." They also called on the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) to review their current order - on which
Title 42 is founded - given the progress the nation has made in its
pandemic recovery. The CDC has said

that it reviews the order every 60 days to determine whether it remains
necessary to protect public health. The next renewal is slated for early
April.

Recent estimates suggest that over one million

migrants have been deported under Title 42 during the Biden
administration. Advocacy groups and international organizations have
widely criticized

the policy. They argue

that deportations under Title 42 are inconsistent with international
norms and fail to uphold the fundamental human rights of migrants.
Moreover, public health experts, including the President's Chief Medical
Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have stated

that policies like Title 42 are "not the solution to an outbreak."

**Biden Administration Announces Policies to Protect Immigrant Children
Who Have Been Abused, Neglected, or Abandoned**

On March 7, U.S. Citizenship, Immigration, and Customs Services (USCIS)
announced

new policies to protect Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJs). SIJ is a
classification available to immigrant children subject to state juvenile
court proceedings related to abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

The new policies would consider granting - on a case-by-case basis -
deferred action

and employment authorization for SIJ youth. Additionally, the new
policies include updating an age-out provision to protect SIJ
petitioners who turn 21 while their petition is pending. Furthermore,
USCIS updated its regulations for evidentiary requirements for eligible
victims of parental abuse, neglect, or abandonment to receive SIJ
classification and a pathway to apply for lawful permanent residence
(LPR) status.

In announcing

the new policies, USCIS Director Ur Jaddou stated that "these policies
will provide humanitarian protection to vulnerable young people for whom
a juvenile court has determined that it is in their best interest to
remain in the United States."

**2020 U.S. Census Undercounted Hispanic, Black, and Native American
Residents**

On March 10, the U.S. Census Bureau released

results from an analysis about the quality of the 2020 Census count. The
result shows that the latest Census undercounted the Black and
African-American population by 3.3%, the Hispanic population by 4.99%,
and the Native American population by 5.64%. On the other hand, it
overcounted the White population by 1.64% and the Asian population by
2.62%.

While the U.S. Census Bureau has historically

undercounted Hispanic, Black, and Native American residents, the 2020
results showed a more significant undercount compared to previous
Censuses. While the undercount is partially explained by the fact that
these groups tend to be harder to reach through surveys, phone calls,
and door-to-door canvassing, immigration advocacy groups have noted

that the Trump Administration's (ultimately unsuccessful
) proposal
to add a citizenship question to the Census may have discouraged
responses from undocumented immigrants.

**Biden Administration has Reunited 2,762 Children Separated Under Trump
Presidency; At Least 1,000 Remain Separated**

On March 2, the Biden administration reported
in a
court filing that the Family Reunification Task Force has so far
reunited 2,762 children with their parents after being separated from
them under former President Trump's "zero-tolerance" border policy.

The zero-tolerance

policy - which was met with widespread criticism from members of
Congress, faith groups, and the general public - resulted in the
deliberate separation of more than 3,900 migrant children from their
parents in 2018. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
filed a class-action lawsuit

against the government, "seeking damages on behalf of thousands of
traumatized children and parents who were forcibly torn from each
other."

**State & Local**

**Florida Legislature Approves Anti-Sanctuary-City Bill**

On March 9, Florida's House of Representatives voted 77 t0 42
to
advance a bill, SB 1808
,
which would ban so-called "sanctuary cities" in the state. The bill
,
which has yet to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, would
require counties to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) to enforce immigration laws. The bill would also ban
state and local governments from contracting transportation companies
that bring undocumented immigrants into the state.

Sanctuary jurisdictions are those which limit state and local officials'
involvement in federal immigration enforcement functions. Some
immigration advocates and law enforcement officials have argued that
requiring local law enforcement to conduct federal immigration
enforcement functions can undermine public trust in local law
enforcement and make communities less safe.

**GOVERNMENT REPORTS**

**U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),****Count of Active
DACA Recipients**

**, March 9, 2022**

This report provides information on the number of people with Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by the month and year that their
current DACA status expires. The report also contains the number of
active DACA recipients by country of birth, state and city of residence,
current age, gender, and marital status.

**U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),****Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Quarterly Report (Fiscal Year 2022, Q1)**

**, March 9, 2022**

This report contains information on the requests by intake and case
status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

**U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),****All USCIS
Application and Petition Form Types (Fiscal Year 2022, 1st Quarter,
October 1 - December 31, 2021)**

**, March 9, 2022**

This report contains performance data on all application and petition
form types submitted to USCIS for adjudication. It displays the number
of applications and petitions received, approved, denied, and pending by
fiscal year and updated by quarter.

Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Violent Extremism Internal
Review Working Group, Report to the Secretary of Homeland Security:
Domestic Violent Extremism Internal Review: Observations, Findings, and
Recommendations
,
March 11, 2022

This report by DHS's Domestic Violent Extremism Internal Review Working
Group highlights strategies to prevent, detect, and respond to potential
threats related to domestic violent extremism within the Department.

**SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES****Explainer:
Florida Immigration Enforcement Legislation (SB 1808/HB 1355)**

This resource explains two Florida legislature's bills that would
mandate 287(g) agreements, expand the sanctuary jurisdiction ban, and
restrict the transportation of undocumented immigrants in the state.

**Why Businesses Should Support Immigration Reform**

This paper argues that reforming the U.S. immigration system is an
economic imperative. Businesses benefit from needed immigration reforms
to provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, the agricultural workforce,
and other essential workers. These reforms can help address ongoing
labor shortages, fill job openings in key sectors dependent on immigrant
labor, strengthen the U.S. economy, and address long-term demographic
shortfalls.

**America's Labor Shortage: How Low Immigration Levels Accentuated the
Problem and How Immigration Can Fix It**

This policy paper focuses on the importance of attracting and retaining
immigrants to the United States to tackle America's labor shortage.

* * *

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

 

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