Legislative Bulletin

 

 

Hello all,

The National Immigration Forum's Legislative Bulletin for Friday, July
29, 2022, is now posted. We will publish our next bulletin on Thursday,
August 11, 2022.

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

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All the best,

Arturo 

**LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - Friday, July 29, 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**

S. 4591

**Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act**

Among various other provisions, the bill would prohibit the denial of
immigration-related benefits or protections to any noncitizen based on
their use or possession of cannabis.

Sponsored by Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) (4

cosponsors- 4 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

07/21/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Booker

07/21/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance

S. 4636

**Asylum Accountability Act**

The bill would bar noncitizens who fail to appear at removal proceedings
from becoming permanent residents of the United States.

Sponsored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) (4

cosponsors- 4 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

07/27/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Tillis

07/27/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary

S. 4637

**A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify the
meaning of the term "frivolous application" with respect to asylum
claims**

Sponsored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) (3

cosponsors- 3 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

07/27/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Tillis

07/27/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary

S. 4642

**A bill to require a comprehensive southern border strategy**

Sponsored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) (2

cosponsors- 2 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

07/27/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Tillis

07/27/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs

S. 4644

**Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Restoration Act**

The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to
create within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) an office to
support victims of crimes committed by immigrants called the Victims of
Immigration Crime Engagement Office. This is a companion bill of H.R.
7595
.

Sponsored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) (1

cosponsor- 1 Republican, 0 Democrats)

07/27/2022 Introduced in the Senate by Senator Tillis

07/27/2022 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs

H.R. 7946

**Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022**

The bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the
Department of Defense to implement a program that allows non-citizen
service members to file for naturalization during basic training or as
early as otherwise possible. The bill would also direct DHS to establish
a Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee, which would review the
cases of non-citizen veterans and active-duty service members in removal
proceedings and provide recommendations as to whether prosecutorial
discretion is warranted or whether the removal proceedings should
continue. The bill would also provide an opportunity for non-citizen
veterans who have been removed or ordered removed and who have not been
convicted of serious crimes to apply for and obtain legal permanent
resident status in the U.S.

Sponsored by Representative Mark Takano (D-California) (28

cosponsors- 28 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

06/03/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Takano

06/03/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Armed
Services, and the Judiciary

07/27/2022   Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by a 23 - 16 vote
.

H.R. 8441

**No Federal Tax Dollars for Illegal Aliens Health Insurance Act of
2022**

The bill would forbid states from using federal tax money to offset the
cost of health insurance or provide any other benefit to undocumented
immigrants.

Sponsored by Representative Ken Buck (R-Colorado) (2

cosponsors- 2 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

07/20/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Buck

07/20/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, and
Ways and Means

H.R. 8453

**Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act**

Among other provisions, the bill would deny the issuance of any type of
visa to individuals who threaten the peace, security, stability, or
territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sponsored by Representative Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) (2

cosponsors- 2 Democrats, 0 Republicans)

07/20/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Wagner

07/20/2022 Referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs,
Financial Services, and the Judiciary

H.R. 8490

**Protecting an Alien Child's Reasonable Expectation of No Trafficking
Act of 2022 (PARENT Act of 2022)**

The bill would prohibit CBP from releasing unaccompanied migrant
children to anyone other than the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR),
a verified parent, or a legal guardian.

Sponsored by Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) (7

cosponsors- 7 Republicans, 0 Democrats)

07/26/2022 Introduced in the House by Representative Burgess

07/26/2022 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

**LEGISLATIVE FLOOR CALENDAR**

The U.S. Senate will be in session the week of Monday, August 1, 2022.
The Senate will not be in session from Monday, August 8, through
Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

The U.S. House of Representatives will not be in session from Monday,
August 1, through Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

**UPCOMING HEARINGS AND MARKUPS**

Business Meeting to Consider S.4326, to authorize the Director of U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pay stipends to members of
Transnational Criminal Investigative Units who have been properly
vetted; S.4460, to require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to regularly review and update policies and manuals related
to inspections at ports of entry; S.4572, to require U.S. Customs and
Border Protection to expand the use of non-intrusive inspection systems
at land ports of entry

**Date:** Wednesday, August 3, 2022 (Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs)

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

**THEMES IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK**

****Federal****

****Developments in Congress May Impact Prospects for Immigration
Legislation****As Congress approaches the August recess and coming
November midterm elections, advocates have continued to press for

action on immigration reform. But immigration-related items have been
largely cut out of legislative packages moving on the Hill the week of
July 25.

On July 28, Congress passed the "Chips and Science" act, a significant
bipartisan effort to grow the semiconductor industry and bolster the
U.S.'s ability to compete with countries like China. The bill is a
stripped-down version of the COMPETES Act, which previously passed the
House with several immigration provisions

- none of which survived the final vote. On July 27, Senators Chuck
Schumer (D-New York) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) came to an
agreement

on a potential budget reconciliation package, which would allow Senate
Democrats to avoid a filibuster and pass the legislation with a simple
majority. While Democrats initially hoped

to include sweeping immigration reform and legalization provisions in
budget reconciliation, the Manchin-Schumer deal focuses narrowly

on revenue raising, climate provisions, and Affordable Care Act
premiums.

The partisan nature of the reconciliation bill may hinder other
bipartisan congressional efforts, including on immigration reform.
However, a July 18 NPR report

revealed that a bipartisan group of Senators is close to agreeing on
revised language for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act
,
a bill that provides an earned pathway to legal status for undocumented
farmworkers, alterations to the H-2A seasonal agriculture visa, and
enhanced immigration enforcement for the agriculture industry. The bill
passed the House with bipartisan support in 2021.

Despite the exclusion of immigration reform in the Chips bill and the
budget reconciliation deal, congressional Republicans and Democrats have
continued to discuss their immigration-related priorities. According to
a July 21 Roll Call report
,
a group of House Republicans is planning to prioritize border security
oversight and legislation if they take control of the House in November.
On July 28, Senate Democrats unveiled their 2023 budget bills
,
which included a reduction of ICE detention beds, budgetary increases
for CBP and USCIS, and broad green card recapture

provisions.

****U.S. Admits 100,000 Ukrainians Fleeing Russian Invasion, Matching
Biden Pledge****According to a July 29 CBS News report
,
over the past month, the U.S. has admitted over 100,000 Ukrainians
fleeing the Russian invasion. According to the report, approximately
47,000 of Ukrainians have arrived on temporary visas (including tourist
visas); 30,000 have arrived via Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), the recently
stood-up private sponsorship humanitarian parole program; and more than
22,000 were provided humanitarian parole after arriving at the
U.S.-Mexico border.

The numbers indicate that the Biden administration has followed through
on its March pledge

to welcome up to 100,000 fleeing the Russian invasion. However, only
those entering via immigrant visas or refugee status have access to
permanent status in the U.S. The vast majority of the 100,000 lack a
path to permanence in the U.S., as they are currently residing on
temporary parole protections or short-term nonimmigrant visas.

****New Report Indicates That Immigrant Smuggling Is a $13-Billion
Dollar Industry****According to a July 25 New York Times report
,
smuggling individuals into the United States had become a $13-billion
dollar industry. The estimated economic value of the industry represents
a sharp 2500%

increase from the $500-million value estimated in 2018 by ICE Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI), the federal agency that investigates such
cases. The Times report highlights that immigrants pay between $4,000
and $20,000 to smugglers - commonly known as "coyotes" - to cross
into the United States. The report also notes

that in 2021, more than 5,046 people were arrested and charged with
human smuggling, up from 2,762 in 2014.

In response to the growing migrant smuggling industry, in June the Biden
Administration announced a multilateral $50-million operation titled
Operation Sting
,
with the objective of disrupting human smuggling networks across the
hemisphere. According to data released

by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as part of this operation,
the U.S. government deployed over 1,300 personnel to execute nearly
30,000 law enforcement actions to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling
organizations in Latin America. These efforts have led to the arrest of
over 3,000 arrests since April. DHS further estimates
,
based on an assessment of various factors, that these disruption efforts
are slowing, stopping, or reversing the flow of approximately 900
migrants each day.

****Secretary Mayorkas Meets with Honduras's President to Discuss
Migration****On March 26 and 27, Secretary of Homeland Security
Alejandro Mayorkas met

in Tegucigalpa with high-ranking officials of the Honduran government to
discuss joint strategies to address ongoing migration challenges in the
region. According to preliminary information from the meetings, both
countries agreed
to develop
a joint strategy to identify, target, investigate, and prosecute
transnational criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling from
Honduras to the United States. Both countries also agreed to protect the
3,772 Honduran children

at the US-Mexico border under the custody of the U.S. Office of Refugee
Resettlement (ORR). In addition, Honduras's President Xiomara Castro
requested
the U.S. to issue temporary work visas for Honduran migrants and to
redesignate Honduras for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

****ICE Announces Pilot Program to Provide Temporary IDs to Undocumented
Immigrants****On July 25, the Biden administration announced

a pilot program, known as the "Secure Docket Card Program," to provide
temporary IDs to undocumented immigrants awaiting a final decision on
their immigration cases. The pilot program is intended

to facilitate undocumented immigrants' access to housing, healthcare,
transportation, and other basic benefits, while incentivizing
communication with law enforcement. According to U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) officials, the pilot program aims to incentivize
undocumented immigrants to provide accurate location information and
virtually check with law enforcement, rather than having to check in at
an ICE office in person. The new ID will contain

a photograph, biographic identifiers, and security features. It is
also expected
 to
have a QR code to access a portal with immigration case information and
documents.

The House Appropriations Committee provided

$10 million for the pilot program in its FY 2023 funding proposal, and
the Biden administration hopes to obtain Congressional approval to start
the program before the end of September.

****Biden Administration Extends and Redesignates TPS for Syria****On
July 29, the Biden Administration extended
and
redesignated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria. The 18-month
extension will permit around 6,448 current Syrian TPS holders to
retain their status through March 31, 2024. In addition, Syria's
redesignation will allow around 960 additional Syrians residing in the
United States as of July 28, 2022, to be eligible for TPS.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said
 that
the renewal of TPS for Syria was appropriate due to "the ongoing civil
war that has resulted in large-scale destruction of infrastructure, mass
displacement of civilians, high levels of food insecurity, limited
access to water and medical care, and indiscriminate and deliberate
killing of civilians."

TPS  is
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.

****Legal****

****Families Separated at Border During Trump Administration File
Lawsuit****On July 25, four parents who were separated from their
children at the border under the Trump-era "zero tolerance" policy filed
a lawsuit

against the U.S. Government. The zero tolerance 
policy
and its precursors resulted in the deliberate separation of more than
5,500 migrant children from their parents in 2017 and 2018.

In response to the family separations, in 2019, 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." On October 28, the Wall Street Journal reported

that the Biden administration was considering whether to settle the ACLU
suit by paying approximately $450,000 per person to families who were
separated. However, in January 2022, the Justice Department broke off
talks with families and argued

in federal court that immigrant families separated at the border were
not entitled to financial damages and that their cases should be
dismissed. While the class action lawsuit is still ongoing
, some of
the separated families are now filing individual claims

seeking relief for damages they say they suffered as a result of the
policy.

****Civil Rights Groups File Complaints Against DHS and ICE over
Allegations of "Abhorrent Conditions" of Detention Centers in
Florida ****On July 26, sixteen civil rights groups

filed a complaint

on behalf of fifteen immigrants detained at the Baker County detention
center in Florida against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for
violent abuse, medical neglect, and racial harassment. The complaint
highlights excessive use of force, lack of proper hygiene and food, and
lack of access to legal counsel. The complaint demands

the immediate release of all immigrants "suffering at Baker while
closure is considered," and a permanent termination of the contract
between the federal government and the Baker County detention center.

The Baker County detention center is not the only facility in the
country facing such allegations. According to a July 22 report

from The Guardian, two non-governmental organizations that track abuses
at detention centers across the country - Freedom For Immigrants (FFI)
and Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) - report receiving
around 600 calls per week from detainees expressing rights violations,
including retaliatory solitary confinement, physical and verbal
aggressions, and racially targeted bullying.

****State & Local****

****D.C. Mayor Calls on National Guard to Assist with Migrants Bused
from Texas and Arizona****On July 28, following the busing of thousands
of asylum-seeking migrants from Texas and Arizona to Washington, D.C.,
Mayor Muriel Bowser said

she is seeking to have 150 National Guard troops deployed to the city to
assist with reception and care. Mayor Bowser called

the arriving migrants "a humanitarian crisis that we expect to
escalate." According to recent reports
,
Governor Greg Abbott's (R-Texas) busing initiative has transported
over 5,200 people from Texas to D.C., with Governor Doug Ducey's
(R-Arizona) similar program busing over 1,100 asylum seekers to the
nation's capital.

Mayor Bowser's public remarks came six days after she sent a letter

to the White House calling the busing initiative "cruel political
gamesmanship from the Governors of Texas and Arizona," and requested
federal support for her request to engage the National Guard. In her
letter, Bowser argued that the city's "ability to assist people in
need at this scale is very limited. Instead of rolling up their sleeves
and working with the Biden/Harris Administration on a real solution,
Governors Abbot and Ducey have decided to use desperate people to score
political points."

Some local aid groups assisting the migrants have criticized

Mayor Bowser's request to involve the national guard, encouraging a
more humanitarian response and noting the city could start by playing a
more proactive role in coordinating the reception.

**GOVERNMENT REPORTS**

**U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); "****Semiconductor Supply
Chain: Policy Considerations from Selected Experts for Reducing Risks
and Mitigating Shortages**

**;" July 2022**This GAO report highlights the United States' need to
reduce the risks related to the global semiconductor shortage by
stockpiling its own resources, strengthening its domestic labor pool
with talent from overseas, updating international trade agreements, and
investing in critical minerals and research and development.

**U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); "****Facial Recognition
Technology: CBP Traveler Identity Verification and Efforts to Address
Privacy Issues**

**;" July 27, 2022**This GAO report provides an overview of the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program to use facial recognition
technology for identity checks at some border locations. As of July
2022, CBP had deployed this technology to 32 airports for travelers
leaving the U.S. and all airports for travelers entering the country.

**SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM RESOURCES**Bill Summary:
Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022
The
bill would establish an information database for removed noncitizen
veterans, a review committee that makes recommendations on removal
cases, and a military program that ensures and facilitates opportunities
for service members and veterans to naturalize.

Bill Summary: Farm Workforce Modernization Act
The
bill consists of three key platforms: (1) It would create a pathway to
legalization for current unauthorized agricultural workers, including an
eventual option to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR). (2) It
would reform and modernize the existing H-2A temporary agricultural
worker visa program. And (3), it would require all agriculture employers
to implement a reformed "E-Verify" program to ensure their workers are
authorized.

**Bilateral Labor Agreements: A Beneficial Tool to Expand Pathways to
Lawful Work**
This
paper explores the rationale, benefits, and history of bilateral labor
agreements (BLAs) in the United States, including the recent labor
mobility discussions with the Mexican government. It also highlights how
these agreements can benefit the U.S., as they provide U.S. policymakers
more control over the size of the temporary migrant workforce, while
prioritizing needed skills and experience. It argues that BLAs are
useful in addressing U.S. labor shortages, help manage the irregular
migration flow at the U.S. southern border, and reaffirm the United
States' hemispheric leadership.

* * *

*We will publish our next bulletin on Thursday, August 11, 2022. 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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