The following immigration bills were recently introduced in Congress:
- H.Res. 117, sponsored by Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), would commend the Latino and immigrant workers who participated in the completion of the Pentagon renovation project, referred to as the Phoenix Project.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.res.00117:
- H.R. 277, sponsored by Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (R-VA), would amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border protection functions.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00277:
- H.R. 655, sponsored by Jeff Flake (R-AZ), would bar Federal agencies from accepting for any identification-related purpose a State-issued driver's license, or other comparable identification document, unless the State requires a license or comparable document issued to a nonimmigrant alien to expire upon the expiration of the alien's authorized period of stay in the United States, and for other purposes.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00655:
- H.R. 773, sponsored by Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), would amend section 5318 of Title 31, United States Code, to authorize financial institutions to accept matricula consular (Mexican identification cards) issued in the United States as a valid form of identification.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00773:
- H.R. 819, sponsored by Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), would amend the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to extend and modify the reimbursement of State and local funds expended for emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00819:
- H.R.836, sponsored by Ed Pastor (D-AZ), would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to restore the avenues for relief from removal that existed for aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence prior to the enactment of the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/t2GPO/http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h836ih.txt.pdf
- H.R. 853, sponsored John Tanner (D-TN), would establish the position of Northern Border Coordinator in the Department of Homeland Security.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00853:
- H.R. 931, sponsored by Peter King (R-NY), would amend Title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the official language of the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query
- H.R. 933, sponsored by Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2004 through 2010 to carry out the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00933:
- H.R. 997, sponsored by Steve King (R-IA), would declare English as the official language of the United States, to establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization, and to avoid mis-constructions of the English language texts of the laws of the United States, pursuant to Congress' powers to provide for the general welfare of the United States and to establish a uniform rule of naturalization under article I, section 8, of the Constitution.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.00997:
- H.R.1095, sponsored by Peter T. King (R-NY), would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reauthorize the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/t2GPO/http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h1095ih.txt.pdf
- H.R.1096, sponsored by Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), would authorize appropriations for border and transportation security personnel and technology, and for other purposes.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.01096:
- H.R.1121, sponsored by Eric I. Cantor (R-VA), would limit the period of validity of driver's licenses and State identification cards issued to nonimmigrant aliens to the period of validity of nonimmigrant visas.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.01121:
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·House Subcommittee Hears Testimony on New York City’s ‘Sanctuary’ Policy
The House of Representatives recently held a hearing after four undocumented immigrants were part of a brutal rape in New York City. Three of the men had been arrested previously for minor crimes. Subcommittee Chair John Hostettler (R-IN) focused the hearing on the NYC’s Executive Order 124 that bars NYC police officers from notifying INS that they have detained an immigrant in connection with suspected criminal activity. This was considered in violation of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Representative Sheila Jackson (D-TX) stated that a federally imposed requirement to report could ruin relations between police and the immigrant community. This would undermine community-based policing throughout the country. Testimony showed that when local police do report criminal immigrant activities, the INS rarely responds, due to inadequate resources.
Further testimony demonstrated that if immigration consequences could flow from reporting a crime an immigrant has witnessed or been victim to, immigrants in the community would be more reluctant to come forward in the future with such information. This testimony came as a result of the questioning concerning the Houston statutes that prohibits police officers from reporting to the INS aliens who are crime victims, witnesses, or suspected of having committed low level misdemeanors.
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·Congressional hearing on Tohono O’odham Reservation in Sells, Arizona
This hearing led by Representative Mark Souder, (R-IN) involved testimony on the impact of illegal migration on parklands, wildlife and residents. The Tohono O’odham law enforcement and tribal officials gave testimony demonstrating that they needed help with the 1,500 illegal immigrants that may travel across the reservation on any given day. The reservation’s border with Mexico is 75 miles long. The Tribal Chairman Edward Manuel said that the protection of their borders is a federal government obligation, and they must have federal support to address this growing problem through federal funds for Homeland Security.
When Tohono O’odham’s police department stops border crossers, they usually have to let them go after they are told that Border Patrol is not able to pick them up. Tohono O’odham does not have the facilities to keep them locked up. The police department states that they now spend one third of their time dealing with undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers. There are hundreds of border deaths to deal with each year.
The officials at the Tohono O’odham reservation hope that the visit by the Representatives and the hearing will be beneficial in having the resources provided to deal with illegal entrants.
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·Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Oversight Hearing on Homeland Security
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing on the Bush Administration’s progress in the war on terrorism. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) was critical of Attorney General John Ashcroft because of the secrecy around the creation of the draft “Patriot Act II.” He said that someone on the Attorney General staff lied when they told someone on his staff that there was no draft created. Ashcroft testified that he did not find it appropriate to discuss the legislation until he had proposed it. Ashcroft further told Senator Edward Kennedy that he was reviewing the gender-based asylum case, Matter of R-A-. The Senator said he was concerned about Ashcroft’s intention to reverse the case.
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To see what other immigration-related legislation is pending in Congress, visit our legislative chart at www.visalaw.com/advocacy.html.
