H.R. 2536 has been introduced in the House by Congressman Robert Wexler. This is the first step in what will be a very tough process. The bill's text has not yet been released, but it is going to be highly similar to H.R. 5924, introduced last year. The bill would allocate 20,000 additional green cards per year for three years for nurses and physical therapists. Spouses and children will get green cards and will not be included in the 20,000 figure. Employer petitioners will pay a $1500 fee in addition to regular green card fees. The fee will support nurse training programs around the US.
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Senator Durbin says the votes are there, but that a vote on DREAM is not likely right now. Instead, the legislation is seen as an attractive item to include in a comprehensive reform bill.
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President Obama recently mentioned plans for holding a White House meeting to discuss proceeding with immigration reform legislation. And now he is keeping that promise by setting June 8th, just three weeks from now, to hold the meeting.
According to Politico:
"The meeting will be an opportunity to launch a policy conversation that we hope will be able to start a debate that will take place in Congress later in the year," the official, who asked not to be named, said.
Asked if the session would be billed as a summit or a forum, like similar meetings on health care and fiscal responsibility earlier in the year, another official said, "This isn’t a forum or a summit with outside groups, this is solely a meeting with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the issue."
Another aide said about possible labels for the meeting: "I don't know that we're going to brand this in any particular way."
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The effective date is pushed back to June 30th while the Obama Administration formulates its position on the issue. The regulation is the subject of litigation challenging the manner in which the rule was rolled out.
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The Rhode Island General Assembly's Labor Committee has passed a bill by a 11-3 margin that would require employers to sign a pledge that all of their workers are legal. Employers would then be liable for criminal penalties if they are later found to have violated the pledge.
