7. Washington Watch:

Top GOPer: Calderon 'crossed the line' by criticizing Ariz. law

The Hill reports that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, has said that Mexican President Felipe Calderon has ‘crossed the line’ in criticizing Arizona’s new immigration law and warning his citizens not to travel to the state. Smith claims the statements from the Mexican President amount to interference ‘in the internal affairs of the United States.’

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/98657-top-goper-calderon-crossed-the-line-by-criticizing-ariz-law

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Hatch says Mexican president should lay off Arizona Immigration

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has voiced his discontent with Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s speech before a joint session of Congress, in which Mr. Calderon criticized the new Arizona immigration law. Hatch said it was wrong for a foreign head of state to use the speech to criticize state laws.

Other Republicans have spoken out against the Mexican President’s comments as well. John Cornyn (R-TX) and John McCain (R-AZ) both said that the President’s comments were out of line, and it was neither the time nor place for him to make such comments.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_15126794

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Senate Dems to give federal commission say over legal immigrant workers

Bloomberg News reports that Democrats, working on drafting an overhaul of the US immigration laws, have proposed the creation of a federal commission with power over the future flow of legal foreign workers. The commission would recommend levels of employment-based visas and green cards that let immigrants work legally inside the US.

The proposed commission would have limited influence over the skilled-immigrant market in technology and other industries, but would have a major role in regulating low-skilled immigrant labor. Labor unions have championed the idea. Some business groups have expressed concern that the commission might make it more difficult to use foreign labor.

Congress likely won’t address immigration legislation, and the commission idea, until 2011, after the upcoming midterm elections.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aHw0RuRN_zEA

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John McCain's Bid to Send 6,000 Troops to Border Rebuffed in Senate

Politics Daily reports that the U.S. Senate has rebuffed an effort by John McCain to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border. President Obama had already earlier announced that he will send 1,200 Guard troops to reinforce and aid the US Border Patrol agents. McCain had been asking for 3,000 troops for Arizona alone.

Needing 60 votes for confirmation of the amendment which he had added to a spending bill, McCain was able to muster only 54, and the measure failed to achieve passage. The Senate also voted down a second amendment that would have authorized more than $2 billion in additional spending on border security.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/27/john-mccains-bid-to-send-6-000-troops-to-border-rebuffed-in-sen/

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Obama on Arizona: Presidents don't do Boycotts

The Associated Press reports that President Obama has said it is a choice of citizens, not Presidents, on whether or not to boycott Arizona in response controversial new immigration enforcement law passed there in late April.

Obama said in a press conference that he neither approves nor opposes the boycotts, but reaffirmed his opposition to the law, saying it’s the wrong approach on the issue.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ARIZONA_BOYCOTT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-05-27-14-08-12

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DOJ officials met in Phoenix with Arizona AG

The Associated Press reports that Justice Department officials have told the Arizona attorney general and aides to the Governor that the federal government has serious concerns about Arizona’s new immigration law. Officials expressed the Obama Administration’s concerns in face-to-face meetings, with federal officials fearing that the state law could lead to widespread racial profiling. The visit and private meetings have left little doubt that the Obama administration was willing to go to court if necessary in an attempt to block the new law, which goes into effect on July 29^th.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052803649.html

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DeMint bid to build border fence defeated

McClatchy Newspapers reports that the Senate has shot down Sen. Jim DeMint’s amendment that would require the completion of a 700 mile fence on the Mexican border within a year. The 52-45 vote on the amendment fell largely along party lines.

Congress approved construction of the fence in 2006, but to date, the program has been hampered by technical and financial problems, with only roughly 34 miles of fence completed. There had been talk of implementing a ‘virtual fence’ based off of cameras, motion sensors, and other technology, with no physical barrier, but the costs of this too became oppressive, and Secretary of DHS Janet Napolitano scrapped the program in recent months.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/27/1652269/demint-bid-to-build-border-fence.html

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McCain Pretends That He Now Opposes The DREAM Act

Think Progress reports that Senator John McCain has veered to the political right, most notable on issues of immigration. In 2003, 2005, and 2007 the Senator co-sponsored the DREAM Act, which would provide undocumented high school graduates a path to legal residency and the opportunity to attend college. McCain now opposed the DREAM Act, though. This shift came when he ran for president in 2008, and has manifested itself again recently, as McCain faces a tough primary against a staunchly conservative opponent, who has been vocal on immigration issues.

Each year, about 65,000 illegally present young students graduate from high school, but are then denied the opportunity to pursue a higher education, and are barred from in-state tuition rates, state and federal grants and loans, and the ability to work their way though college. Many of these immigrants came to the US as infants or very young children. The DREAM Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) would give nearly 360,000 undocumented high school graduates a “legal means to work and attend college.”

http://www.thehollywoodliberal.com/2010/06/13/mccain-pretends-that-he-now-opposes-the-dream-act-for-humanitarian-reasons/

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