Bill Frist (R-TN), the Senate Majority Leader, urged the House-Senate conference committee to act quickly to approve an immigration bill and not wait until after the November election.

Congressman James Sensenbrenner, the House Judiciary Committee chair who is the chief sponsor of the immigration enforcement bill that passed the House in December, told NBC's Meet the Press "``Amnesty is wrong and we should not pass it."

In the mean time, President Bush issued a news release praising the Senate for passing its immigration bill:

I commend the Senate for passing bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform before the Memorial Day deadline set by its Leaders. I appreciate the hard work of the Leadership and Senators on both sides of the aisle. An effective immigration reform bill will protect our borders, hold employers to account for the workers they hire, create a temporary worker program to take pressure off our border and meet the needs of our growing economy, address the issue of the millions of illegal immigrants already in our country, and honor America's great tradition of the melting pot. The House of Representatives began a national dialogue by passing an immigration bill last year. Now that the Senate has acted, I look forward to working together with both the House of Representatives and the Senate to produce a bill for me to sign into law.

I was on an airplane when the Senate bill passed by a marginof 62 to 36.

The vote information is now on the Senate web site.

I'll be analyzing the bill when I get the updated language incorporating the amendments and will post a section by section summary.

The fact that the Senate passed the immigration bill today was not exactly a surprise. The more important issue for people monitoring the Senate bill is how did the legislation change during the amendment process.

A number of key votes happened yesterday and today.

An attempt by Senator Sessions (R-AL) to deny the Earned Income Tax Credit to immigrants AFTER legalization was turned down, but an alternative amendment introduced by Senator Ensign (R-NV) to deny the EITC and payment of back taxes to people up until 2006 was passed.

An amendment introdcued by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to strike a provision in the legislation that would have made it very difficult for a court to stay an order of removal. That measure surprisingly passed.

One of the most significant measures of the day to pass was an amendment by Senator Bingaman (D-NM) to put a cap on employment-based green cards of 650,000 per year. The current limit is 140,000. The bill originally would have raised the cap to 290,000, but not included spouses and children in the cap. Some were estimating that this would push the number of total green cards to 900,000+ year.

An amendment offered by Senator Cornyn (R-TX) that would have dramatically scaled back privacy rights for immigration applicants failed.

An amendment offered by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) that would have shut the new H-2C guest worker program down after five years was defeated.

Finally, a Manager's Amendment containing a number of other last minute changes was approved, but we are awaiting that language.

An amendment offered by Texas Republican Senator Hutchison that would create an uncapped guest worker program with no path to permanent residency and which would require workers to leave the US for two months a year failed to pass.

An amendment offered by Judd Gregg (R-NH) that would require 2/3 of the Diversity (Green Card Lottery) Visas be allocated to people holding masters degrees or higher passed by a vote of 57 to 41. The amendment would dramatically alter the green card lottery reserving 33,000 of the slots for this much smaller pool of applicants.

The H-1B visa quota for the fiscal year running October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2006 is being quickly depleted. As of May 19, 2006, 42,000+ applications were counted against a cap of or 59,000. We expect the H cap to be depleted several weeks earlier than last year when visas were available until August 4th.

USCIS has announced that it has added I-140 employment-based green card applications, I-539 change/extension of non-immigrant status applications and I-765 employment authorization applications to the premium processing program. Eligible applicants will now generally be able to pay $1000 and receive a 15-day turnaround. Premium processing has been available to non-immigrant work petitions for several years. We'll have more to report on this good news in our upcoming newsletter.

Vermont Democratic Senator Pat Leahy's attempt to correct ongoing refugee processing problems was permanently tabled. Refugees who fight with groups that the US supports could still be labeled as excludable terrorists under current law and they also can be barred if they are forced to provide support to terrorists groups. The amendment would have allowed people in either one of these groups to still process.

An amendment offered by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) to add additional labor protections to H-2C workers was permanently tabled.

An amendment to create a hardship exemption for certain inadmissible aliens was tabled permanently.

An amendment offered by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to scrap the I-9 employment verification form and replace it with an electronic verification system was approved.

An amendment offered by Senator Feinstein that would have scrapped the three tier legalization approach of the Hegel-Martinez compromise and replaced it with language similar to the original Kennedy-McCain language was defeated by a vote of 61 to 37.

There were two votes yesterday. One was introduced by Senator Ensign (R-NV) and would authorize National Guard troops to be used at the border (a la the Bush proposal). That measure passed.

An amendment to modify the way wages are determined for agricultural workers introduced by Senator Chambliss (R-GA) was permanently tabled.

The Bush Administration was in damage-control mode over the weekend explaining that the English-only amendment passed by the Senate last week is only symbolic and will not have any direct effect. Defenders of the measure point out that it makes English the "national" language of the United States and not the "official" language.

According to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

"My reading of the language that was passed by the Senate is that these amendments would not have an effect on any existing rights currently provided under federal law."

The most controversial amendment voted on by the Senate (by a margin of 63 to 34) so far is one that would make English the official language of the United States. The English-only movement has been controversial for years and I'm rather amazed that such an important question that has been dividing the country for several years would be settled by the Senate with just an hourlong debate.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) weighed in to condemn the measure:

"I rise in strong opposition to this mean spirited amendment. This amendment is not going to help our country. It is going to hurt our country. This undermines our nation's public health and safety, hurting all Americans in the process.

"This amendment is divisive. We should be here to unify our country, not divide it. Everyone knows that success in America means the ability to speak English. That's the way it is right now. We don't need this amendment. English is critical to the functioning of anyone in this country. This amendment, however, does raise serious concerns that American citizens could lose some of their rights.

"This amendment, in my opinion, would hurt public health badly. We need people to be able to take their children when they're sick to a facility, whether it's mumps that's going around now or heaven forbid it's avian flu at some point later. Patients need to be able to be able to report if they have a diseases and seek treatment. That is what doctors want. That is what patients want. And that is what all of our communities need.

"People should also be able to report crimes. I was able to secure an earmark years ago so that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department could contract officers who were fluent in Spanish. The Sheriff of Clark County believed he could do a better job of law enforcement if he had people that could communicate in that language. That's true. It worked out very well. The funding for police I believe would be affected by this amendment. Domestic violence is a perfect example. Reporting crimes is so important and we need law enforcement officials to be able to communicate with the members of the communities they serve.

"I hope we all support civic integration, but this amendment is not the way to do it. Why don't we spend more money so we can educate more people who want to learn English? There are programs that are cut every day. That's the way it is in Nevada and around the country. That's where we should be directing our efforts. That brings people together. This amendment makes it far more likely that we'll end up with civic exclusion, including denial of millions of U.S. citizen's rights that they should have for the good of all of us. It is bad policy and it is un-American."

The two most controversial provisions in the Sensenbrenner immigration bill passed by the House of Representatives last December are those that would make it a felony to be in the US without legal status and to make it a crime to provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented immigrants. The White House has been silent about the provisions as it has sought to portray itself as being in the middle on this issue.

But today it was reported that Congressman Sensenbrenner was requested to include the provisions by the White House. A few weeks ago in a little noticed press release, Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked the same question.

If the allegation is true, it would be very damaging to the President's credibility with the nation's immigrant communities. Bush has courted Latino voters for years and has tried to build up an image as being largely pro-immigration. The criminalization provisions are largely seen as the key reason for motivating millions of people to take to the streets in recent weeks.

There were a number of amendment votes today and the prospects for a vote on the bill by Memorial Day is looking realistic.

Senator Ensign (R-NV) introduced an amendment to bar legalization beneficiaries from receiving any social security benefits for contributions paid in prior to legalizing. The amendment was permanently tabled by a vote of 50 to 49.

Senator Inhofe (R-OK) introduced an amendment to make English the official language of the United States. It also would have required proficiency in English for legalization applicants and H-2C applicants to adjust status (as opposed to being enrolled in an English class). The measure passed by a vote of 63 to 34.

Senator Salazar (D-CO) introduced a competing amendment declaring English the "common and unifying language" of the United States. This measure was approved by a measure of 58 to 39.

Senator Clinton (D-NY) introduced an amendment to create a grant program to provide financial assistance to States and local governments for the costs of providing health care and educational services to noncitizens, and to provide additional funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. The money would have come from H-2C fees. The measure failed by a vote of 43 to 52.

A similar amendment offered by Senator Cornyn (R-TX) would provide financial assistance to states to fund health and educational expanses connected to immigration. The funds would come from new fees (as opposed to fees already included in the bill). The measure passed 64 to 32.

Arizona Republican Senator Kyl's amendment to bar H-2C visa holders from adjusting status to permanent residency was tabled permanently by a vote of 58 to 35.

Senator Nelson (D-FL) was successful in getting an amendment passed which would increase the number of detention beds by 20,000. The measure passed by a voice vote.

We also failed to mention an amendment that passed yesterday which will include Poland in the Visa Waiver Program countries.

Senator Kennedy was successful in passing an amendment to largely replace yesterday's Cornyn bill.

The bill will still require a labor certification, but a worker will be able to self-petition for one. It is not clear how this would work yet and I'll report more when I see the language. Once the Labor Department approves the labor certification, then the worker must either present a letter attesting to the job offer from an employer or, in the alternative, evidence of the requisite prior employment.

Senator Cornyn's amendment to require H-2Cs seeking permanent residency to have employer sponsorship passes narrowly by a vote of 50 to 48. The measure appears to make a labor certification a requirement for converting an H-2C to permanent residency as opposed to the current rule which allows for self-sponsorship after several years.

According to the National Immigration Forum, Senator Kennedy is planning to offer an amendment today which would restore some options for self-sponsorship.

Barack Obama (D-IL) was successful in getting an amendment added to the Senate bill which allows the prevailing wage determination for H-2C visa applications to include wage data published by the Department of Labor and allows for an employer to submit a wage survey if DOL data is not available.

Obama's amendment also makes a very significant change. H-2C visas will not be available in occupations where the unemployment rate is 9% or higher. That's down from 11% in the previous version of the bill.

No surprise there.

The Vitter amendment fails by a vote of 33 to 66. The measure would have struck provisions in the Senate bill that would permit legalization applicants from self-attesting on issues relating to showing residency and work history.

Senator Kerry's Amendment 3999 to increase the number of Border Patrol agents this year by 1,000 and add 100 helicopters and 250 power boats at the border was approved this morning by a voice vote.

According ot Senator Kerry,

"We need a comprehensive answer to immigration that includes tightening border security, but putting another burden on the backs of the National Guard troops who are serving their second tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan isn't the right answer. The National Guard which has borne the burden of a broken policy in Iraq shouldn't have to bear the burden of an incomplete immigration policy," said Kerry. "We need to listen to the 9/11 Commission and put the border patrol agents we need right there on the border. It won't satisfy the right wing, but it's the right policy."

With the removal of the controversial provision barring legalization for those with immigration crimes (illegally reentering, failing to abide by a deportation order, etc.), the Kyl-Cornyn amendment barring criminals from legalizing passed by an overwhelming 99-0 vote.

Senator Sessions is now offering this amendment to the Senate bill:

SA 3979. Mr. SESSIONS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2611, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Strike section 106, and insert the following:

SEC. 106. CONSTRUCTION OF STRATEGIC BORDER FENCING AND VEHICLE BARRIERS.

(a) Tucson Sector.--The Secretary shall--

(1) replace all aged, deteriorating, or damaged primary fencing in the Tucson Sector located proximate to population centers in Douglas, Nogales, Naco, and Lukeville, Arizona with double- or triple-layered fencing running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico;

(2) extend the double- or triple-layered fencing for a distance of not less than 2 miles beyond urban areas, except that the double- or triple-layered fence shall extend west of Naco, Arizona, for a distance of 10 miles; and

(3) construct not less than 150 miles of vehicle barriers and all-weather roads in the Tucson Sector running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico in areas that are known transit points for illegal cross-border traffic.

(b) Yuma Sector.--The Secretary shall--

(1) replace all aged, deteriorating, or damaged primary fencing in the Yuma Sector located proximate to population centers in Yuma, Somerton, and San Luis, Arizona with double- or triple-layered fencing running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico;

(2) extend the double- or triple-layered fencing for a distance of not less than 2 miles beyond urban areas in the Yuma Sector; and

(3) construct not less than 50 miles of vehicle barriers and all-weather roads in the Yuma Sector running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico in areas that are known transit points for illegal cross-border traffic.

(c) Other High Trafficked Areas.--The Secretary shall construct not less than 370 miles of triple-layered fencing which may include portions already constructed in San Diego, Tucson and Yuma Sectors and 500 miles of vehicle barriers in other areas along the southwest border that the Secretary determines are areas that are most often used by smugglers and illegal aliens attempting to gain illegal entry into the United States.

(d) Construction Deadline.--The Secretary shall immediately commence construction of the fencing, barriers, and roads described in subsections (a), (b), and (c) and shall complete such construction not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives that describes the progress that has been made in constructing the fencing, barriers, and roads described in subsections (a), (b), and (c).

(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

This provision would originally have made it virtually impossible to participate in the legalization program if someone has a crime or prior deportation. Apparently, a compromise has been reached to take out those with immigration violations, but we have not seen the language yet.

USCIS is reporting that about 25,000 H-1Bs remain for the fiscal year starting October 1st. About 15,000 of the special advanced degree H-1Bs remain out of the 20,000 quota for that group. You can check H-1B usage at the USCIS' web site.

Last night Siskind Susser, P.C. - Immigration Lawyers was announced as the winner of the Small Business of the Year at the 2006 Memphis Business Journal Awards dinner at the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. Congrats to everyone at the firm!

The Senate rejected the Isakson Amendment to require completion of implementation of the enforcement provisions in the bill before the legalization provisions would take force. The measure failed by a vote of 40 to 55. There were a few surprises in the votes. Several Democrats voted with Senator Isakson including Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ron Widen (D-OR).

An amendment offered by Senator Salazar (D-CO) that instead allowed the President to make the decision on when to implement the legalization provisions was approved by a vote of 79 to 16.

Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced an amendment to eliminate the guest worker provisions from the bill. That measure was rejected by a vote of 69 to 28.

The Senate is now debating a provision that would cut the starting number of H-2C visas from 325,000 to 200,000 and removing the market provision that allows growth of the program based on demand. The amendment is being sponsored by Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Feinstein (D-CA).

This morning the Senate finally began considering amendments. Right now they are considering the Isakson Amendment. That amendment would "prohibit the granting of legal status, or adjustment of current status, to any individual who enters or entered the United States in violation of Federal law unless the border security measures authorized under Title I and section 233 are fully completed and fully operational."

In other words, the legalization provisions would be delayed until the border enforcement part of the immigration bill is completed, possibly several years from now. The Democrats are seeking an amendment that would allow the President to decide when to proceed with the legalization sections.

The text of the President's speech is now online.

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) is questioning the wisdom of using the National Guard. The Guard is overstretched and it is unfair to ask them to do this after they have served in Iraq and helping after Katrina.

Now he is basically giving the same speech as the President defending the provisions of the Senate bill. But he is more blunt in criticizing the House bill.

"The President must lead."

My instant reaction is that the President delivered one of his better speeches this evening and made a compelling case for comprehensive immigration reform. The President hit most of the major parts of the Senate bill and did a good job defending the bill.

I would have liked to have seen him talk about the provisions in the bill that will help make America more competitive like the new F-4 visa for advanced degree students.

All in all, he comes across as the voice of the middle rather than one extreme or the other.

Bush opens by discussing problems with immigration system. The US lacks control over borders and people can basically enter at will.

Employers cannot easily verify employment authorization due to forged documents and some illegal immigrants commit crimes. But the vast majority of illegal immigrants work hard and are productive.

We must balance the tradition of immigration with being a nation of laws. "America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time."

Bush's comprehensive immigration reform plan has five components

1. US must secure its borders - calling on Congress to dramatically increase funding; doubling or border patrol size; major technology border security initiative; motion sensors, infrared cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, fencing, barriers, etc.

- use up to 6,000 National Guard soldiers to assist Border Patrol; no direct involvement in law enforcement activities; one year commitment until new Border Patrol agents come online. This is not a militarization of the Southern border. Increased cooperation with Mexico.

- state and local law enforcement assistance; increased funding so these agencies can assist Border Patrol and for apprehending and detaining illegal immigrants.

- ensure that all illegal immigrants caught crossing the border are sent home; end of "catch and release"

- expanding number of beds in detention facilities

- speeding up deportation times

2. Must create a temporary worker program. A temporary worker program to create a legal path for workers to enter legally to fill jobs with willing employers. Temporary workers must go home when finished. Gives honest immigrants a way to enter the country and comply with law. Ease financial burden on state and local governments by making people taxpayers.

3. Must hold employers accountable. Businesses cannot easily verify status because of document fraud so we need a new digital, tamper-proof identification card.

4. We must face not have an amnesty. But we must not have a policy of mass deportation either. There is a rational middle ground between mass amnesty and mass deportation. Someone who has been here many years should get better treatment than a recent arrival. People must pay a meaningful penalty, pay taxes and pass a background check. Must wait in line behind people already there.

5. We must honor the great tradition of the melting pot and help people assimilate. Learning English is key. Assimilation is the key to success.

Now speaking directly to members of House and Senate. Solution must be comprehensive. Senate and House need to get together to pass a comprehensive bill the President can sign.

We cannot build a unified country by inciting people to anger.

Closing with story of American Iraq veteran who entered from Mexico as a boy and worked in the fields.

The Senate resumed work on the immigration reform bill today, but no amendments were brought up. Senator Frist expressed frustration that both sides are still fighting over the process for bringing amendments to the floor. Both sides expressed hope that tomorrow will see the first amendments brought up for consideration.

President Bush spoke to Mexican President Vicente Fox today to assure the leader that plans to send thousands of National Guard troops to the Mexican-US border were only a temporary measure designed to assist overwhelmed Border Patrol agents. According to the White House:

"The president made clear that the United States considers Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border but support of Border Patrol capabilities on a temporary basis by National Guard personnel," said White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri.

The plan has already proven highly controversial with a number of officials coming forward to oppose the measure including California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator Chuck Hegel (R-NE). Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, however, praised the plan.

President Bush will address the nation Monday evening in a 20 minute speech that will be devoted to the subject of immigration. Bush is expected to back a dual approach of cracking down on border security while moving forward with legalizing the undocumented immigration population in the US and creating a system for legally hiring guest workers in the future.

In the mean time, it was revealed today by ABC News that that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has been meeting with his Mexican counterpart General Geraldo Clemente Ricardo Vega regarding DOD plans to send American soldiers and equipment to assist with border patrol activities.

Yesterday we reported that the Senate would resume debate on the immigration bill next week and that Senator Frist is still targeted a vote before Memorial Day.

Today we are learning more about the behind-the-scenes negotiations. Senator Frist has agreed to send 14 Republicans and 12 Democrats to the conference negotiations. 12 of the Senators will come from the Judiciary Committee, a key Democratic demand. He has also assured conservatives that they will get a full debate on the bill and an opportunity to introduce a number of amendments (though we still have not seen any specifics on that).

We do know that this apparently is the end of the debate on the non-substantive issues:

``The procedural aspect of this immigration debate is over with,'' according to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV).

The tone from members of both parties appears very positive.

``Today's agreement is a major step forward,'' according to Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). ``I'm optimistic we can get the job done.''

Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a raid on Kentucky-based homebuilder Fischer Homes that is meant to serve as a warning to the nation's homebuilders. The construction industry relies on undocumented immigrants perhaps more than almost any other industry in the country (with the possible exceptions of agriculture and hospitality) so ICE's actions are sure to garner attention. The raid resulted in the arrests of four supervisors and the detention of 76 workers suspected of being undocumented. While ICE has conducted many raids of construction sites over the years, the scope of this raid (criminal prosecution of the supervisors, coordination with local law enforcement, simultaneously doing at multiple work sites, etc.) is unusual. According to ICE:

Each of the defendants is charged in a criminal complaint with aiding and abetting, harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain. The maximum possible punishment for the crime charged is up to 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 or both.

Sources are reporting that the Senate will resume debate on the immigration bill next week with a goal of passing a bill by Memorial Day at the end of this month. We are still awaiting word regarding solving the impasse over amendments and the makeup of the Senate's list of conferees.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Minority Leader, criticized House Republicans for being radical on immigration matters and urged President Bush to "rein" in the anti-immigrant wing of his party that operates with so much influence in that house of Congress:

Washington, DC-With Chairman James Sensenbrenner releasing a new report on immigration and standing by his attempt to turn 12 million immigrants into criminals, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid today released the following statement.

"We've tried an enforcement-only immigration policy for years, but the result is a porous border and millions of undocumented workers. And while the Republican National Committee ran ads to blame Democrats for turning millions of immigrants into criminals, House Republicans want to take credit for that discredited approach. If President Bush is as serious about comprehensive immigration reform as he says, he needs to rein in his party and ensure that a bipartisan compromise doesn't get hijacked by the radical right."

This morning's Washington Post contains an interesting story outlining how just about every argument used against immigrants today have been used in the past, often against the immigrants whose decendents today argue against immigration. This country has a long tradition of absorbing immigrants and just as long a tradition of lamenting the latest wave of migration.

While there have been some unfair accusations of racism leveled against some immigration opponents who are simply stating honest opinions not driven by prejudice, a number of hate groups around the country have seen the immigration debate as an opportunity to draw in new recruits. But this is really nothing new. Hate groups in this country have taken anti-immigrant positions during nearly every great wave of immigration to this country.

Some of the supposedly mainstream groups that people today are hearing about in the news have these sorts of ties. The Minutemen may say they're simply focused on security. But take a look at piece in the excellent blog Ornicus that documents the various links to neo-nazi organizations.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that has valiantly fought bigotry for decades outlines has a number of reports on the links between groups like NumbersUSA and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the think tank Center for Immigration Studies and various hate groups. In one report on FAIR and NumbersUSA founder John Tanton, the links between FAIR and NumbersUSA and hate groups is laid out in detail:

Finally, even as activists court increasing numbers of national politicians in the wake of Sept. 11, the Report's investigation reveals that they are moving in large numbers into the arms of hate groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens — a 15,000-member organization whose website recently described blacks as "a retrograde species of humanity."

In fact, many anti-immigration groups have been growing harder- and harder-line since 1998, when they first began working together with open white supremacists. Today, many of their leading officials have joined racist organizations.

The Anti-Defamation League, known more for its fighting of anti-Semism, also has issued a scary report about hate crimes targeting Hispanics increasing as the immigration debate heats up.

Law.com notes the naming of the 4th Annual IMA Award winners. These are the best law firm web sites according to Internet Marketing Attorney. Siskind Susser is named the nation's best in the boutique category for the third year straight!

On April 1st, the USCIS began receiving cases for the new H-1B cap and it also consolidated all of its I-129 and I-140 at just two service centers. Unfortunately, USCIS doesn't seem to have been prepared for this big change since they have gotten seriously behind in issuing receipt notices. According to a press release from the agency, they are now taking two weeks to issue receipts (though our firm's experience has been that the real delay is actually longer). USCIS is promising that it is getting premium processed cases turned around in the normal time, though people needing to convert cases to premium processing will be delayed while they wait on a receipt.

USCIS is reporting that as of April 26th, it had issued 12,713 approvals against an estimate 61,000 H-1Bs permitted under the main cap and 2,358 against the bonus cap of 20,000 reserved for people with advanced degrees from US masters and higher level programs. You can see the data at the USCIS web site here.

From Current TV as seen on YouTube.com. Enjoy

The Onion pokes fun at the immigration debate.

If you think painting immigrants as a security threat is a post-9/11 phenomenom, you haven't been studying your history. Whether it was the Alien and Sedition Act of the early 18th century, the Haymarket "riot", the Sacco and Vanzetti case, the deportation of Emma Goldman, or the Rosenberg case, the demonization of immigrants as a group and the less than fair treatment of the accused is nothing new.

One relatively obscure example of this is in the news today. During 1918 and 1919, Montana sent 75 German immigrants to jail for sedition based on trumped up charges of aiding the German enemy. ABCNews.com has the story:

In all, 75 men and three women were convicted in 1918 and 1919 in Montana. About 40 of them collectively served 65 years in prison because they criticized the government of their newly adopted country, the United States of America.

"They should not have served a day," is the opinion of students at the University of Montana who took it upon themselves to seek posthumous pardons for Montanans convicted under their state's anti-sedition law that was considered among the harshest in the country at the time. Photos and case histories are posted on the school's "Montana Sedition Project" Web site.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) urged the Senate to get moving soon on immigration reform. Reid remarked from the Senate floor that President Bush's recent White House meeting with Senate leaders of both parties was commendable, but that a deal still needs to be reached on how to get the bill to a vote:

The supplemental bill will be completed this week. Therefore, I continue to believe that such a schedule makes sense. Few other issues are as important, and no other issue is as ripe for Senate debate. Surely we can pass a good comprehensive immigration bill before the Memorial Day recess.

To accomplish that goal, I want to reach an agreement with the Majority Leader on a process for completing debate. There are two basic elements to such an agreement: the number of amendments and an understanding about how the bill will be handled in Conference with the House.

Opponents have filed hundreds of amendments to weaken or kill the compromise bill. We are prepared to debate and vote on some of those amendments, but there must be some finite number. I have made clear to the Majority Leader that I am flexible about the number we will vote on.

Earlier I suggested three amendments per side. Today, I suggest we vote on ten amendments per side, for a total of twenty amendments. With potential second degree amendments, we could have as many as forty votes. I am willing to have that many votes if that is what it takes to move this legislation forward. But this bill will take many days to finish.

Reid also commented on prospects for a conference with the House. He is pressing for a determination in advance on who will be on the conference committee:

With Republicans in the House having passed a bill making all undocumented immigrants felons, with the House majority leader publicly dismissing the Senate's bill, and with the House Judiciary Committee Chairman serving as the sponsor of the felon provision in the House legislation, it is imperative we have a firm agreement on who the conference participants will be before moving to the bill.

Reid is proposing sending the whole Senate Judiciary Committee to the conference much as the Appropriations Committee and the Armed Services Committees do.

A friend just passed the link for a wonderful audio slideshow put together by the New York Times showing scenes and voices from yesterday's immigration rallies in New York, Washington and Chicago.

A little immigration humor from the CBS' Late Late Show (requires Real Player).

I was just watching CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He had as a guest tonight actress Parminder Nagra who is a regular on the hit show ER as well as a star of the movie Bend It Like Beckam. Parminder noted she was in a celebratory mood because she just got her green card today. One reason why is because of the hard time she has gotten entering the US on her O-1 visa. She noted that on her last trip in, she was grilled by a port officer on why she was so extraordinary. If a famous actress like Ms. Nagra has to deal with this type of grilling, you can imagine what the average person faces. It's time for CBP to do some serious sensitivity training to deal with a cultural problem at the agency. How hard is it to do your jobs professionally without the snide comments and rude treatment?

Ferguson, by the way, was once an illegal immigrant and has joked about his past on the show.

No media outlet has managed to actually report on just how many people around the US have participated in May Day rallies, but I did a quick tally and found more than 1.5 million people participating in just 17 cities I sampled.

My results are found below:

LA - 250,000 in AM; 400,000 in pm

Chicago - 400,000

Houston - 30,000

Amarillo - 6,000

North Carolina - 8,000

Tampa - 8,000

Atlanta - 4,500

NYC - 20,000

Memphis - 1,000

Oakland - 8,000

San Jose - 100,000

San Diego - 13,000

San Francisco - 30,000

Nevada - 11,000

Dallas - 1,500

Sacramento - 15,000

Denver - 75,000

Lubbock - 3,000

09/2003
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05/2005
06/2005
08/2005
09/2005
10/2005
11/2005
12/2005
01/2006
02/2006
03/2006
04/2006
05/2006
06/2006
07/2006
08/2006
09/2006
10/2006
11/2006
12/2006
01/2007
02/2007
03/2007
04/2007
05/2007
06/2007
07/2007
09/2007
10/2007
11/2007
01/2008
02/2008
03/2008
06/2008
01/2009