H-1B Update

Readers are reminded that the latest information on the H-1B crisis is available at the Siskind, Susser, Haas & Devine web site at http://www.visalaw.com.

US and Mexican Lawmakers Clash over Immigration Policy

Following the annual parliamentary meeting between the US and Mexico, US officials said that US immigration policy toward Mexico is unlikely to change.  During the meeting, Mexican legislators accused the US of violating Mexico's sovereignty during a sting operation in which dozens of Mexican bankers accused of laundering drug money were caught.  The US affirmed its commitment to Mexico's sovereignty but urged cooperation in fighting drug trafficking.

House Makes it Easier for Hmong Refugees to Become Citizens

The House Judiciary Committee approved legislation 20-9 that waives the English language requirement for citizenship for Hmong refugees who were recruited by the CIA in Laos for covert military operations during the Vietnam War. Representative Bruce Vento (D-Minn.), arguing in support of the bill, stated that Hmong did not have a written language until recently, and this made it difficult for them to learn English.  The bill would place a 45,000-person cap on the waiver, but this is not expected to pose a problem as that cap is unlikely to ever be reached.

Texas Republicans Adopt Restrictive Plank on Immigration

At their biennial convention in early June, the Republican Party of Texas adopted a plank as part of its platform that called for restrictions on immigration.  The restrictions include, among others, a call to return immigration quotas to the pre-1965 level of 300,000 per year.  The Party also supports granting birthright citizenship only to the newborns of US citizens or permanent legal residents and not to children born of illegal immigrant parents. This action runs counter to recent moves by Texas Republican Governor George Bush who was profiled in a recent NEWSWEEK magazine article on the increasing political power of the nation's Hispanic community. The article mentioned Bush' overtures to the Hispanic community and Bush' expected bid for the 2000 Presidential nomination.

Senate Discusses Dual Citizenship for Puerto Ricans

Puerto Ricans will vote on a referendum by the end of the year to decide whether they want to remain a commonwealth, become independent or become a state.  Some Senators propose that if Puerto Ricans choose independence and the island becomes independent, then Puerto Ricans should lose their US citizenship.  Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) said that if Puerto Ricans choose "a separate identity and a separate nation, there must be a change of nationality and citizenship."

Bill Passes House Immigration Subcommittee

The House Immigration Subcommittee has passed H.R. 2837, entitled "Citizenship Integrity and Backlog Reduction Act of 1998," which House Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced.  Among the bill's provisions are an increase in the period in which applicants must prove their "good moral character" from five to ten years and the establishment of a three-year period in which new citizens could have their status revoked by the INS without a hearing.  Critics, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), contend that the bill would bureaucratize the naturalization process and would actually worsen the citizenship backlog.  AILA urges Congress to use other means to curtail the backlog, including increased funding for INS, centralizing INS records, repealing Section 110 of IIRIRA, and restoring 245(i).