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:
***
·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.
***
·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.
***
·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.
***
To
see what other immigration-related legislation is pending in Congress, visit our
legislative chart at www.visalaw.com/advocacy.html.
