The American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) continues to report good news concerning relations with Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham, the Republican Chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. The Chairman has been “unequivocal in his support for legal immigration” according to AILA and the Senator has stated his intention to focus his subcommittee on consideration of the positive effects of legal immigration. This is quite a contrast to former subcommittee chairman Senator Alan Simpson who retired after the last Congress adjourned. Abraham’s progressive immigration position has not gone unnoticed by anti-immigration advocates. John Tanton, founder of the fiercely anti-immigration organization FAIR (Federation For American Immigration Reform), has announced his intention to run against Abraham for his Senate seat. During this term of Congress, the subcommittee will consider technical amendments to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (“IIRAIRA”). Senator Abraham has also stated, according to AILA, he would like to consider the idea of separating the Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) into a service and an enforcement entity, with the enforcement entity possibly falling under the US Customs Service’s jurisdiction. AILA reports that the House Immigration Subcommittee is currently focusing its efforts on oversight of the implementation of IIRAIRA.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.