Immigration bills

Washington Office reports legislative activity on immigration issues

Several bills are mentioned below, about which you may wish to write or call your member of the House or Senators. During the Easter break, you may want to contact them in their district offices.
Other immigration issues are indexed on a separate page.

[4-17-01]

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Asylum Issues: Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, will re-introduce the Refugee Protection Act after holding hearings, which are tentatively scheduled for May 3, 2001. Immigration advocates are currently mapping out a strategy for pushing this legislation forward, which will most likely include visits to key Congressional offices and press work.

Immigration advocacy groups are also planning a variety of events around World Refugee Day (June 20, 2001), including a national lobbying effort, a news conference, and an event sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on refugee protection. The goal of these activities will be to garner support for refugee and asylee-related legislation, including the Alien Unaccompanied Minor Adjustment and Protection Act of 2001 (HR. 505) and the Refugee Protection Act.

Benefits Issues: In recent weeks, there have been serious threats to Executive Order 13166 signed last year by President Clinton calling upon agencies to prepare a plan to improve access to federal programs and activities by eligible limited English proficient (LEP) individuals.

On March 8th, Rep. Stump introduced H.R. 969, legislation that would repeal Executive Order 13166. The bill has gained 44 cosponsors in the few weeks since its introduction. In addition, 51 medical and dental associations have signed on to a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Service, Tommy Thompson, asking him to "impose an immediate moratorium on enforcement of the Office for Civil Rights Policy Guidance on Limited English Proficiency," and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies has weighed in with the Department of Labor in opposition to their Guidance. Advocates believe that the White House is now in the process of developing its response to the proposed legislation, and by extension to the Executive Order.

The threats have generated an enormous amount of energy around the issue. Advocacy groups distributed sign-on letters urging President Bush to affirm his administration's support for the Executive Order. In total, over 300 groups signed the letters. Advocates from around the country participated in a conference call to share information and to come up with a continued coordinated response to pressures to repeal the Executive Order. As a first step, advocates are planning a call in day to Congressional Members and the White House on April 25th to respond to an inaccurate and inflammatory postcard campaign currently being circulated.

Due Process Issues: During the week of April 23rd, the Supreme Court will be hearing two important cases having to do with the mandatory removal provisions of the 1996 immigration and anti-terrorist laws. This will provide advocates with an opportunity to draw attention to the harsh provisions of the 1996 laws, and to shine the media spotlight on individuals and families affected by the laws.

Citizens and Immigrants for Equal Justice (CIEJ), an advocacy group, will be in Washington around the time of the Supreme Court argument. On April 23rd, there will be a vigil in front of the Supreme Court with affected individuals, their families, and supporters. During the arguments on April 24th, immigrant victims of the 1996 law will be speaking with reporters outside of the Court, putting a "human face" on the legal arguments. The folks from CIEJ will also be making visits to Congressional offices, asking for legislative relief from the harsh 1996 laws. Outside of Washington, rallies will be held in Dallas and Los Angeles.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) has reintroduced a bill he sponsored last year. H.R. 1452, the Family Reunification Act of 2001, would make modest changes to the 1996 laws, restoring for some immigrants who committed crimes the opportunity to apply for relief from deportation. Among other things, the bill would allow an immigrant to apply for relief from deportation under rules that applied at the time the immigrant committed an offense (to fix the retroactive application of the law). The bill would also narrow the overly-broad definition of "aggravated felony."

Additional legislation, with more sweeping fixes to the 1996 laws, are expected to be introduced in both the House and the Senate later this year.

Border Issues: On May 4th, there will be a panel discussion on the University of Houston's report "Causes and Trends in Migrant Deaths Along the U.S.-Mexico Border" at 10:00am on Capitol Hill. This public education forum will discuss the state of the United States border deterrence policy and the human toll effects of this policy.

NEW BILLS:

On March 21st a bipartisan group of House and Senate members introduced a package of bills under the banner "Healthy Solution for America's Hard Working Families" which includes:

Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2001 (S. 582, H.R. 1143), which would give states the option of covering all lawfully present pregnant women and children under Medicaid and/or SCHIP. The bills were introduced by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL) and John McCain (R-AZ) in the Senate and by Representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) in the House.

The Nutrition Assistance for Working Families and Seniors Act (S.583) would allow qualified immigrants to obtain food stamps if they would otherwise be eligible, regardless of their date of entry. Sponsors would remain liable for use of food stamps by any immigrants they sponsor, with an exception for hardship or severe circumstances beyond the control of the sponsor. The Act would also make some additional improvements to the Food Stamp Program. The bill was introduced by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA)and Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Representatives Jim Walsh (R-NY) and Eva Clayton (D-NC) expect to introduce a similar bill in the House after the April recess.

Women Immigrant's Safe Harbor Act Although details of the bill are still being worked out, the proposed legislation would, at minimum, exempt battered immigrant women from the five-year bar, regardless of their date of entry. It would also eliminate deeming. (Deeming is the process by which the income of the sponsor is counted toward the income of the one being sponsored. When this is done, the immigrant may not qualify for social service benefits.) The bill will be introduced by Representatives Sandy Levin (D-MI) and Connie Morella (R-MD) in the House.