If you don't I  ,
II,
III you willPress 2 for English |
If you don't I ,
II,
III you willPress 2 for English |
We strongly urge you to FAX, CALL, WRITE & E-MAIL your Representative and Senators letting them know how important it is to PASS BILLS that Reduce Total Immigration Numbers and Bills Defending Official English and to DEFEAT BILLS that Keep Immigration High.
Bills affecting:
CHAIN MIGRATION
Reduce Chain Migration
H.R.78 American Child Support Enforcement Immigration Act of 2006
would prohibit DHS from approving a family-based immigration petition or fiancé/fiancée nonimmigrant petition if the petitioner is certified by the Department of Health and Human Services as owing back child support; and would authorize DHS to revoke a previously-approved petition – provided a visa has not been issued or an adjustment of status has not yet been effected – if the petition would not have been approved if this measure was not in effect. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit approval of family-sponsored immigration petitions if the principal alien is a convicted sex offender. Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
would eliminate the extended family categories (e.g., married sons and daughters of citizens, citizens’ brothers and sisters, etc.), thus ending “chain migration,” the process by which seemingly endless “chains” of foreign nationals are allowed to immigrate because the law allows citizens and lawful permanent residents to bring in their non-nuclear, adult family members and the primary mechanism that has caused legal immigration in this country to quadruple since the 1960s; and would limit the annual number of family-sponsored immigrant visas available to 88,000 (currently, 480,000). Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would suspend specified immigrant visa programs (e.g., brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters of citizens; unmarried sons and daughters of permanent resident aliens), but would allow waivers on a case-by-case basis; would authorize DHS, with regard to the waiving of immigrant visa issuance suspension, to delegate waiver authority to the State Department; and would authorize resumption of those visa programs one week after DHS certifies to Congress that specified enforcement and administrative conditions are satisfied, including (among others): (1) full implementation of US-VISIT; (2) DHS has the operational capability to take into custody and remove any alien brought to its attention by a state or local law enforcement agency; (3) random audits of backlogged applications for changes in immigration status are fully implemented and these audits indicate that the incidence of fraud or falsification is no more than three percent of all approved applications; (4) the statutorily-mandated foreign student monitoring system is is fully operational and no educational institutions register or admit illegal aliens; and (5) the number of removals, during each of the four months preceding certification, was at least 25 percent higher than in comparable months of the previous year.
Would suspend the State Department's authority to issue nonimmigrant visas and DHS' authority to admit nonimmigrants, but would authorize DHS to waive this suspension if: (1) the visa lottery is eliminated; (2) personal interviews are mandatory for admission under the Visa Waiver Program; and (3) DHS, along with the State Department, verifies that each alien admitted on a nonimmigrant basis has had a personal interview with a consular officer prior to visa issuance.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
- would require DNA confirmation for aliens applying for visas predicated on biological relationships with individuals already residing in the United States, with costs being offset by increases in immigration fees. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.)is the measure's main sponsor.
- would establish a non-immigrant status for a spouse and child of a lawful permanent resident and would eliminate family-sponsored immigrant visas. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Increase Chain Migration
- would provide a sense of Congress that “comprehensive” immigration legislation (i.e., containing amnesties for illegal aliens, “guestworker” programs, etc.) should be enacted. (NumbersUSA believes that this is a “shell” bill, which, at some point, will be amended to include language very similar to that which the Senate passed in 2006 [S. 2611 {which, among other things, would have: (1) granted amnesty, via several routes, to the spouses and children granted those amnesties; (2) granted nonimmigrant visas to the spouses and children of “temporary workers” (as defined by the bill); (3) increased the cap on family-preference visas by at least 254,000; (4) expanded the definition of “immediate relative,” for purposes of exemptions from the numerical cap; and (5) exempted the spouse and children of employment-based immigrants from the numerical cap on employment-based visas}].) Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exempt children of Filipino World War II veterans naturalized pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1990 from numerical limits on worldwide immigration. Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would grant either a nonimmigrant B tourist/business visa or F student visa to an alien who: (1) is the spouse or child of a legal permanent resident ; and (2) seeks admission for purposes of visiting the permanent resident spouse or parent or for studying in the United States. (Student visas have been shown to be an effective method for terrorist elements to lawfully enter, and then remain in the United States. To wit, according to a recent study, which investigated the immigration histories of 94 terrorists operating within our borders between the early 1990s and 2004 – including six of the September 11 hijackers, and all of whom sought to stay permanently following lawful admission – 18 of these foreign nationals had student visas and four more had had applications approved to change their status from tourist to student. As for the tourist visa, the New Immigrant Survey indicates that it is the most-abused visa by eventual immigrants.) Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- The STRIVE Act of 2007 Sells America and Americans into Bondage of the NAU!
H.R.1645 Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy [STRIVE] Act of 2007- would establish the H-2C “guestworker” program, through which 400,000 “new workers” (plus their spouses and minor children on an unlimited basis) may come to the United States annually to perform labor or services for which no unemployed U.S. citizens living domestically can be found; would allow the annual cap on H-2C visas to be increased to as many as 600,000, although a Standing Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets would be authorized recommend “adjustments to the H-2C cap; would allow the “guestworkers” to stay up to six years, during which time they could petition for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status at any time (they may apply on their own after having been an H-2C for a total of five years); would allow those applying for LPR status to stay and work in the United States as long as it takes to be granted such status; would authorize employers to lay off U.S. workers and replace them with H-2Cs, provided they lay off the U.S. workers more than 90 days before or 90 days after they petition for H-2Cs; would condition implementation of the H-2C program upon DHS certification that: (1) it has provided Congress with a report on the status of border surveillance technology improvements described in the Secure Border Initiative, including target dates for the completion of such improvements; (2) the agency can issue secure documents to illegal aliens applying for amnesty; and (3) “critical infrastructure employers” are using the Electronic Employment Verification System; and would require DHS, the Justice Department, and the State Departmentto negotiate with each of the home countries of H-2Cs to enter into bilateral agreements requiring those governments to: (1) accept the return of their nationals who are ordered removed from the U.S. not later than three days after the removal order is issued; (2) cooperate with the U.S. government to quell gang membership and violence in, human and drug trafficking and smuggling in, and illegal immigration to, the U.S.; (3) provide information as to the immigration and criminal history of citizens seeking entry into the U.S., and access to the admission and entry data maintained by those countries for purposes of U.S. entry-exit data systems; (4) carry out activities to educate those countries’ citizens regarding U.S. guestworker programs to ensure that they are not exploited while working in the U.S.; and (5) evaluate means to provide housing incentives in those home countries for returning workers. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would waive an alien’s inadmissibility resulting from misrepresentation of a material fact if that alien is an immediate relative of an active duty or reserve member of the Armed Forces; would apply the waiver to misrepresentations made before, on, or after enactment; and would extend eligibility for a V nonimmigrant visa, which permits nonimmigrant spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents who are beneficiaries of an immigrant petition to reside and work in the United States while waiting to obtain immigrant status, to those immediate relative aliens. Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exempt children of Filipino World War II veterans naturalized pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1990 from numerical limits on worldwide immigration. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would expand the definition of “immediate relative” for purposes of exemptions from the numerical cap to include children of U.S. citizens’ parents accompanying or following to join the parent. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exacerbate chain migration into the United States by creating the nonimmigrant class of “permanent partner” for aliens over 18 years of age who are: (1) in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual over 18 in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment; (2) financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) not married to or in a permanent partnership with anyone other than the other individual; (4) unable to contract a marriage recognized under federal immigration law with the other individual; and (5) not a first-, second-, or third-degree blood relation of the other individual. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exacerbate chain migration into the United States by creating the nonimmigrant class of “permanent partner” for aliens over 18 years of age who are: (1) in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual over 18 in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment; (2) financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) not married to or in a permanent partnership with anyone other than the other individual; (4) unable to contract a marriage recognized under federal immigration law with the other individual; and (5) not a first-, second-, or third-degree blood relation of the other individual. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
VISA LOTTERY
Reduce Lottery Visas
- would eliminate the visa lottery, which, each year, gives another 50,000 green cards to people without any regard to their humanitarian need or to what they might offer the country or to their having any family connections here. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor. .
- would suspend the visa lottery until one week after DHS certifies to Congress that specified enforcement and administrative conditions are satisfied, including (among others): (1) full implementation of US-VISIT; (2) DHS has the operational capability to take into custody and remove any alien brought to its attention by a state or local law enforcement agency; (3) random audits of backlogged applications for changes in immigration status are fully implemented and these audits indicate that the incidence of fraud or falsification is no more than three percent of all approved applications; (4) the statutorily-mandated foreign student monitoring system is is fully operational and no educational institutions register or admit illegal aliens; and (5) the number of removals, during each of the four months preceding certification, was at least 25 percent higher than in comparable months of the previous year.
Would suspend the State Department's authority to issue nonimmigrant visas and DHS' authority to admit nonimmigrants, but would authorize DHS to waive this suspension if the visa lottery is eliminated.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
- would prohibit, without review by the president, the granting of an immigrant visa via the visa lottery to a national of Saudi Arabia or any other "designated country" whose government has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism or whose government has not cooperated fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
-would eliminate the visa lottery, which gives another 50,000 green cards to people each year without any regard to their humanitarian needs, skill and education, or whether they have any family in the United States. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.)is the bill’s main sponsor.
Increase Lottery Visas
– would increase the visa lottery by doubling the number of diversity visas from 55,000 to 110,000 a year. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) is the bill's main sponsor.
- would eliminate the visa lottery Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
FOREIGN WORKERS
Reduce Foreign-Worker Visas
– would require an employer petitioning to import an H-2A “temporary” agricultural worker to attest to meeting specified wage (i.e., greater of prevailing wage in occupation sought or state minimum wage), benefit, working condition, and U.S. worker recruitment criteria; would explicitly prohibit preferential treatment of H-2As over U.S. workers with regard to wages, benefits, and working conditions; would admit H-2As for a 10-month period of employment, which includes a seven-day exception for initial travel to the work site, and a two-week exception after the period of employment for the purpose of departure or extension based on a subsequent offer of employment, during which the alien would be prohibited from employment except in the employment for which the alien was previously authorized; would require DHS to establish a mandatory employment verification program for all employers of H-2As to verify the eligibility of all individuals hired to work in the United States, and would require employer compliance and participation in this program; would require the Department of Labor (DOL) to conduct investigations and random audits of employer work sites to ensure compliance with the requirements of the H-2A program, would require DOL, upon finding a violation, to notify DHS of that finding, and, subsequently, would authorize DOL to impose administrative remedies, including civil penalties up to $15,000 per violation (not exceeding $90,000 in total) and a disqualification from employing H-2As for varying lengths of time – including a permanent ban; would allow an employer to petition to extend an H-2A’s stay for up to 10 months; would prohibit an H-2A whose authorized stay (including extensions) has expired from applying for re-admission as an H-2A unless he/she has remained outside the United States continously for at least one-fifth of the duration of his/her previous stay as an H-2A, but would waive this prohibition in the case of an H-2A who was authorized as such for 10 months or less he/she has been outside the United States for at least two months during the 12 months preceding application for H-2A re-admission; and would allow an H-2A admitted for employment as a sheepherder, goatherder, livestock worker, or dairy worker to be admitted for a period of up to 12 months and would exempt such workers from the aforementioned H-2A “departure and wait” requirements. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to repeal authorities relating to H1-B visas for temporary workers.
- would require all employers petitioning to import an H-1B “high-skill” nonimmigrant worker to attest to the fact that they have made a good-faith effort to hire U.S. workers first and that the H-1B nonimmigrant will not displace an American worker; would require employers, prior to submitting petitions to import H-1Bs, to first advertise the job opening for 30 days on a Department of Labor (DOL) website; would prohibit employers from advertising a job as available only for H-1Bs or from recruiting only H-1Bs for a job; would prohibit employers from hiring H-1B employees who are then outsourced to other companies, thus eliminating one way in which some employers evade restrictions on hiring H-1Bs; would prohibit employers from hiring H-1Bs if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 percent of their employees are H-1Bs; would authorize DOL to conduct random audits of any company that employs H-1Bs and, in fact, would require DOL to conduct annual audits of companies with more than 100 employees that have 15 percent or more of those workers being H-1Bs; would authorize DOL to review employers' H-1B petitions for "clear indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact" instead of the current standard of only reviewing for "completeness and obvious inaccuracies"; would afford DOL 14 days to review H-1B petitions, which is a doubling of the current time allowed (i.e., seven days); would grant DOL more authority to investigate employers and would streamline the investigative process (e.g., eliminating the requirement that DOL’s Secretary personally authorize an investigation); would require DHS to share with DOL any information in H-1B petitions that indicates an employer is not complying with H-1B program requirements; would strengthen existing whistleblower protections for the H-1B program and would establish such provisions for the L-1 “intracompany transferee/specialized knowledge” visa program; would require H-1B and L-1 employers to pay their employees the prevailing wage; would require that H-1Bs be informed by the Federal government about their rights pursuant to this bill and would require H-1B employers to provide an H-1B his/her immigration documents upon request; would limit issuance of L-1 visas for employees of a "new facility" to an initial period of 12 months, which could be extended after the employer demonstrates that the new facility is legitimate; would prohibit “blanket petitions” for L-1 visas, thus requiring employers to submit a separate petition for each L-1 visa; would prohibit outplacement of L-1 visa holders; and would establish processes for DOL to investigate, audit and penalize L-1 employers. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require free trade agreements (FTA) to meet certain minimum standards, including that an FTA may not make any commitments as to the temporary entry of workers; and as a result, would urge Congress to require that immigration policies: (1) include labor market tests that ensure that the employment of temporary workers will not adversely affect other similarly-employed workers; (2) involve labor unions in the labor certification process implemented under the H-1B temporary unskilled foreign worker program (including the filing by an employer of a labor condition application); and (3) guarantee the same workplace protections for temporary workers that are available to all workers. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would suspend the State Department's authority to issue nonimmigrant visas and DHS' authority to admit nonimmigrants, but would authorize DHS to waive this suspension if: (1) the visa lottery is eliminated; (2) personal interviews are mandatory for admission under the Visa Waiver Program; and (3) DHS, along with the State Department, verifies that each alien admitted on a nonimmigrant basis has had a personal interview with a consular officer prior to visa issuance. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
Increase Foreign-Worker Visas
- would exempt elementary and secondary schools from payment of H-1B (i.e., “skilled worker”) visa petition fees. Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would allow “temporary” or “seasonal” H-2A nonimmigrant aliens coming to the United States for employment as a dairy worker to be admitted, initially, for three years. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
– would eliminate the H-1B classification for fashion models and instead assign fashion models with “distinguished merit” a temporary “O” visa. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) is the bill's main sponsor.- would authorize "expedited" adjudication (i.e., generally, within 30 days of application) of employer petitions for visas for "aliens of extraordinary artistic ability," aliens accompanying such aliens, or aliens who are "internationally recognized" athletes or entertainers; and would require premium-processing services, without fee, if adjudication is not "expedited." Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) is the measure's main sponsor.
- would create a new nonimmigrant visa category (i.e., the W visa) for aliens coming to the United States to work as professional nurses; would initially cap annual issuance of W visas to 50,000, but would provide that if that cap is reached in any year, the next year’s cap would be increased by 20 percent (no reduction if the cap is not reached – just a maintenance of the current cap); would exempt from the annual cap: (1) nonimmigrants working in geographic areas designated as “health professional shortage areas”; and (2) spouses and children of W nonimmigrants. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would establish the H-2C “guestworker” program, through which 400,000 “new workers” (plus their spouses and minor children on an unlimited basis) may come to the United States annually to perform labor or services for which no unemployed U.S. citizens living domestically can be found; would allow the annual cap on H-2C visas to be increased to as many as 600,000, although a Standing Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets would be authorized recommend “adjustments to the H-2C cap; would allow the “guestworkers” to stay up to six years, during which time they could petition for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status at any time (they may apply on their own after having been an H-2C for a total of five years); would allow those applying for LPR status to stay and work in the United States as long as it takes to be granted such status; would authorize employers to lay off U.S. workers and replace them with H-2Cs, provided they lay off the U.S. workers more than 90 days before or 90 days after they petition for H-2Cs; would condition implementation of the H-2C program upon DHS certification that: (1) it has provided Congress with a report on the status of border surveillance technology improvements; (2) described in the Secure Border Initiative, including target dates for the completion of such improvements; (2) the agency can issue secure documents to illegal aliens applying for amnesty; and (3) “critical infrastructure employers” are using the Electronic Employment Verification System; and would require DHS, the Justice Department, and the State Departmentto negotiate with each of the home countries of H-2Cs to enter into bilateral agreements requiring those governments to: (1) accept the return of their nationals who are ordered removed from the U.S. not later than three days after the removal order is issued; (2) cooperate with the U.S. government to quell gang membership and violence in, human and drug trafficking and smuggling in, and illegal immigration to, the U.S.; (3) provide information as to the immigration and criminal history of citizens seeking entry into the U.S., and access to the admission and entry data maintained by those countries for purposes of U.S. entry-exit data systems; (4) carry out activities to educate those countries’ citizens regarding U.S. guestworker programs to ensure that they are not exploited while working in the U.S.; and (5) evaluate means to provide housing incentives in those home countries for returning workers.
Would more than double the number of employment-based (EB) immigrant visas available annually; would exempt EB immigrants seeking admission to work in “shortage occupations” from numerical caps through fiscal year 2017; would vastly increase the cap on H-1B visas (i.e., a minimum cap of 115,000 per year [with 20 percent increases authorized in any year following a year in which the cap was met, not to exceed 180,000]); would create various permanent exemptions from numerical caps on admission for “high skill” aliens (e.g., aliens with graduate degrees from U.S. universities; aliens with graduate degrees in the sciences or math who have been working in a related field in the U.S. for at least three years, etc.); would extend the authorized stay of L-1 “intracompany transferee/specialized knowledge” nonimmigrants (no cap on these visas) for whom applications for LPR status are pending, and, in so doing, would, for all intents and purposes, make their employment permanent, thus taking more jobs away from U.S. workers; would expand eligibility for student visas; would create a separate nonimmigrant classification for fashion models, with an annual cap of 1,000; and would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status for 300 Afghanis or Iraqis working as translators working with U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq or Afghanistan (current limit is 50) in fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009, then would return the annual limit to 50 for subsequent fiscal years. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would authorize DHS to issue up to 65,000 additional H-1B “high skill worker” visas per year (exempt from the extant 65,000-per-year cap) – fiscal years 2008 through 2012 – to aliens who meet H-1B admission requirements and who possess post-graduate degrees; would require an employer petitioning for such an H-1B nonimmigrant worker to make “qualified scholarship payments” to a U.S. institution of higher education for each year that the H-1B’s status is held; and would require scholarship funds received under these provisions to be used only to provide scholarships to students enrolled full-time in undergraduate and postgraduate study, with priority given to U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status for 500 Afghanis or Iraqis working as translators, interpreters, or in any other capacity with Federal agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan annually (current limit is 50 and only translators working with U.S. Armed Forces are eligible) – beginning with fiscal year 2007 and sunsetting three years following enactment (pending petitions for “special immigrant” status upon sunset could be approved) – and would authorize DHS to increase that limit, provided the agency notifies Congress; and would exempt these “special immigrants” from employment-based immigration caps, allow them “special immigrants” to apply for refugee assistance, and authorize them to adjust to lawful permanent resident status. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exempt any alien who has been present in the United States as an H-2B nonimmigrant worker for any one of the previous three fiscal years and who is returning to work as an H-2B from counting against the 66,000-per-year cap on H-2B visas (i.e., potentially tripling the number of H-2Bs in the U.S. at any one time); and would make these provisions effective for five years, beginning October 1, 2007. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would more than double the number of employment-based (EB) immigrant visas available annually; would exempt EB immigrants seeking admission to work in “shortage occupations”; would vastly increase the cap on H-1B visas (i.e., a minimum cap of 115,000 per year, with 20 percent increases authorized in any year following a year in which the cap was met), but would eliminate statutory provisions authorizing a reduction in this cap; would create various permanent exemptions from numerical caps on admission for “high skill” aliens (e.g., aliens with graduate degrees from U.S. universities; aliens with graduate degrees in the sciences or math who have been working in a related field in the U.S. for at least three years, etc.); would extend the authorized stay of L-1 “intracompany transferee/specialized knowledge” nonimmigrants (no cap on these visas) for whom applications for LPR status are pending, and, in so doing, would, for all intents and purposes, make their employment permanent, thus taking more jobs away from U.S. workers; and would expand eligibility for student visas. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require DHS and the Department of Labor to establish a process under which an H-2B low-skill nonimmigrant alien worker who files a nonfrivolous complaint regarding a labor condition violation could seek other employment with another U.S. employer for a period not to exceed the H-2B’s period of authorized stay under the H-2B classification. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status to 15,000 aliens per year – plus their spouses and children – fiscal years 2008 through 2011, who: (1) are Iraqi nationals; (2) worked directly with the U.S. Government, the United Nations, a certified government or U.N. contractor or subcontractor, or a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization for at least one year; (3) have a not manifestly unfounded fear of persecution, violence, or harm to themselves or to their family on account of the work described in (2); and (4) are otherwise eligible for immigrant visas and admissibile for permanent residence (inadmissibility based on being a public charge would be waived). Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would authorize adjustment to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status for aliens with E-2 “treaty investor” nonimmigrant visas only if certain capital investment levels are met and specified numbers of new jobs are created; would authorize 3,000 E-2 visas to be made available each fiscal year to principal aliens (i.e., no cap on spouses or children); and would grant LPR status to any E-2 nonimmigrant alien who has been present in the United States for at least five years, provided they meet the new criteria.Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would “expedite” the importation of H-1B high-skill nonimmigrant workers by requiring the employer to submit to the Department of Labor the requisite labor condition application at the same time as the employer submits to DHS the petition for nonimmigrant admission of the H-1B worker. Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would allocate appropriations and determine federal spending priorities for the 2008 Fiscal Year. In an effort to crunch numbers, prioritize spending, and make the bill more acceptable to both chambers of Congress, a number of successful amendments were retained, removed, altered, and in some cases replaced by adverse immigration riders. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is the bill’s main sponsor. - would increase the number of H-1B visas from 65,000 to 130,000 a year and would modify the H-2A program to help farmers apply for temporary workers. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is the bill’s main sponsor. - would eliminate the H-1B classification for fashion models and instead assign fashion models with “distinguished merit” a P-1 visa (making more H-1B visas available for high skilled foreign workers). Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) is the bill's main sponsor. - would remove the limitation on P-1 visa renewals for foreign-born professional or amateur athletes. The P-1 visa currently expires after 10 years (5 years for the initial visa and 5 years for the renewal); however, this legislation would make it possible for foreign athletes to stay in the United States permanently as long as they continue to renew their visas every 5 years. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
- would allow a temporary worker with an H-2B visa from 2004, 2005, or 2006 to renew their visas without counting against the regular 66,000 numerical limit for 2008. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) is the bill’s main sponsor. - would provide a sense of the House that, to deter further illegal immigration and strengthen the U.S. economy, a “renewed and limited temporary worker program to allow a certain, but not unlimited, number of documented foreign workers to live in the country legally for a fixed amount of time” must be part of any immigration reform bill considered by this Congress, as must provisions guaranteeing that “priority [be] given” for legal admission to “law-abiding, highly-skilled immigrants.”Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would provide a sense of Congress that “comprehensive” immigration legislation (i.e., containing amnesties for illegal aliens, “guestworker” programs, etc.) should be enacted. (NumbersUSA believes that this is a “shell” bill, which, at some point, will be amended to include language very similar to that which the Senate passed in 2006 [S. 2611].) Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would create a new “W” guestworker nonimmigrant visa program, under which aliens who are physically present in the United States as of January 1, 2007, would have one year following enactment to register with DHS for the program and be fingerprinted; would provide that illegal aliens who are unlawfully employed as of January 1, 2007, would have one year following the implementation date to be fingerprinted and registered; would condition a W nonimmigrant guestworker’s continued stay and employment in the United States (initial admission of two years working for the requesting employer, unlimited two-year renewals [i.e., no longer a “guest,” but a permanent worker]) upon: (1) clearance from the terrorist watch list and completition of a criminal background check; (2) abiding by all applicable Federal, state, and local laws; (3) continued employment and abiding by the terms of that employment; and (4) completion, within the initial two-year period of authorized admission, of an approved assimilation program that includes English language and civics curricula. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would exempt any alien who has been present in the United States as an H-2B nonimmigrant worker for any one of the previous three fiscal years and who is returning to work as an H-2B from counting against the 66,000-per-year cap on H-2B visas (i.e., potentially tripling the number of H-2Bs in the U.S. at any one time). Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would more than double the number of employment-based (EB) immigrant visas available annually; would exempt EB immigrants seeking admission to work in “shortage occupations”; would vastly increase the cap on H-1B visas (i.e., a minimum cap of 115,000 per year, with 20 percent increases authorized in any year following a year in which the cap was met), but would eliminate statutory provisions authorizing a reduction in this cap; would create various permanent exemptions from numerical caps on admission for “high skill” aliens (e.g., aliens with graduate degrees from U.S. universities; aliens with graduate degrees in the sciences or math who have been working in a related field in the U.S. for at least three years, etc.); would extend the authorized stay of L-1 “intracompany transferee/specialized knowledge” nonimmigrants (no cap on these visas) for whom applications for LPR status are pending, and, in so doing, would, for all intents and purposes, make their employment permanent, thus taking more jobs away from U.S. workers; and would expand eligibility for student visas. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would raise the cap on H-1B “high skill” nonimmigrant workers from 65,000 to 115,000 for fiscal year 2007 and to 195,000 for fiscal year 2008, and would return the cap to 65,000 for fiscal year 2009 and beyond; would eliminate the 20,000-per-year cap on visas for nonimmigrant workers who have earned a master’s or higher degree from a U.S. institution; would exempt the following nonimmigrants from direct numerical limitations on immigration: (1) aliens who have earned an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, or math from an accredited U.S. university and have been working in a related field in the United States under a nonimmigrant visa during the three-year period preceding their application for an employment-based visa; (2) aliens with “extraordinary ability” or who are “outstanding professors and researchers” or who have received a national interest waiver; and (3) the immediate relatives of an alien who is admitted as an employment-based immigrant. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status for 500 Afghanis or Iraqis working as translators or interpreters with Federal agencies in Iraq or Afghanistan (current limit is 50 and only translators working with U.S. Armed Forces are eligible) in fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009, then would return the annual limit to 50 for subsequent fiscal years; would exempt these “special immigrant” translators and interpreters from employment-based immigration caps; and would allow these “special immigrants” to adjust to lawful permanent resident status. Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would reallocate two-thirds (i.e., 36,667) of the visas available for the visa lottery to aliens holding advanced degrees in science, math, technology, or engineering; would require the State Department – in consultation with the Departments of Commerce and Labor – to make annual determinations as to which of those degrees will “provide immigrants with the knowledge and skills…most needed to meet anticipated workforce needs and protect…[U.S.] economic security”; would require immigrant visas to be issued randomly if this determination is not made, but if the determination is made and the number of eligible qualified immigrants who apply for an immigrant visa is: (1) greater than 36,667, would require DHS to issue immigrant visas to all of them, but in a strictly random order; or (2) not greater than 36,667, would require DHS to issue immigrant visas to eligible qualified immigrants with the degrees determined to be most useful to our “economic security” and must issue any remaining visas to other eligible qualified immigrants with other advanced math/science degrees in a strictly random order; would authorize the granting of these visas regardless of fiscal year (i.e., if an application is pending at the end of a fiscal year, the applicant may be granted a visa nonetheless). Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would increase the annual H-1B high-skill nonimmigrant worker visa cap to 150,000 (current cap is 65,000), beginning with fiscal year 2008, and would authorize a 20 percent increase of that cap in any fiscal year succeeding a year in which the cap was met (no provisions for a reduction if the cap isn’t met). Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would authorize "expedited" adjudication (i.e., generally, within 30 days of application) of employer petitions for visas for "aliens of extraordinary artistic ability," aliens accompanying such aliens, or aliens who are "internationally recognized" athletes or entertainers; and would require premium-processing services, without fee, if adjudication is not "expedited." Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is the measure's main sponsor.
REFUGEE and ASYLUM FRAUD
Reduce Refugee / Asylum Fraud
- would suspend renewals of Temporary Protected Status until one week after DHS certifies to Congress that specified enforcement and administrative conditions are satisfied, including (among others): (1) full implementation of US-VISIT; (2) DHS has the operational capability to take into custody and remove any alien brought to its attention by a state or local law enforcement agency; (3) random audits of backlogged applications for changes in immigration status are fully implemented and these audits indicate that the incidence of fraud or falsification is no more than three percent of all approved applications; (4) the statutorily-mandated foreign student monitoring system is is fully operational and no educational institutions register or admit illegal aliens; and (5) the number of removals, during each of the four months preceding certification, was at least 25 percent higher than in comparable months of the previous year. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is the measure's main sponsor. - would prohibit the United States from accepting more than 50,000 humanitarian refugees a year. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Increase Refugee / Asylum Fraud
- would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – a means by which DHS may grant limited refugee status to aliens who would otherwise be prohibited from staying in the United States, and give them “safe haven” until crises (e.g., armed conflict, natural disaster, or “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent safe return) in their native countries pass – to Haitian citizens for 18 months if they are admissible as immigrants and register with DHS; and, in so doing, would encourage fraud as enforcement of immigration laws is, in many respects, virtually nonexistent, so Haitians granted TPS who stay beyond 18 months (or longer, depending on whether TPS designation has been extended, thus calling into question the “temporary” nature of the status) rarely fear being “found out” and, subsequently, deported. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require the President to submit plans to Congress to accelerate the processing of Iraqi nationals’ petitions for refugee status, as well as the operation of the special immigrant visa program for Iraqi and Afghan translators; would require the President to submit to Congress legislative proposals to facilitate greater “acceptance by,” “relocation,” or “absorption into” the United States of Iraqis seeking admission into, or resettlement in, the United States due to a well-founded fear of persecution on account of employment by, or assistance to, the United States or other coalition county in Iraq; also would require the President to submit to Congress legislative proposals to amend the definitions of “terrorist activity” and “material support” under the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to: (1) “capture only those groups that truly threaten” homeland security; and (2) “account for actions that may have been taken under duress”; and would authorize appropriations to the State Department and to DHS, fiscal years 2008 through 2010 ($100 million per year to State, $10 million per year to DHS), to carry out the processing, relief, and resettlement in the United States of Iraqi refugees. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)is the measure’s main sponsor. - would allocate appropriations and determine federal spending priorities for the 2008 Fiscal Year. In an effort to crunch numbers, prioritize spending, and make the bill more acceptable to both chambers of Congress, a number of successful amendments were retained, removed, altered, and in some cases replaced by adverse immigration riders. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
- would provide a sense of Congress that “comprehensive” immigration legislation (i.e., containing amnesties for illegal aliens, “guestworker” programs, etc.) should be enacted. (NumbersUSA believes that this is a “shell” bill, which, at some point, will be amended to include language very similar to that which the Senate passed in 2006 [S. 2611 {which, among other things, would have granted “reward amnesty” to members of persecuted religious minority groups who filed an asylum application in the U.S. before May 1, 2003}].) Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would ease the path to permanent residence for unaccompanied alien children (UACs) by opening up access to special immigrant juvenile status for any UAC who cannot make a persuasive case for asylum who is deemed to be a dependent of the state as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment; would entitle all UACs to legal counsel (likely through a government contractor’s search for competent, pro bono attorneys) and an independent child advocate to coordinate his/her sponsorship and legal needs. (In recent years, approximately 8,000 UACs have been apprehended by immigration officials each year and then they are transferred into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement [ORR], which is under the aegis of the Department of Health and Human Services, not DHS; herein lies a primary concern with this process: for some illegal entrants under 18, DHS is not responsible for enforcing immigration law. ORR officials admit that the Notices to Appear they give to a UAC’s sponsor when they leave with the minor carry little weight and are seldom enforced, resulting in, perhaps, as much as a 65 percent no-show rate in immigration court [official numbers are unavailable as UACs are not currently categorized separately for tracking and reporting]. Subsequently, a good number of those who do not show up in court just ebb back into the waves of illegal immigrants flooding our country during protracted removal proceedings.) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor. -
AMNESTIES for ILLEGAL ALIENS
Stop Amnesties for Illegal Aliens
- would express the sense of Congress that the President should announce publicly that he will oppose any proposal to grant illegal aliens amnesty. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would provide a sense of the House that Congress should reject amnesty legislation until all existing immigration laws are enforced. Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would sunset existing amnesties such as the agricultural worker amnesty program, the IRCA legalization program, the Amerasian immigration provision, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, and the Haitian Refugee and Immigration Fairness Act. In addition, this legislation would prevent future amnesties by defining illegal presence as “not demonstrating good moral character,” one of the qualifications for legal immigration. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.Provide Amnesty for Illegal Aliens
- would allow illegal alien farm workers to obtain a "blue card" granting “temporary” legal status (i.e., amnesty) for themselves and their families if they could show they have worked in the U.S. at least 863 hours or 150 work days (5.75 hours constituting a work day [i.e., the equivalent of 21.5 40-hour work weeks, or less than half of a “standard” work year {50 weeks}] during the preceding two years; and would, subsequently, allow these “blue card” illegal aliens to apply for legal residency, provided they demonstrate that they have worked in agriculture here: (1) 100 work days per year each of the first five years following enactment; (2) 150 work days per year each of the first three years following enactment; or (3) over the course of the first four years after enactment, 150 work days per year for three of those years and 100 work days for the other.Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would expand the scope of the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA) of 1998 (i.e., one of six amnesties granted since 1986) by: (1) granting amnesty to children whose parents applied for amnesty for them when they were minors, but who have since turned 21 and become adults (i.e., "aging out"); (2) including document fraud among the grounds of inadmissibility which may be waived in granting amnesty to a Haitian national under HRIFA; and (3) allowing Haitians who were previously denied amnesty to file a motion to reopen their applications. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) is the measure's main sponsor. - would provide a general amnesty “Earned Access to Legalization” to illegal immigrants who are able to demonstrate that they: have been physically present in the United States for 5 years; have good moral character; have no criminal record; have a satisfactory understanding of the English language; have “accepted the values and cultural life of the United States;” and have completed 40 hours of community service. In addition, this legislation: allows illegal immigrants to become lawful permanent residents if they entered the United States prior to 1986, allows Haitians who have been in the United States illegally for a year or more to become lawful permanent residents, allows individuals with temporary protected status to adjust their status, and would waive all bars of legal reentry for illegal aliens ordered to be removed by the United States. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) is the bill's main sponsor.
- would authorize DHS to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (i.e., for six years), an illegal alien who demonstrates that he/or she: (1) has maintained continuous presence in the United States for the five years preceding enactment; (2) is of “good moral character” and is not inadmissible or deportable on certain criminal grounds or on the basis of being a risk to national security (except for document violations and misrepresentation of citizenship occurring before he/she turned 16 years of age); (3) has been admitted to an institution of higher education, has attained a high school diploma, or has obtained a GED in the United States; and (4) has never been under a final administrative or judicial order of exclusion, deportation, or removal (unless he/she has remained in the United States or the order was issued before he/she turned 16); would allow a “hardship exception” for the removal of the conditional nature of the LPR status if the applicant alien’s removal would result in “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to the alien, his/her spouse, parent, or child who is a U.S. citizen or an LPR; would authorize DHS to revoke an alien’s conditional LPR status upon his/her failure to meet the required criteria, but would allow removal of the conditional nature of the status if those criteria, and others relative to further education or military service, are met (i.e., amnesty); and would allow conditional LPR status to be granted to those who have satisfied these criteria as of this bill’s enactment. Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would repeal existing statutory provisions denying illegal aliens’ eligibility for in-state tuition unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to state residence; would authorize DHS to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (i.e., for six years), an illegal alien who demonstrates that he/or she: (1) has maintained continuous presence in the United States for the five years preceding enactment; (2) is of “good moral character” and is not inadmissible or deportable on certain criminal grounds or on the basis of being a risk to national security; and (3) has been admitted to an institution of higher education, has attained a high school diploma, or has obtained a GED in the United States; would authorize DHS to revoke an alien’s conditional LPR status upon his/her failure to meet the required criteria, but would allow removal of the conditional nature of the status if those criteria, and others relative to further education or military service, are met (i.e., amnesty); would allow a “hardship exception” for the removal of the conditional nature of the LPR status if the applicant alien’s removal would result in “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to the alien, his/her spouse, parent, or child who is a U.S. citizen or an LPR; and would allow conditional LPR status to be granted to those who have satisfied these criteria as of this bill’s enactment. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor. - would eliminate the April 30, 2001, deadline for an illegal alien who is married to a citizen and who is the parent of a citizen child to apply for a Section 245(i) amnesty, thus making this amnesty. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- The STRIVE Act of 2007 Sells America and Americans into Bondage of the NAU!
H.R.1645 Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy [STRIVE] Act of 2007
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)is the measure’s main sponsor.- would grant amnesty to Liberian national aliens (including those present in the United States who have been ordered excluded, deported, removed, or ordered to depart voluntarily – without any motion to reopen, reconsider, or vacate that order required) granted, or eligible to be granted, Temporary Protected Status (a means by which DHS may grant limited refugee status to aliens who would otherwise be prohibited from staying in the United States, and give them “safe haven” until crises [e.g., armed conflict, natural disaster, or “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent safe return] in their native countries pass) on or after March 27, 1991, provided: (1) application for amnesty occurs before April 1, 2009; (2) they are otherwise admissible for permanent residence (with some bars to inadmissibility inapplicable); also would grant amnesty to aliens who are: (1) the spouses, children, or unmarried sons or daughters of aliens granted this amnesty; and (2) otherwise admissible (with some bars to inadmissibility not applicable), physically present in the United States on the date the application for amnesty is filed, and in the case of unmarried sons or daughters, have been physically present in the United States for at least one year (aggregated absences up to 180 days allowable); would establish procedures by which a stay of a final order of deportation, removal, or exclusion is granted pursuant to an application for amnesty, which include an allowance for the alien to engage in employment during the pendency of the application; and would prohibit judicial review of any determination made by DHS as to the granting of amnesty under this bill.Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would grant amnesty (in this instance, an “adjustment of status” to that of “an alien lawfully admitted”) to illegal aliens continuously present in the United States since January 1, 2002 if they: (1) apply during the 12-month period beginning on a date (not less than 180 days after enactment) designated by DHS; (2) pay DHS a $1,000 “fine” as well as an “application fee”; (3) are otherwise admissible (with waivers of inadmissibility available relative to unlawful entry and documentation violations); (4) have not been convicted of a felony or of two or more misdemeanors; and (5) satisfy English language and U.S. civics standards (or are “satisfactorily pursuing” a course of study to meet those requirements); would grant illegal aliens apprehended between enactment and the closing of registration the opportunity to establish prima facie eligibility for amnesty; would prohibit illegal aliens granted amnesty under the above provisions from being granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status without first seeking to obtain that status by another avenue (e.g., qualifying for an immigrant visa through a U.S. consulate abroad); and would require DHS to undertake a public education program to inform interested parties about the availability of amnesty as provided by this bill. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor. - would provide a sense of the House that, to deter further illegal immigration and strengthen the U.S. economy, “a prohibition on blanket amnesty for illegal aliens who have deliberately broken the law that does not harm the innocent victims of circumstance” must be part of any immigration reform bill considered by this Congress. ("Amnesty" 1s anything that allows illegal aliens to keep what they broke the law to obtain – most often lawful residence and jobs in the United States. Use of the term “blanket amnesty” connotes that the person making the statement is, quite possibly, amenable to other forms of amnesty – at least, according to his own definitions.) Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would provide a sense of Congress that “comprehensive” immigration legislation (i.e., containing amnesties for illegal aliens, “guestworker” programs, etc.) should be enacted. (NumbersUSA believes that this is a “shell” bill, which, at some point, will be amended to include language very similar to that which the Senate passed in 2006) Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would allow illegal alien farm workers to obtain a "blue card" granting “temporary” legal status (i.e., amnesty) for themselves and their families if they could show they have worked in the U.S. at least 863 hours or 150 work days (5.75 hours constituting a work day [i.e., the equivalent of 21.5 40-hour work weeks, or less than half of a “standard” work year {50 weeks}] during the preceding two years; and would, subsequently, allow these “blue card” illegal aliens to apply for legal residency), provided they demonstrate that they have worked in agriculture here: (1) 100 work days per year each of the first five years following enactment; (2) 150 work days per year each of the first three years following enactment; or (3) over the course of the first four years after enactment, 150 work days per year for three of those years and 100 work days for the other. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would create a new “W” guestworker nonimmigrant visa program, under which aliens who are physically present in the United States as of January 1, 2007, would have one year following enactment to register with DHS for the program and be fingerprinted; would provide that illegal aliens who are unlawfully employed as of January 1, 2007, would have one year following the implementation date to be fingerprinted and registered; would condition a W nonimmigrant guestworker’s continued stay and employment in the United States (initial admission of two years working for the requesting employer, unlimited two-year renewals [i.e., no longer a “guest,” but a permanent worker]) upon: (1) clearance from the terrorist watch list and completition of a criminal background check; (2) abiding by all applicable Federal, state, and local laws; (3) continued employment and abiding by the terms of that employment; and (4) completion, within the initial two-year period of authorized admission, of an approved assimilation program that includes English language and civics curricula. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would allow illegal alien farm workers to obtain a "blue card" granting “temporary” legal status (i.e., amnesty) for themselves and their families if they could show they have worked in the U.S. at least 863 hours or 150 work days (5.75 hours constituting a work day [i.e., the equivalent of 21.5 40-hour work weeks, or less than half of a “standard” work year {50 weeks}] during the preceding two years; and would, subsequently, allow these “blue card” illegal aliens to apply for legal residency, provided they demonstrate that they have worked in agriculture here: (1) 100 work days per year each of the first five years following enactment; (2) 150 work days per year each of the first three years following enactment; or (3) over the course of the first four years after enactment, 150 work days per year for three of those years and 100 work days for the other. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would grant amnesty to Liberian national aliens (including those present in the United States who have been ordered excluded, deported, removed, or ordered to depart voluntarily – without any motion to reopen, reconsider, or vacate that order required) who have been continuously present in the United States since January 1, 2007 (with absences not exceeding 180 days in aggregate allowed), provided: (1) application for amnesty occurs by April 1, 2009; and (2) they are otherwise admissible into the United States (with some bars to inadmissibility inapplicable); also would grant amnesty to the spouses, children, or unmarried sons or daughters of aliens granted this amnesty; would require DHS to cancel an order of exclusion, removal, etc., if the application for amnesty is granted, and, if the application is denied, would require that order to be effective and enforceable to the same extent as if the application had not been made; would make an alien ineligible for amnesty under this bill if he/she has been convicted of an aggravated felony or two or more crimes involving moral turpitude; would establish procedures by which a stay of a final order of deportation, removal, or exclusion is granted pursuant to an application for amnesty, which include an allowance for the alien to engage in employment during the pendency of the application; would require DHS – upon granting amnesty to an alien under this bill – to establish a record of the alien’s admission for permanent record as of the alien’s arrival in the United States; and would prohibit judicial review of any determination made by DHS as to the granting of amnesty under this bill. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)is the measure's main sponsor.
ANCHOR-BABY CITIZENSHIP
End Anchor-Baby Citizenship
- would restrict birthright citizenship to children who are born in the United States and “subject to the jurisdiction” thereof by defining “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States to mean a child born: (1) to married parents (though common law marriage is not sufficient), at least one of whom is a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States and maintains a residence here; (2) out of wedlock to a mother who is a U.S. citizen, national, or LPR and maintains her residence here; or (3) to a father who is a U.S. citizen, national, or LPR who maintains his residence here, but only if: (a) the father was a U.S. citizen, national, or LPR upon the child’s birth and agrees (unless deceased), in writing, to provide financial support for the child until his 18th birthday; and (b) paternity is established conclusively and acknowledged in writing under oath prior to the child’s 18th birthday; and would apply these restrictions to children born on or after this measure’s enactment. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would eliminate birthright citizenship for the children born to illegal aliens in the United States by limiting the granting of such citizenship to the children of: (1) U.S. citizens or nationals; (2) lawful permanent resident aliens residing in the United States; and (3) aliens performing active service in the armed forces. Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require at least one parent be a United States citizen before a child born in the United States can be considered a natural-born citizen. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor. - - would propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution denying birthright citizenship to a child born to a mother and father, neither of whom are U.S. citizens. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
- - would eliminate birthright citizenship for the children born to illegal aliens in the United States by limiting the granting of such citizenship to the children of: (1) U.S. citizens or nationals; and (2) lawful permanent resident aliens residing in the United States. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
REWARDS for ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Reduce Rewards for Illegal Immigration
- would prohibit an individual who is not a U.S. citizen or national, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she was not a citizen or national, effective December 31, 2007; would require any Social Security totalization agreement to take that prohibition into account; would apply that prohibition only to totalization agreements taking effect after enactment, but would require any such agreement in effect prior to enactment to terminate no later than December 31, 2007. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require all Social Security totalization agreements to be treated as bilateral trade agreements, thus requiring both houses of Congress to pass a resolution approving such an agreement before it could take effect; and would shift the burden to the advocates of a totalization agreement to prove its merits, as opposed to gridlock resulting in an agreement becoming operative (i.e., current law states that agreements go into effect automatically within 60 days after the President submits the agreement to Congress unless either chamber passes a resolution disapproving the agreement). Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.)is the measure’s main sponsor. - would prohibit an illegal alien, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she is illegally present in the United States and would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit institutions of higher education located in states that provide in-state tuition or other forms of financial aid (e.g., loans, work-study, etc.) to illegal aliens from receiving Federal assistance pursuant to the Higher Education Act of 1965. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit a Federal agency from accepting a foreign identification document for any official purpose, unless the document is a passport that is accepted at the time of enactment. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor. - would amend the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit the issuance of residential mortgages to consumers without Social Security numbers (including illegal aliens) when a mortgage is to be used toward the consumer’s principal residence. Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit an illegal alien, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she is not authorized to work in the United States; would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected would require all Social Security totalization agreements to include provisions requiring the sending country of a naturalized citizen worker or lawful permanent resident worker to submit to the United States any social security taxes paid to that country by the worker or his/her employer if the worker qualifies for benefits undert the agreement, and vice versa for U.S. workers going abroad. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit an illegal alien’s work from counting toward qualifying for Social Security; and would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require DHS to furnish the IRS annually with a list of people whose work authorizations or employment-based visas expired before December 31 of the previous calendar year; would require the IRS to check the list against its records; would require any tax refund or Earned Income Tax Credit with respect to any match on the list; would require the IRS to inform DHS and the employer, with an employer being required to terminate a matching employee within 30 days of receiving a notice; would establish a process by which the employee may contest the DHS action, and would require: (1) the employer to provide DHS with the employee’s substantiating materials within those 30 days; and (2) DHS to notify the IRS, the employer, and the employee within seven business days of receiving the employer’s submissions whether the employee may be employed in the United States; would establish a rebuttable presumption that an employer has violated unlawful employment statutes if the employer: (1) employs an individual with respect to whom a notice is received more than 30 days following receipt of the notice; (2) fails to notify the IRS and continues to employ the employee in question; or (3) refers the employee for employment after receiving a notice with respect to that employee; and would immunize an employer from civil and criminal liability if actions are taken in good faith with respect to any individual’s eligibility to work in the United States. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would prohibit Federal agencies (for any official purpose) and financial institutions (for purposes of verifying the identity of an individual seeking to open an account) from accepting any form of identification of an individual other than: (1) either: (a) a social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal or a state government; or (b) a state driver's license or identification card, provided that the state is in compliance with the; (2) a U.S. or foreign passport; or (3) a photo identification card issued by DHS (through USCIS). Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)is the measure’s main sponsor.
- as amended on the House floor, would: (1) prohibit all three mortgage lending government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks – from obtaining primary residential mortgages being granted to any person who does not have a valid Social Security number (amendment sponsored by Rep. John Doolittle [R-Calif.]); and (2) prevent illegal immigrants from owning or renting Federally-funded “affordable housing” built by requiring the adult occupants of that housing to establish their legal residency through the use of secure forms of identification (amendment sponsored by Rep. Tom Price [R-Ga.]. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is the sponsor of the underlying bill.
- would require anyone receiving Section 8 Federal housing assistance to prove their legal residency through the use of secure forms of identification; that is: (1) a social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal government or a state government or a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or identification card; (2) a valid U.S. or foreign passport; or (3) a DHS-issued phot identification card). Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the sponsor of the underlying bill, but Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) sponsored the relevant motion on the House floor. - would allocate appropriations and determine federal spending priorities for the 2008 Fiscal Year. In an effort to crunch numbers, prioritize spending, and make the bill more acceptable to both chambers of Congress, a number of successful amendments were retained, removed, altered, and in some cases replaced by adverse immigration riders. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
- would require DHS to establish the Small Business Administration (SBA) Liaison position within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which would be required to ensure that SBA does not make or guarantee a loan to an illegal alien. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.)is the measure's main sponsor. - would change the official census count to only include U.S. citizens, not those with “green cards” or here illegally. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
- would require proof of citizenship in order to receive federal benefits, prohibit illegal aliens from claiming Social Security credit for time worked as an illegal alien, and prevent employers from claiming illegal aliens for tax purposes. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor. - would allow public institutions of higher education to use the employment eligibility confirmation system to verify immigration status and eligibility for in-State tuition. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) is the bills main sponsor. - would express the House’s disapproval of the U.S-Mexico U.S-Mexico Social Security totalization agreement signed June 29, 2004 Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would express the House’s disapproval of the U.S-Mexico Social Security totalization agreement signed June 29, 2004. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is the measure’s main sponsor. - would provide a sense of the House that states and local governments should enact legislation prohibiting the issuance of business, professional, or occupational licenses to illegal aliens. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
- would require all Social Security totalization agreements to be treated as bilateral trade agreements, thus requiring both houses of Congress to pass a resolution approving such an agreement before it could take effect; and would shift the burden to the advocates of a totalization agreement to prove its merits, as opposed to gridlock resulting in an agreement becoming operative (i.e., current law states that agreements go into effect automatically within 60 days after the President submits the agreement to Congress unless either chamber passes a resolution disapproving the agreement). Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) is the measure&rsq
