House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) have introduced the Hinder the Administration's Legalization Temptation (HALT) Act to prevent the abuse of the Administration's authority over immigration enforcement. The Administration has discussed ways it can halt deportation of illegal aliens through the use of mass parole and/or deferred action.
More than any other issue, immigration causes amnesia to mainstream media journalists. For years, we have known three facts about E-Verify: (1) it's accurate; (2) it's effective; and (3) it's free. As these basic truths have become widely known, E-Verify has grown in popularity with the public and the employers that use the system. Yet recent reporting shows a disconnect from E-Verify's most important features.
Freshman Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) added his name to 14 different bills on Thursday that would reduce overall immigration levels and work to end illegal immigration. Rep. Brooks was identified as a "True Reform" Candidate during last year's mid-term elections, agreeing in the affirmative to all 12 questions on NumbersUSA's Immigration-Reduction survey.
For the first time in 20 years, Maryland voters will likely decide the fate of a bill passed by the state legislature and signed into law by its governor. A grassroots effort in Maryland has gathered enough signatures to suspend the law and add a referendum to repeal the law to the ballot this fall. The petition is still awaiting final certification by the state's Board of Elections.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed two pieces of legislation into law on Thursday that will require or encourage businesses to use E-Verify. HB342 requires all state and local contractors to use E-Verify, while HB646 requires all private businesses to verify the legal status of their new hires by providing employers that use it a safe harbor against sanctions.
Five Wisconsin Senate Democrats have offered a bill that would make companies that hire illegal aliens ineligible for state tax exemptions, state contracts, grants and loans. The bill was introduced by Dave Hansen, Robert Wirch, Jon Erpenbach, Jim Holperin and Tim Carpenter.
States across the country have taken immigration enforcement into their own hands. From mandatory E-Verify to in-state tuition to driver's licenses and more, states are doing their best to discourage illegal aliens from settling in their states to ensure jobs and resources go to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. But while some states try to discourage illegal immigration, other states are rolling out the red carpet. Bob Dane of the Federation for American Immigration Reform takes a look at the most welcoming places in America.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has issued a statement highlighing 10 things Americans need to know about the newly introduced DREAM Act. On Tuesday, the Senate Immigration Subcommittee held its first ever hearing on the DREAM Act, but few Senators were in attendance because of conflicts with other committee meetings and votes on the Senate floor.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Pres. Obama declined to comment on a question asking him if he would veto a clean E-Verify bill. During his time in the White House, Pres. Obama has maintained that we would veto any immigration enforcement legislation that did not provide an amnesty to illegal aliens. Some Democrat lawmakers have said that they would offer the DREAM Act as an amendment to Rep. Lamar Smith's Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2164).
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security hosted a hearing Tuesday morning on the DREAM Act. While the DREAM Act is not as much of a threat in the 112th Congress as it was in the previous Congress, it is still a threat nonetheless as supporters of the bill continue to sell the bill under the pretense of providing educational opportunities for helpless children.
Proponents of stricter enforcement of immigration laws often concede that young people in this situation are among the most sympathetic cases but that legalizing them still raises problems.
Senate Democrats are well aware of the difficulty in passing the act through the new House, which leads some to believe that the renewed push for the DREAM Act is designed simply as a political ploy to show Hispanic voters ahead of the 2012 elections that the Democrats are working for them.
"They have to try that to cover themselves, even though they know it's not going to go anywhere," said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations for NumbersUSA, a group that wants to limit both legal and illegal immigration.
House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith is finalizing legislation that would prevent the Obama Administration from offering amnesty to millions of illegal aliens through deferred action or parole. The notion of an administrative amnesty first surfaced through leaked internal memos last year, but a new memo from ICE Director John Morton telling his field staff to use prosecutorial discretion while enforcing federal immigration laws.
Reps. John Campbell (R-Calif.), John Duncan (R-Tenn.), and Candice Miller (R-Mich.) have co-sponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) E-Verify bill. Chairman Smith's bill would require most employers to use E-Verify within two years of enactment.
Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) have co-sponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) E-Verify bill. Chairman Smith's bill would require most employers to use E-Verify within two years of enactment.
Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) and Diane Black (R-Tenn.) have co-sponsored the bipartisan SAVE Act (H.R.2000) introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). The SAVE Act would mandate E-Verify nationwide and increase both border security and interior enforcement.
Sen. DIck Durbin (D-Ill.) has re-introduced the DREAM Act Amnesty that would offer legal status for millions of illegal aliens. The DREAM Act passed through the House during last year's lame-duck session, but was defeated during a procedural vote in the Senate.
Three Freshmen House Members have co-sponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) E-Verify bill. Reps. Steve Palazzo (R-Miss.), Allen West (R-Fla.), and Steve Womack (R-Ark.) have added their names to the co-sponsorship list, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 24. Chairman Smith's bill would require most employers to use E-Verify within two years of enactment.
The Matricula Consular card is an identification document issued by the Mexican government. Despite its high susceptibility to fraud, many U.S. institutions (particularly banks) accept the matricula consular as a valid form of ID. Since illegal aliens are the only people who would need this card, these institutions make it easier for illegal aliens to settle in the U.S.
The law states:
Three more House Members have co-sponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) E-Verify bill. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), and Mike McCaul (R-Texas) have added their names to the co-sponsorship list, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 16. Chairman Smith's bill would require most employers to use E-Verify within two years of enactment.
Reps. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Tom Latham (R-Iowa) have co-sponsored the bipartisan SAVE Act (H.R.2000) introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). The SAVE Act would mandate E-Verify nationwide and increase both border security and interior enforcement.
Delegates attending the Utah Republican State Convention approved a resolution supporting the repeal of Utah's recently passed bill that increases state immigration enforcement efforts, but also creates a guest worker program for illegal aliens already living in the state. The delegates passed the resolution 833-to-739.
Roy Beck and Rosemary Jenks discuss the details of the Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2164) introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith. Roy and Rosemary also answer our member's questions about the bill.
Senators John Boozman, Marco Rubio, Jeff Sessions, and Roger Wicker are among the nine original co-sponsors to Senator Chuck Grassley's mandatory E-Verify bill offered last week. The bill would require all businesses to use E-Verify for new hires within 1 year of enactment and require all current employees be checked within 3 years of enactment.
According to Judicial Watch, federal funding for the National Council of La Raza has doubled in the years since Pres. Barack Obama appointed former NCLR Vice President Cecilia Munoz as White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Since joining the Administration in 2009, La Raza's funding has increased from $4 million to $11.1 million, mostly coming from the Labor Department headed by former California Congresswoman and amnesty supporter Hilda Solis.
Sanctuary policies directly violate Federal law. Section 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) provides that
Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.
The House Immigration Subcommittee held a hearing on Wednesday on Chairman Smith's Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2164) that would require nationwide use of E-Verify. The hearing was an opportunity for the National Restaurant Association and National Association of Home Builders to express support of the bill. Those who testified against the bill, including the National Immigration Law Center and several Democrats on the Subcommittee, used the hearing to express their support for illegal alien workers over the interests of 22 million Americans who can't find a full-time job.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Wednesday that they have notified 1,000 companies that the government will inspect their hiring records. The notifications are part of the Obama Administrations efforts to go after employers that hire illegal workers.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a press release on Tuesday endorsing the Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2164) introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, which would require all businesses in the country to begin using E-Verify within three years of enactment. The National Association of Home Builders and National Restaurant Association offered their endorsement of the bill during a hearing held by the House Immigration Subcommittee earlier today.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has introduced a major piece of legislation that would require most employers to use E-Verify within two years of enactment. Large employers, federal, state, and local agencies and federal and state contractors would need to comply within six months. The bill would also make the E-Verify program permanent and reinstate the no-match letter program to help identify the 7 million illegal aliens currently holding non-agriculture jobs.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has introduced new legislation (S.1196) in the U.S. Senate that would require all employers in the United States to use E-Verify. Sen. Grassley is the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees immigration policy in the Senate. He also sits on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. Sen. Grassley's bill would make the E-Verify program permanent and would require all employers to use the system within 12 months of enactment.
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Lamar Smith and Chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee Rep. Elton Gallegly wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times discussing the merits of E-Verify. In their op-ed, the two Congressmen detail E-Verify's success rate, effectiveness, and high customer service scores and say making the system's use mandatory nationwide is a priority for their committees.
On June 10, 2011, Roy was a guest on CSPAN's "Washington Journal" to discuss immigration. Roy discussed the various state laws and the potential for a national E-Verify law, population growth, and the fiscal costs of mass immigration.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has modified an Executive Order that requires agencies and contractors under the direction of the governor's office to use E-Verify. Gov. Scott signed the original order as one of his first acts in office. The new executive order strengthens the language requiring the use of E-Verify of subcontractors of state agencies.
Amid a new round of politically charged rhetoric about illegal immigration, a divided Yakima City Council narrowly reversed itself Tuesday and approved the use of E-Verify over the objection of Hispanic community leaders.
The council voted 4-3 to require that contractors who do business with the city must verify the legal status of their employees by using the controversial federal employment-screening database.
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Arizona's mandatory E-Verify law, the press should turn its attention to reporting what actually happens when states require employers to verify the work eligibility of their new hires. Until now, most of the coverage has been focused on hypotheticals and "fears" of what mandatory E-Verify might do, rather than what it does do.
The justices without comment Monday refused to accept an appeal from out-of-state students attending California schools, who said it was unfair that as U.S. citizens, they had to pay as much as $20,000 more than illegal immigrants. They claimed such "preferential treatment" violated federal law.
Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.) and Howard Coble (R-N.C.) have co-sponsored the bipartisan SAVE Act (H.R.2000) introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). The SAVE Act would mandate E-Verify nationwide and increase both border security and interior enforcement.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) has co-sponsored Sen. David Vitter's (R-La.) legislation that would amend federal law to require at least one parent of children born in the United States be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (S.723) amends section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and is similar to legislation offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) in the House.
Reps. Robert Alderholt (R-Ala.), Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Wally Herger (R-Calif.), and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) have cosponsored the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). The bill currently has 77 co-sponsors and amends current U.S. code to require at least one parent to be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident for a new born to receive automatic citizenship.
The Supreme Court has overturned a lower court's ruling that stopped a Hazleton, Pa. city ordinance requiring businesses to use E-Verify. The ordinance, signed by former mayor and current Congressman Lou Barletta, prohibits business owners from knowingly hire illegal aliens and prevents landlords from renting to illegal aliens.
The errors in National Public Radio's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-3 decision to uphold Arizona's E-Verify law were so blatant and verifiable that the segment would have made a good candidate for one of NPR's famous April Fools Day reports. But the falsehoods that listeners heard in the "All Things Considered" segment are no joke. There has been no correction in the story online, which would indicate no one within the organization caught the errors.
An Alabama House and Senate conference committee agreed on a new bill, which both chambers have already passed, that requires the use of E-Verify by all businesses in the state and includes several immigration enforcement provisions. Should Gov. Robert Bentley sign the bill into law, it would become one of the largest state crackdowns on illegal immigration in the country.
The House overwhelmingly defeated an amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security spending bill offered by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) that would have defunded the 287(g) program. The amendment was defeated 107-to-313.
An amendment to the 2012 Homeland Security spending bill offered by Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) passed in the House on Thursday by a margin of 289-to-131. Rep. Cravaack's amendment ensures that no funds from the bill prevent the enforcement of existing federal law that requires the detention of illegal alien violent criminals awaiting deportation.
An amendment offered by Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) that would reallocate funds for the Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) was passed by the House on Wednesday. The LESC is a national support center that assists state and local law enforcement officers when they come in contact suspected illegal aliens.
Two border security amendments offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to the 2012 DHS spending bill were passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The two amendments would reallocate funds to provide funding towards removing lookout posts along the U.S.-Mexico border and to hire shadow wolves.
An amendment that increases spending for the administration of the 287(g) program passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 267-to-151 margin. The amendment was offered by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.).
The House has wrapped up debate on amendments to the 2012 DHS spending bill. Call your House Rep. NOW at (202) 224-3121 and urge a YES vote on the CRAVAACK AMENDMENT. Rep. Cravaack's amendment ensures that funding from the DHS spending bill complies with current federal law requiring the detention of illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes.
A new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that 82% of likely voters think businesses should be required to use E-Verify. The poll also found that 61% of likely voters would favor a state law that shuts down businesses that repeatedly hire illegal workers.
