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6/28/07National The Senate’s immigration reform bill died dramatically in the Senate as supporters failed to pass a motion that would have ended debate on the bill and enabled a vote on the floor. With a vote of 46 to 53, supporters of the legislation fell 14 votes short of cloture and were not even able to obtain a simple majority willing to allow a vote on the bill. With an election year looming, it appears that there will not be much chance of the legislature passing immigration reform until 2009. The New York Times
Florida In Panama City, Florida, Sheriff Frank McKeithen has developed a controversial tactic to enforce federal immigration laws. He dispatches six or seven patrol cars to a construction site, and officers observe who runs and then pursue them. Those who run can be charged for trespassing, reckless driving, or loitering. ICE is then given the names of those who are believed to be in the country illegally. The sheriff cites a Florida law that says that it is illegal to knowingly hire undocumented workers as a justification for this tactic. The sheriff has reported over 500 people to ICE since November. The sheriff’s technique is apparently effective. Illegal immigrants are leaving town, and it is much more difficult for them to find work in Panama City. The Boston Globe
Georgia The Gwinnet County Commission decided Monday that companies doing business with the county will have to verify that their workers are legal. The decision gives county auditors and finance department staff the power to inspect companies and interview their employees before and after contracts are awarded. ajc.com
California The city of Vista announced the end of a lawsuit that had challenged the constitutionality of its day laborer ordinance. The ordinance requires that those who seek to hire day laborers register with the city, display a permit in the windows of their vehicles, and give workers a written agreement stating the terms of employment before hiring them. The city maintains that the ordinance is designed to protect the rights of day laborers. The city agreed, as part of a settlement with two civil right groups, to allow new employers to a chance to register when they approach employers instead of having to go to City Hall. The city will also publish the names of those employers who have registered. NC Times.Com
Kansas “Come Sunday, the state's official language will be English, for whatever that's worth — and for some, that isn't much. Aside from declaring the official language, the law also says no state or local governmental agency is required to provide documents or hold meetings in any language except English. But it also says nothing prevents them from offering documents in another language or using interpreters at meetings.” The Topeka Capital Journal
The Daily News
6/27/07National The Senate voted 64 to 35 to reopen debate on its immigration reform bill; however it is far from certain that it is going to pass in the Senate. Six of the senators who were amongst those who voted to reopen debate have now expressed opposition to ending debate on the bill or are leaning in that direction. This development puts the bill in jeopardy once again. According to the New York Times the six senators include: Richard Burr (North Carolina), Christopher Bond (Missouri), John Ensign (Nevada) Pete Domenici (New Mexico), Jim Webb (Nebraska), and Ben Nelson (Nebraska). The bottom line is that without the support of these six, supporters will not be able to obtain cloture to end debate on the measures.
Several amendments failed to pass Wednesday. Senator Webb’s amendment would have made only those illegal immigrants who had been here for four or more years eligible for the Z visa. Kay Baily Hutchison’s amendment that would have required illegal aliens to return to their home countries within two years if they applied for a Z visa also failed as did Senator Menendez’s amendment that would have allowed more relatives of citizens and permanent residents to immigrate to the United States. Another amendment that would have barred illegal aliens from obtaining citizenship also failed. House Republicans have been debating a measure to oppose the immigration bill even before or if it passes the Senate. It surely faces an uncertain future. The New York Times
Connecticut Governor Rell vetoed a bill that would have granted in-state-tuition to illegal aliens. The governor indicated that the state could not be in the position of flouting federal immigration law. The New York Times
The Daily News
6/26/07National The United States Senate voted Tuesday to reopen debate on the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 with a vote of 64-35 which achieved cloture. This vote will ensure that proposed amendments will be swiftly voted on. Ultimately which amendments are approved will likely determine if the bill passes. Here is list of some of the amendments. “Some major amendments to be considered before a final vote:
_ Crack down on people who remain after expiration of their visas, require that that all illegal immigrant heads of household seeking lawful status return home as long as they meet a certain wealth threshold — offered by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Mel Martinez, R-Fla.
_ Limit legalization to unlawful immigrants who have been in the country four years or more, by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
_ Require all adult illegal immigrants to return home within two years before gaining permanent lawful status, offered by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
_ Award more points in the merit-based green card allocation system for family ties to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
_ Replace the worker identification program, narrowing the group of employees who businesses would have to check, by Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Barack Obama, D-Ill.
_ Deny illegal immigrants the chance to get green cards, by Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.” This list is from the Houston Chronicle.
After the amendments are voted on, the Senate will have another vote to end debate on the bill and vote on it. This vote, which could occur Thursday or Friday will also require cloture and will decide the fate of the immigration reform bill. Despite a vote for reopening debate, opposition to the measure remains fierce. The New York Times
Colorado Joseph Herrera, a compliance officer with the Colorado State Department of Labor, speaking to a group of Pueblo employers explained that is easy for Colorado to comply with the State’s new immigration laws. “The Colorado Employment Verification Law merely requires employers to keep copies of the worker identification documents they examine, he said. Federal law requires employers to check a worker's identification and employment eligibility documents (commonly a driver's license and a Social Security card) and record that information on Form I-9. Colorado law adds that employers must photocopy those documents and keep the copies on file in case the state labor department conducts an audit, Herrera said.” The Pueblo ChieftainThe Daily News
6/24/07National According to the Houston Chronicle, Senator Kay Baily Hutchison of Texas is not going to vote for the Senate’s immigration reform bill despite intense pressure from the White House. She explained that immigration reform is a vital issue, but she desires a bill that does not offer amnesty and would allow more debate and the possibility of introducing amendments to resolve problems with the bill. Senator Hutchison is part of a group of roughly 15 senators that the Senate leadership was counting on to shift their votes in favor of the bill. The Houston Chronicle
As the current deal stands, each party will be allowed approximately 10 amendments many of which could be poisonous to the bill. There is, however, no indication that supporters have moved even one vote closer to cloture much less have secured enough votes to pass the bill. Pollsters are blaming John McCain’s single digits in South Carolina and Iowa as being attributable his stand on immigration reform. We can be sure that Republicans have noticed. A test for is scheduled for Tuesday which will likely decide if the Senate is going to continue considering the bill.
Georgia Starting on July 1, 2007, public employers in the state of Georgia will be required to check the work eligibility of newly hired employees to verify that they are legally eligible to work in the United States by participating in EEVS, the Employment Eligibility Verification Program, a database maintained and operated by Homeland Security that determines if an employee is legally eligible to work in the U.S. Contractors or subcontractors working for the state who have 500 or more employees will also need to verify that their newly hired workers are legally eligible to work in the United States starting July 1, 2007 as well. By next year, contractors or subcontractors with 100 employees or more will have to do likewise, and by July 1, 2009, all contractors will have to verify that newly hired workers are eligible. The Rome News Tribune
Arizona The Arizona legislature, perhaps as a result of a perception that the Senate’s immigration reform bill will not pass, passed a strict new law-HB 2779- that mandates stiff sentences for employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. Starting on January 1 all employers, if the bill becomes law, will have to verify that their workers are legally in the United States by using the federal government’s Basic Pilot Program to check that the Social Security number and birth date that the employee reported matches the data that the federal government has. False social security numbers are readily detectible using Basic Pilot. The bill provides strict penalties for business that fail to participate in EEVS or knowingly hire illegal workers. “A first-time violator would be ordered by the court to terminate the people illegally hired and to submit an affidavit within three days saying that the workers have been terminated and pledging not to repeat the offense. The court could suspend an employer's business licenses for up to 10 business days if the employer doesn't file the affidavit. Also, violators would be on probation for three years, during which they'd have to submit reports to the state on hirings.” If a court finds that an employer intentionally or egregiously hired such an employee, the court could suspend its business license for 10 days. The governor has not indicated whether or not she will sign the bill. KTRA.Com North Carolina
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted to cut services not mandated by the federal government to illegal aliens. In addition, the board voted to prohibit the county from doing business with any contractor that knowingly hires illegal immigrants. WIS News 10
Wisconsin The City of Green Bay’s immigration ordinance that permits the city to suspend the business licenses of those who hire illegal immigrants went into effect Saturday. Green Bay has joined a growing list of cities, counties, and states that are not waiting for Washington to act on immigration reform but are taking their own measures. See the Lookout Monitor for a chart summarizing local and state laws nationwide. The Lookout Monitor
The Daily News
6/20/07National Senators Charles Grassley (Republican, Iowa), Barack Obama (Democrat, Illinois), and Max Baucus (Democrat, Montana) have sponsored an amendment that would make it easier on employers to comply with the employer verification portions of the Senate’s immigration bill. The amendment would only require businesses to verify the identities of new employees and those they suspect of being illegal-not of all employees. If an employee’s name and social security number didn’t match, he or she would face increased scrutiny. The amendment would eliminate the current bill’s requirement that employees present a Real ID. The Bush administration has sharply criticized the amendment as a means to avoid tough enforcement. The Dallas Morning News
Nancy Pelosi is considering a strategy of dividing the immigration bill into separate pieces. Theoretically the House could focus on passing the less contentious pieces of the Senate’s immigration bill such as increased border security while postponing dealing with the divisive issue of amnesty for illegal aliens. According to Time, many newly elected Democrats in the House who won in conservative districts are not likely to vote for any bill with amnesty for illegals. Congressman Heath Shuler, a freshman Democrat from North Carolina, believes that he has to listen to his constituents-not tow the party line. Nancy Pelosi is looking for a substantial number of Republicans to support immigration reform before taking up the matter in the House. With the Republican base growing increasingly angry about the Senate’s immigration reform bill, that appears unlikely to happen. Many observers blame Senator McCain’s precipitous drop in the polls on his support for immigration reform. The bottom line is that many Americans don’t believe that the government would close the border or enforce immigration laws if reform passes. They think that we would see a repeat of 1986, amnesty with a promise of enforcement. Also, there are about 20 amendments waiting to be introduced. It seems more unlikely than ever that the Senate will be able to pass its immigration reform bill this year. Time
Georgia After conducting hearings on Tuesday, Gwinnet County is expected to pass an immigration ordinance that will prohibit the county from doing business with any contractor that knowingly hires illegal aliens. The number of state and local immigration laws will probably experience exponential when Washington fails to resolve the immigration crisis. 11 News (NBC) Atlanta, Georgia
California The owner of the Pizza House in Hayward is facing criminal of harboring illegal aliens and most of his staff could be deported after a Friday night raid last week. ICE alleges that four of the workers used real birth certificates and assumed the identity of American citizens. The names of the workers have not been released. InsideBayArea.Com
Pennsylvania Eighty-one suspected illegal immigrants were detained were detained by federal agents Tuesday in a raid at Iridium Industries Inc.’s Artube division. Iridium’s plant manager said that the raid focuses on a temporary agency that supplies workers to the plant.MSNBC
The Daily News
6/18/07Texas According to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay blocked the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch from enforcing a voter-approved law prohibiting apartments from renting to illegal aliens until a legal dispute is resolved. The judge raised several objections to the ordinance. First, “Farmers Branch, rather than deferring to the federal government's determination of immigration status, has created its own classification scheme for determining which noncitizens may rent an apartment," Lindsay wrote in granting a preliminary injunction. The city uses federal regulations for housing benefits to non citizens to determine who is eligible to rent. The problem, according to Judge Lindsay, is that these regulations exclude some who are here legally in the country such as those with student visas. In addition, the judge found that the ordinance essentially deputizes private individuals as immigration agents, fails to define when a landlord would face punishment, and does not adequately define what is meant by “eligible immigration status.” The Houston Chronicle
National According to AM New York, Republicans in the House unveiled immigration legislation of their own which would prevent illegal aliens from obtaining legal status, require plastic tamper-proof birth certificates for Americans, and establish English as the nation’s official language. AM New York
The Republican legislation, which obviously could never pass, underscores the bitter division between the President and his base on the immigration issue. As the rift widens, it may become more difficult for Republican Senators to vote for the Senate’s immigration reform bill in the unlikely event that it reaches the floor. The Senate majority leader may use a procedural move to force a vote on amendments to increase the chances of getting the Senate’s immigration bill onto the floor.
The Daily News
6/17/07Connecticut New Haven’s mayor, John DeStefano, has taken center stage in the national debate on immigration by offering ID cards to illegal aliens so that they can use city services. The mayor appeared on CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight.” Dobbs scolded the mayor for “flouting immigration law and undermining federal immigration raids. Dobbs revealed an even more shocking allegation: he claims that ICE has accused the mayor of ruining an immigration raid targeting convicting felons by disclosing that a raid was imminent. You can watch a segment of Dobbs’ show by clicking the link to the newspaper below. New Haven Independent
National Senator Clinton vowed to work for family reunification in a speech to the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast on Friday. The Ithaca Journal Republicans may lose most of the Hispanic vote in next year’s presidential election as a result of perceived opposition to immigration reform. Pastor Marcos Witt, the leader of Hispanic Ministries at Houston’s Lakewood Church, (a mega church) reflected on how disillusioned Hispanics are with the Republican Party. The loss of Hispanic Evangelical Christians may play an important role in a Democratic victory in 2008.
In other news, The House of Representatives voted to withhold federal emergency services funding for “sanctuary cities.” The passage of the measure, according to The Rocky Mountain Times, stunned critics and supporters alike. Fifty Democrats voted for it. The measure never defines what constitutes a “sanctuary city.” The Rocky Mountain News
Wisconsin “For the first time at the county level, a Brown County committee made steps toward cracking down on undocumented workers. Brown County's Executive Committee is recommending that the county board adopt an ordinance that would give the county authority to revoke the licenses of businesses that hire undocumented workers. Green Bay's city council is expected to pass a similar ordinance next week.” WBAY-TV Green Bay
Missouri Federal prosecutors have indicted four Kansas City-area roofing companies along with 9 owners and employees. The government alleges that they schemed to bring illegal aliens into the U.S., employ them illegally, and launder $6 million to clandestinely pay them. An additional 34 illegal aliens involved in this case are being held on administrative charges. Kansas City Business Journal
The Daily News
6/14/07National President Bush is working overtime to convince the Senate to reconsider passing immigration reform. He has personally lobbied members of congress, and now he has Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff and the Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez lobbying for the bill. They are working to garner support from business and Latino groups in an attempt to resuscitate the bill. In an interview with Marketplace, Secretary Gutierrez explained his pitch to business: he said that without immigration reform there will be a shortage of legal workers in the United States. When asked what must give to get this bill through, he did not mention any specifics but said that people needed time to get used to the bill, to understand the bill. He said that there were a lot of one liners and rhetoric about the bill. So far, it appears that the President hasn’t attracted any new supporters. You can listen to the interview. Click the link below. Marketplace
Texas According to the Dallas Business Journal, ICE agents arrived at a Dallas warehouse used by Fossil, Inc., Thursday morning to conduct a routine inspection of the warehouse for counterfeit goods, copyright violations, or other infractions. The agents became suspicious upon talking to the workers that they might be in the country illegally. Approximately thirty-one workers were detained for being in the United States illegally. The detainees work for Simos Insourcing Solutions, a subcontractor for Fossil. The Dallas Business Journal
Arkansas “A committee of the Benton County Quorum Court has voted down a resolution that would ban the county from doing business with companies that employ illegal immigrants.” The county does business with over 8,000 vendors, so it could have been difficult to enforce such a resolution. Act 157, a state law that requires that state agencies not do business with companies that hire illegal workers will go into effect on July 31.Arkansas News Bureau
The Daily News
6/13/07National President Bush has declared that the immigration reform bill is not dead and is actively lobbying Republican Senators on Capitol Hill to pass the bill. According to The Washington Post, there are no converts. Republicans in the Senate want to see more emphasis on border security, and many refuse to vote for any kind of amnesty for illegal aliens. When all is said and done, it appears that it will be impossible to provide a bill that satisfies enough Senators to avoid a filibuster or even to provide a simple majority. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, is not going to reintroduce this legislation until he has the support of a significant number of Republicans. The Washington Post The upshot is that immigration reform will not be passed this year.
Oregon Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents conducted a major raid on Tuesday at the offices of American Staffing Resources and a Fresh Del Monte Produce Plant in North Portland apprehending 167 undocumented workers. Three of the undocumented workers are allegedly guilty of ID theft. An informant has alleged that he told American Staffing Resources that he was an illegal alien who was ineligible to work in the United States and they furnished him with a fake Social Security card and subsequently with counterfeit Social Security cards and alien registration cards for other workers. ICE reports that over 90% of the workers had false identification. An Ice agent said that only 48 workers out of 600 at the Fresh Del Monte Plant had valid Social Security numbers. Some of the numbers were made up; others belonged to dead people or senior citizens. The mayor of Portland, as well as the Archdiocese of Portland, vehemently criticized the raid. The mayor believes that the federal government should be focusing its energy on immigration reform. Kgw.com Policeone.com (Article by the A.P.)
North Carolina A member of the State House of Representatives is trying to impose a 5% tax on wire transfers made by illegal immigrants from convenience stores or Western Union. Banks would be exempt. In order to avoid the tax, one must demonstrate that he or she is legally in the country. To avoid threats of discrimination lawsuits, these businesses would have to ID all of their customers. In a comment lacking common sense, Representative Cleveland said that retailers could use common sense to identify illegal immigrants. The Winston Salem Journal
The Daily News
6/12/07National The United States Senate failed to achieve cloture for a second time Thursday on a measure to end debate on the immigration bill, effectively killing the bill. It appears unlikely that the bill will be resurrected when the Senate cannot even get a simple majority to agree to end debate on the bill. However, according to The Los Angeles Times, the President maintains that the immigration bill is alive and well and that he intends to go to Capitol Hill Tuesday to lobby for it. Senators are reportedly working behind closed doors to try and reduce the number of amendments to 20 and reintroduce the bill. Some Democrats blame Republicans for introducing 12 amendments to the bill as a means to continue debate indefinitely. The Los Angeles Times
According to The Helicopter Association International, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security has been debating the costs associated with implementing employment verification using the EEVS. The committee estimated that it would take 2,000 to 3,000 additional employees and 300 million dollars annually to operate. The Helicopter Association International
Florida As part of a joint investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Financial Services and the Department of Environmental Protection, 26 undocumented workers have been arrested. The workers allegedly employed fake Social Security cards with stolen numbers to obtain employment. The state is investigating a ring that is using stolen Social Security numbers and producing fake cards. Over 115 have used the stolen Social Security card number of a ten-year-old girl paying $30 to $300 to obtain the cards. The 26 workers could be charged with using a false ID to gain employment, a felony. Forty-two additional workers have been sought but cannot be found. The state has also notified ICE. Sun-Sentinel.com
New Jersey New Jersey immigration officials have endorsed Morristown’s plan to deputize local police officers to that they can ask immigrants for proof that they are legally in the United States legally. NorthJersey.Com
Illinois The City Council in Carpentersville has decided not to vote on an ordinance that would forbid landlords from renting to illegals and bar employers from hiring them. The council decided that it is more prudent to wait to see how this matter is resolved in the courts. The Daily Herald
The Daily News
6/11/07National There have been two significant developments in the battle over immigration reform in the Senate today. First, the Senate voted to adopt an amendment by Senator Bryon Dorgan (Democrat-North Dakota) that would end the guest worker program in five years without congressional renewal. The guest worker program is a critical piece of the bill. Secondly, and most importantly, the Senate failed to end debate on the bill Thursday by a resounding 27 votes. Not even one Republican voted to end the debate. Senator Reid has scheduled a second vote for Thursday night at 7:30 Eastern time. He has made it abundantly clear that if the second vote fails, then the measure will be taken off the floor. There is substantial doubt that Senate is going to be able to pass any form of immigration reform this year. Bloomberg
Wisconsin The city council of Green Bay, Wisconsin, passed an immigration ordinance Tuesday night. The ordinance will allow the city to revoke the license of any business that knowingly hires illegal aliens. In order to become law, the ordinance must go through a second reading and survive a second vote. WFRV-TV 5 (CBS Affiliate)
Florida Dunkin’ Donuts is suing a franchisee that operates 3 Dunkin’ Donuts stores in Key West. Dunkin’ Donuts wants to terminate its contract with the Monroe Donut Co. because it allegedly broke its franchise agreement by hiring undocumented workers. Since June 1, 2006, Dunkin’ has required that all its franchises participate in the federal government’s Basic Pilot Program. Dunkin’ Donuts apparently wants to be proactive and protect its reputation as a law-abiding company that complies with federal immigration law. The Miami Herald
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6/8/07National Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid has threatened to cut off debate on the immigration bill. He thinks that no matter what is done it will impossible to please the majority of Republicans. The coalition of senators that framed the bill is continuing to work diligently to preserve the bill’s chances of passing. The Senate defeated an amendment by Senator Wayne Allard (Republican-Colorado) this week that would have made it much more difficult for illegal aliens to obtain permanent residency. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (Republican-Texas) is still attempting to restrict Social Security benefits for undocumented workers. Democrats may vote to close the debate later this week. My SA.Com, San Antonio’s homepage from news The Express News and KENS5
Senator Bob Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), on the program Washington Journal, explained why he opposes the immigration reform measure and answer questions from viewers. You can view the program by clicking the link below. Senator Menendez explained that the bill would essentially end family-based immigration. This would put U.S. citizens who want to petition for family members at a disadvantage over illegal aliens who would have a high chance of obtaining permanent residency. He cites that 80,000 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be able to successfully petition for family members. This inequality, believes the Senator, must be addressed in order to garner his support for the bill. The Senator added that point system undermines the principle of family unification. One irate caller angrily referred to the bill as “amnesty for illegal aliens.” Senator Menendez defined amnesty as a pardon without penalty. He suggested that a family of four would incur over $29,000 in fines and fees: for a civil offense, this can hardly be described as amnesty. C-SPAN
Former Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia has objected to part of the Senate’s immigration bill that would require the use of the Real ID. The bill would mean that the only acceptable ID for obtaining employment would be either a drivers’ license that is compliant with the Real ID Act or a passport. Former Congressman Barr doesn’t think that Americans should have to prove who they are to any government agency. ajc.com Certainly, the costs for states (which will undoubtedly result in higher fees for drivers’ licenses and state ID’s) will be substantial. Imagine the chaos if everyone has to personally appear with acceptable documents proving that they are an American citizen or legally in the country. I have waited four hours to renew my license in Houston. I cannot imagine how the states could practically implement the Real ID Act. Montana’s legislature just joined a growing list of states opposing the Real ID Act. The state went even further by vowing not to enforce the act at all. The governor signed the bill. What is surprising is that the bill passed the legislature unanimously. States are beginning to oppose what they describe as an unfunded federal mandate, and some view as a grab for power by the federal government.
In other national news, Senator McCain perhaps poignantly told his rivals in the Republican Party Presidential debate that if they have a better plan than the Senate’s current immigration reform bill, they should unveil it. Senator McCain is the only Republican candidate that supports the bill. The bill is clearly dividing the Republican Party as many conservatives have sharply criticized the President because of his support for the bill.
There is another amendment that will be considered in the Senate. “The amendment would create an employer-sponsored merit-based program to complement the point-based system detailed in the Senate's immigration compromise under debate Tuesday. It would restore exemptions for people who hold advanced degrees from the United States or in science, technology, engineering, and math. It would also allow foreign workers with "degree equivalency" to find work in related fields instead of limiting them to a specific specialty. In short, it would restore employers' freedoms to choose specific workers with advanced degrees or critical skills and help specific employees gain permanent status.” The amendment is supported by the Electronic Industries Alliance and others who want to make it easier for business to get the skilled workers that they need. Information Week
Connecticut The city of New Haven decided Monday to provide IDs for all its residents, legal or illegal. The city believes that allowing the undocumented to have ID’s to open bank accounts will result in a reduction in crime against illegals. Illegal aliens with no bank account habitually carry large quantities of cash, especially after payday. This also will allow illegals to access public parks and libraries, and other municipal services. The Jurist
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6/5/07
National The battle of immigration reform continues in the Senate. The International Herald Tribune reports that negotiators are working behind the scenes to amend the immigration reform bill, hopefully to make it more palatable to both parties. A compromise could include making it more difficult for illegal aliens to adjust their status (compared to the current version of the Senate’s immigration reform bill), i.e., to have stricter rules and a narrower range of those eligible for the Z visa or for naturalization and to modify the points system, a system that awards a potential immigrant points based mostly on job skills. Essentially the more points an immigrant accumulates, the more likely it is for him or her to obtain permanent residence. A person can score a maximum of 100 points. Family ties only count for 10 points. Democrats apparently want to please constituents who favor a family-based immigration system. Republicans are afraid of being charged with having voted for amnesty. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (Republican, Texas) wants to require all illegal aliens who are the head of a household to return to their country to gain lawful status. The current bill only requires “touchback” for the head of household who is seeking permanent residence. Senator Clinton wants to exempt spouses and minor children of permanent residences from the visa cap to make the bill more immigration friendly. Even though both parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable, they will probably never be able to agree on an acceptable alternative. There are too many political risks and too few benefits for members of Congress to risk their political careers on this divisive issue. The International Herald Tribune
The Daily News
6/3/07
National The Senate is resuming debate on the contentious issue of immigration reform Monday as supporters maintain an aura of optimism that the bill will pass. However, there is a new list of proposed amendments that could kill the bill.
Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) will propose an amendment requiring DHS to consider more family-based applications for permanent residency that have already been filed. This would add 833,000 immigrants.
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and the aforementioned Senator Menendez will propose an amendment that would more than double the number of green cards available for the parents of U.S. citizens.
Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) desires to expand the list of crimes that would make illegal immigrants ineligible for legalization. Democrats criticize the amendment saying that it would exclude too many illegal immigrants such as those who have ignored deportation orders, overstayed a visa, or have eluded immigration authorities.
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) wishes to make illegal aliens who are legalized ineligible for the earned income tax credit.
If any of these amendments passes, it could reduce the bill’s chances of success. The Washington Post
Massachusetts Francesco Insolia-the owner of the leather goods company, Michael Bianco, Inc.; and three managers have been charged with encouraging or inducing illegal aliens to live in the United States and hiring illegal aliens. Over 300 illegal aliens were detained when ICE raided Bianco. HR.BLR.com
Connecticut The State Senate passed a bill that will allow illegal immigrants who graduated from a state high school to pay in-state-tuition rates. The governor has yet to decide if she will sign the bill. The New York Times
Rhode Island The state is pursuing legal action against William J. Gorman Jr., owner of Billy G’s Tree Service in Warwick. Last year Edgar Velazquez, an illegal immigrant who was later deported, had a severe accident while working with a chainsaw for Billy G’s Tree Service. The state maintains that Gorman had no workers’ compensation insurance at that time or since. In a telephone interview from Mexico, Mr. Velazquez alleged that Mr. Gorman called immigration and had him deported as he was trying to file a lawsuit against Mr. Gorman. The case illustrates yet another example of how unscrupulous employers are able to take advantage of illegal workers. The Providence Journal