A D.C.-based federal judge today ruled that a Trump administration ban on asylum seekers who pass through another country en route to the southwest border can go forward on a temporary basis, as reported by Politico. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly denied a motion filed by immigrant legal service providers to block the policy's implementation.
Today, in response to House Democrats' planned vote to grant Venezuelans eligibility for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) introduced the "TPS Reform Act" (H.R. 3899). This legislation would:
The House of Representatives blocked passage of H.R. 549 -- a bill to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to illegal aliens from Venezuela -- on Tuesday. House Leadership attempted to pass the bill under suspension of the rules, meaning it would bypass regular House order. But to do so, the bill would need to receive support from at least two-thirds of the House. While the bill received more votes than a simple majority, 268-to-154, it fell short of the two-thirds threshold.
The Department of Homeland Security will finalize a regulation that raises minimum investment amounts in the EB-5 visa program. The program currently allows foreigners who invest $1 million in a U.S. commercial project that will create or preserve at least 10 jobs to apply for a green card. The investment threshold drops to $500,000 if the project takes place in a high-unemployment or rural area.
The Trump Administration has finalized a plan to bypass immigration courts and remove illegal aliens who are unable to prove they've been present continuously in the U.S. for two years or more, according to an announcement Monday, as reported by Politico. The Department of Homeland Security will publish a notice that aims to use the department's full statutory authority to employ "expedited removal" to a broader range of illegal aliens who cross the border.
Just about everything the American people are told by the corporate media promotes the idea that there is only an upside to mass immigration. A review of the academic literature reveals a large body of work detailing the benefits and costs of immigration. For some strange reason, only the former tends to receive wide-spread coverage.
Shouts such as "concentration camps" and "holocaust" from one side and "send her back" on another side make it impossible to have the civil conversation that a public policy like immigration must have if practical and just solutions are to be adopted.
I urge all who seek a restored order at the border and a reduction in immigration numbers to avoid even a hint of nativism in response to the challenges at hand.
The number of H-1B visa petitions approved by USCIS has continued to fall in fiscal year 2019, according to data released by the agency Tuesday . So far this fiscal year, only 83.9 percent of the petitions for temporary skilled workers under the H-1B visa program have been initially approved, a drop from 84.5 percent in FY 2018 and 92.6 percent in FY 2017. At the same time, 39.6 percent of H-1B petitions received so-called "requests for evidence" so far this fiscal year, up from 38 percent last fiscal year and 21.4 percent in FY 2017.
Today, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit to halt the new regulation put forth by DOJ and DHS. The ACLU, representing four pro-immigration advocacy organizations, argued that President Trump's proposed rule violates federal immigration and regulatory laws. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District Court of California. As of right now, there is no timeline available as to when this case will be heard, or a decision will be made.
In a surprising turn of events, a 2-1 opinion issued over the weekend from a panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge, who sided with the city of Los Angeles in its lawsuit over Community Oriented Policing Services grants, which are determined by a point system that takes into account whether the city applying is a sanctuary city.