Border Patrol officers apprehended 35,444 illegal border crossers last month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, marking a 15-month low for apprehensions. In addition, officers encountered 9,806 inadmissibles at a port of entry for a total of 45,250 encounters last month -- also a 15-month low.
Once again, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) asked for unanimous consent from the Senate this week to pass the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act, S. 386 in the Senate and H.R. 1044 in the House, that would lift per-country caps for employment-based green cards, but Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) objected. Sen. Durbin used his objection to introduce new legislation, the RELIEF Act, which would substantially increase the number of green cards issued each year, including clear the existing backlog of employment-based green cards over five years.
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 House of Representatives passed a mass amnesty bill on Tuesday evening, H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, that would grant lifetime work permits to approximately 3.5 million illegal aliens who claim that they entered the country under the age of 18 and meet certain other conditions and to approximately 450,000 foreign citizens (mostly illegal aliens) whose countries have been given Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
The Trump Administration is considering a move that would prevent some foreign citizens from seeking asylum in the United States. Apprehensions of family units crossing the border illegally are at record-highs, and most family units are claiming asylum once they're detained by a Border Patrol officer.
The Trump Administration has filed a briefing with the Supreme Court, urging the high court to quickly decide if it will hear arguments on the legal challenges to Pres. Trump's decision to end the Obama-era executive DACA amnesty that has given work permits to approximately 900,000 illegal aliens. The briefing asked the Court if it would decide before the end of the month, which marks the end of the current session, if it would hear arguments in the fall.
Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan told a Senate panel on Thursday that all illegal border crossers are currently being released from custody and most receive work permits within a month or two. McAleenan testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee regarding the ongoing border surge that has seen a record number of family units apprehended in just the first half of the current fiscal year.
Freshman Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) introduced legislation this week aimed at ending sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Earlier this week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused officials in Prince Georges County in Maryland for releasing two illegal aliens suspected of murder after ICE had issued a detainer request.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who also chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee that has jurisdiction over immigration, announced the introduction of a new bill that would address the ongoing border crisis. Specifically, Sen. Graham's bill would attempt to fix some of the loopholes that have led to a record-number of family units crossing the border illegally in recent months, although text of his legislation have yet to be released.
