Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) stated in an op-ed, published today by Bloomberg, that requiring mandatory use of E-Verify for all employers would protect American workers and reduce fraud by helping businesses ensure that all new hires are legal to work in the United States.
The House of Representatives firmly rejected H.R. 6136, the Goodlatte-Ryan-Denham Amnesty bill, today by a vote of 121-to-301. The bill received 72 fewer votes than H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act, which fell just 20 votes short of passage last week.
Former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, who led the Department of Homeland Security during the second half of the Obama Administration, said in a Fox News interview Sunday that the U.S. government must end catch-and-release on the border. Additionally, he said that the Trump Admin. should expand family detention centers like the previous administration did.
The Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy for illegal border crossings will reduce illegal immigration. If Congress takes action, it can ensure that parents and children are kept together while they await the outcome of their cases. If the President wants to pursue a "zero tolerance" policy against criminal employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers, he must support the inclusion of E-Verify as part of any necessary reform bill.
Although it came up 20 votes short of passing, H.R. 4760 ("the Goodlatte bill") yesterday gained the most votes in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives in terms of mandating E-Verify and ending the chain migration categories.
That is something to celebrate!
The Economist and YouGov recently released a poll conducted June 17 through 19,revealing that there is a plurality of support among American voters -- 46% -- for a 'zero tolerance' policy regarding the arrest and detention of all illegal crossings. Additionally, a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 American likely voters, conducted June 19 and 20, showed that 54% of likely voters believe parents who illegally enter the country with their children are more to blame for the arrest and separation of families. Only 35% blame the federal government for enforcing immigration law, and 11% are undecided.
The House of Representative voted against Rep. Bob Goodlatte's (R-Va.) H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act. The bill failed 193-to-231, falling just 20 votes short of passing through the House.
The House of Representatives will vote on two immigration bills on Thursday -- H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act, and H.R. 6136, the Goodlatte-Ryan-Denham amnesty plan. NumbersUSA told House Members on Wednesday that it will score in favor of a vote for H.R. 4760 and score against a vote for the Goodlatte-Ryan-Denham amnesty plan.
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urged Congress to close the loopholes in the immigration system during the White House Press Briefing on Monday. Additionally, she presented current statistics pertaining to illegal immigration on the southern border and stated that DHS will continue to prosecute those who attempt to illegally enter the U.S.