The 5th Circuit of the Federal Court of Appeals rejected an emergency request by the Obama administration to lift an injunction on President Obama's plan to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens. The temporary injunction was put in place after 26 states sued the Obama administration alleging the plan is unconstitutional.
A report released by the Obama Administration states that the federal government should cease utilizing local and state police while enforcing immigration law. The recommendation comes as part of a task force, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, set up by the president to help rebuild trust between police and the communities they work in.
Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) has introduced H.R. 2278, the SAFE for America Act, that would eliminate the annual Visa Lottery. The Visa Lottery issues 55,000 greencards per year to foreign citizens of countries that have lower rates of immigration to the United States. The greencards are awarded, however, through a random lottery drawing and without consideration of the recipients educational attainment or work skills.
The House Rules Committee approved votes for 135 amendments last night to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including an amendment offered by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) that would strip out language, encouraging the Secretary of Defense to waive enlistment requirements for illegal aliens. The Committee also blocked Rep. Jeff Denham's (R-Calif.) military amnesty amendment from a floor vote.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) filed an amendment yesterday to the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill to "lock in assurances that this legislation cannot be used to change federal immigration law." Senate Democrats blocked the bill from coming to the floor earlier this week, however, after negotiations, the bill will come back to the floor for a vote.
The Cato Institute, along with several law professors, has filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit filed by 26 states challenging President Obama's executive action to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal aliens. Joining Cato in the brief are South Texas College of Law professor, Josh Blackman, George Mason University School of Law professor, Jeremy A. Rabkin, and Roger Williams University School of Law professor, Peter S. Margulies.
As the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) makes its way through the House, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) plans to offer his military amnesty bill as an amendment to the bill. The ENLIST Act would allow illegal aliens who enlist and serve in the military to receive a green card. Rep. Denham tried to offer the bill as an amendment to last year's NDAA, but the effort was thwarted in part by NumbersUSA activists.
At a campaign stop in Nevada yesterday, 2016 Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton, pledged to fight for 'comprehensive immigration reform' with an amnesty for most illegal aliens living in the United States and to go further than President Obama in using executive authority to grant amnesty to individuals in the country illegally. Changing the immigration system would be a top priority should she become president, Clinton said. "We can't wait any longer. We can't wait any longer for a path to full and equal citizenship."
During Saturday's GOP Weekly address, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) called on Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The move would state overall trade negotiating objectives of the United States while giving President Obama special authority to finish negotiating one of the world’s largest trade accords. During his address, he stated that “trade promotion authority does not give any president any new authority to expand immigration or change other laws without the approval of the Congress of the United States”
Earlier this week, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to Pres. Obama calling for the end of the Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program. The program, which has been accepting applications since December 1, 2014, flies individuals from Central American countries to the U.S. for the purposes of providing an "orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some... are currently taking to the United States." The letter was signed by 37 other Members of Congress.