Coming under fire in recent weeks for employing illegal workers, the Trump Organization has announced that it will use E-Verify at all of its properties. Pres. Trump called for nationwide use of E-Verify as a candidate, but he has backed off mandating it for all businesses since entering the White House.
House Democrats announced on Wednesday that they'll release a bill that would end the partial government shutdown and provide at least $5 billion for border security, but none of the funds will be available to construct additional barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The funding will reportedly cover new technology and more staff to stem the flow of illegal drugs through ports of entry.
The Senate blocked an amendment on Thursday, 50-to-47, that would have ended the partial government shutdown by trading a 3-year DACA amnesty for $5.7 billion in border funding. The motion to bring the amendment to the floor needed 60 votes. The Senate also blocked an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), 52-to-44, from coming to the floor for a vote. The Schumer amendment would have provided the closed federal agencies with funding for two weeks.
Pres. Trump announced today that he'd be willing to support legislation that trades amnesty for DACA recipients and illegal aliens who have received temporary protected status (TPS) in exchange for $5.7 billion of border wall funding. The offer also would have to include additional funding for more border patrol agents and immigration judges to handle the backlog of immigration cases.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have introduced legislation that would provide a permanent amnesty to certain illegal farm workers in the United States. Under the legislation, qualifying illegal-alien farm workers would receive a temporary work permit to continue farm work. They would be eligible for green cards after three years.
A group of 20 Senators from both sides of the aisle are reportedly working on a compromise aimed at ending the nearly month-long partial government shutdown over Pres. Trump's request for $5.7 billion to build additional barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. No details of any possible deal have been released, but the Gang of 20 Senators plan to send Pres. Trump a letter urging him to agree to a 3-week spending bill to re-open the government, while a proposal is drafted.
Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) has introduced H.R 479 that would end the visa lottery. This is the fourth consecutive Congress that Rep. Posey has introduced the legislation after taking it over for former Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).
In his first-ever address to the nation from the Oval Office, Pres. Trump called on Congress to end the government shutdown by providing funding for additional fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border and additional resources to help end the ongoing surge of illegal border crossings.
For the fifth consecutive Congress, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has introduced H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act, that would prevent children born to illegal-alien parents in the United States from automatically receiving U.S. citizenship. The bill was introduced with 20 original cosponsors.
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced an agreement on Thursday with Mexico that will keep asylum seekers in Mexico until their cases are heard by an immigration judge. Under the new agreement, migrants who ask for asylum at a port of entry or illegal aliens apprehended by border patrol who ask for asylum will be issued a court date and returned to Mexico. Mexico has agreed to allow any foreign citizen with an a notice to appear in court to stay in Mexico until the date arrives.