Summary of Recent Immigration Events on the Hill

The two most controversial bills, H.R. 6094 (“The Community Protection Act”- this includes the provision that codifies indefinite detention) and H.R. 6095 (“Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006”) did not pass the Senate or as part of must-pass legislation. This is due in large part to select Members in the Senate, (including Senators Specter, Warner, Craig and Cochran) who refused to let the House Republican leadership attach immigration enforcement measures onto must-pass spending bills. Of course, this does not preclude these measures from re-emerging in the lame duck or next year. (Note: both of these bills passed the House). Some of the more troubling measures in the above-two bills include provisions that expand the expedited removal program to reach people who may have resided in the United States for many years; overturn two Supreme Court decisions by codifying indefinite detention for immigrants awaiting removal; grant authority to state and local police to enforce all federal immigration laws, including civil immigration law violations; and shield the Department of Homeland Security from any accountability for its mistakes or misapplication of the law and basically give the agency unchecked power. Unfortunately, the fence bill (H.R. 6061) did pass the Senate and House. This bill authorizes for 700 miles of fencing. Also, the President has signed the HS Approps bill, which includes funding for the following components of the DHS Secure Border Initiative: 1,500 border patrol agents, 6,700 detention beds, and $1.2 billion for border fencing, vehicle barriers, technology, and tactical infrastructure. This bill also includes the Border Tunnel Prevention Act (reintroduced as H.R. 4830 last month). Here is a link to the DHS press release: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_1019.xml For more information on the House legislation, please see: http://www.immigrationforum.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=777 Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Esq. Senior Policy Associate/Counsel National Immigration Forum