The world's political record
Records whose title is actually about this topic. Use a country filter if the list is still too broad.
51 records in US in 2019
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
Identifying Drug Cartels as Terrorists Act of 2019 This bill designates certain organizations, such as the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations. (Such a designation triggers various penalties on the organization's members, such as asset freezes and immigration restrictions.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
Foreign National Firearms Background Check Enhancement Act This bill requires a nonimmigrant alien to get Department of Justice (DOJ) approval before purchasing a firearm. Specifically, the party transferring the firearm to the alien must receive a copy of the DOJ waiver or confirm with the DOJ that such an alien falls within specified exceptions, such as the alien possessing a U.S. hunting license. Currently, a nonimmigrant alien may acquire a firearm if the alien qualifies for one of the specified exceptions without acquiring DOJ approval.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
Iceland Commercial and Economic Leadership for Arctic and National Development Act or the ICELAND Act This bill establishes that a national of Iceland shall be eligible for an E visa (for an investor or trader who is a national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States) if Iceland provides a similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
This bill expands the E-3 visa program to cover Irish nationals. The E-3 visa is a nonimmigrant visa currently only available to Australian nationals coming to the United States for employment in a specialty occupation. For Irish E-3 initial applications, the Department of State may approve each fiscal year no more than 10,500 minus the number of Australian initial applications approved the previous fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2019
This bill establishes that an alien's lawful participation in a cannabis business that is compliant with state law shall not make the alien inadmissible into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
Prevention of Anti-Immigrant Violence Act of 2019 This bill provides protections for noncitizens who are victims of certain crimes. The bill expands eligibility for U visas, which are for victims of certain serious crimes or individuals who are likely helpful to law enforcement in persecuting such a crime, to include victims of hate crimes. The bill raises the annual cap on U visas to 12,000 (from 10,000) and designates the additional visas for victims of hate crimes. (Such caps apply only to the primary visa recipient, not to certain family members who may accompany the primary recipient.) A noncitizen with a pending application for certain immigration benefits, such as for a U visa or a T visa (human trafficking victim), may not be removed from the United States. A noncitizen with such a pending application may only be detained if there is clear and convincing evidence that (1) alternatives to detention would not reasonably ensure the noncitizen's appearance at removal proceedings, or (2) the noncitizen is a threat to the community. The Department of Justice may award grants to entities to assist noncitizen victims of hate crimes or to train law enforcement to identify and protect victims of anti-immigrant violence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
This bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from admitting into the United States an alien as a nonimmigrant under certain visa categories, if the alien is a national of a country that is noncompliant as to repatriating its nationals who have been ordered removed from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
Border Workforce Efficiency Act This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire Border Patrol processing coordinators. Such coordinators may (1) perform administrative tasks related to the intake and processing of apprehended individuals, (2) transport detained individuals, and (3) perform custodial watch duties. Such coordinators may not arrest individuals or conduct asylum interviews.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2019
Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act This bill makes membership in a significant transnational criminal organization a ground for inadmissibility into the United States and provides for criminal penalties against those that provide material support to such an organization. The bar against admission applies to an alien member of such an organization and an alien spouse or child of such an individual. The bar shall not apply to a spouse or child who (1) did not know, or should not reasonably have known, that the individual was a member of such an organization; or (2) has renounced the organization in question. The bill establishes statutory authority and procedures for the Department of Justice to designate an organization a significant transnational criminal organization. The Department of the Treasury may require U.S. financial institutions to block transactions involving assets belonging to such an organization. An individual who knowingly provides material support or resources to a significant transnational criminal organization (or attempts or conspires to do so) shall be fined, imprisoned for up to 20 years, or both. If the death of any person is the result, the offending individual may be imprisoned for any term of years or for life. A financial institution that becomes aware that it possesses or controls funds belonging to such an organization shall retain such funds and notify Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2019
Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide employment authorization for eligible asylum applicants. Currently, such individuals are not entitled to employment authorization but may be granted such by the Department of Justice. DHS shall grant employment authorization to an asylum seeker (1) who is not in detention, (2) whose application for asylum has not been deemed frivolous, and (3) whose identity has been checked against certain databases. Such employment authorization shall last for one year and be renewable for one-year terms during the period necessary to adjudicate the applicant's asylum claim. The bill also shortens the waiting period for receiving employment authorization to 30 days from the filing of the asylum application.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2019
Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act This bill makes membership in a significant transnational criminal organization a ground for inadmissibility into the United States and provides for criminal penalties against those that provide material support to such an organization. The bar against admission applies to an alien member of such an organization and an alien spouse or child of such an individual. The bar shall not apply to a spouse or child who (1) did not know, or should not reasonably have known, that the individual was a member of such an organization; or (2) has renounced the organization in question. The bill establishes statutory authority and procedures for the Department of Justice to designate an organization a significant transnational criminal organization. The Department of the Treasury may require U.S. financial institutions to block transactions involving assets belonging to such an organization. An individual who knowingly provides material support or resources to a significant transnational criminal organization (or attempts or conspires to do so) shall be fined, imprisoned for up to 20 years, or both. If the death of any person is the result, the offending individual may be imprisoned for any term of years or for life. A financial institution that becomes aware that it possesses or controls funds belonging to such an organization shall retain such funds and notify Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2019
Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2019
Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2019
New Way Forward Act This bill makes changes to immigration enforcement, including ending mandatory detention in certain cases. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall not enter into or extend any contract with any public or private for-profit entity to own or operate a facility to detain aliens in DHS custody. The bill provides for various protections related to detaining aliens, such as (1) requiring DHS to make an initial custody determination and establish probable cause within 48 hours of taking an alien into custody, (2) establishing in hearings related to such determinations a presumption that the alien be released, and (3) requiring immigration judges to impose the least restrictive detention conditions necessary. A DHS officer may not interrogate a person as to immigration status based on factors such as the person's race, religion, sexual orientation, or spoken language. The bill removes mandatory detention requirements for certain aliens, such as asylum seekers with a credible fear of persecution. Removal proceedings against certain aliens previously admitted into the United States must commence within five years of the alien becoming deportable or inadmissible. The bill also removes certain crime-related grounds of inadmissibility and deportability. The bill gives immigration judges discretion to provide relief from removal if the removal is not based on certain crime-related grounds. State or local officers are prohibited from performing certain immigration enforcement functions, such as apprehending aliens. The National Crime Information Center database shall not contain an alien's immigration information. The bill repeals provisions providing criminal penalties for improper entry or reentry into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2019
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3) to establish a fair price negotiation program, protect the Medicare program from excessive price increases, and establish an out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare part D enrollees, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5038) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for terms and conditions for nonimmigrant workers performing agricultural labor or services, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany the bill (S. 1790) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2019
Jakelin Caal Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2019 This bill requires an investigation and reports for each death of an alien in Department of Homeland Security or Department of Health and Human Services custody. Within 24 hours of such a death, the relevant department shall provide to Congress a publicly available report containing (1) the name, gender, race, ethnicity, and age of the deceased; (2) the date, time, and location of the death; and (3) the circumstances surrounding the death. The relevant department shall conduct an investigation within 30 days of the death of an alien in its custody, including an analysis of (1) the root cause of the death, and (2) any policy or systemic changes that could reduce the possibility of such a death in the future. The results of such an investigation shall be reported to Congress and made publicly available on the internet.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2019
Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families Act or the RELIEF Act This bill revises provisions related to family- and employment-based visas. The bill (1) increases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%, (2) eliminates the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas, and (3) removes an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China. The annual cap for visas for the unmarried children of citizens is increased, and the formula for calculating the cap for the unmarried children of residents is revised. The bill also establishes transition rules for employment-based visas from FY2020-FY2022, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country. The Department of State shall increase allocations of family- and employment-based visas by the number of beneficiaries of such applications filed before this bill's enactment, to be allocated FY2020-FY2024 to beneficiaries of applications filed before this bill's enactment who have not yet received a visa. The minor children and spouses of permanent residents and those accompanying a qualified alien shall be treated as an immediate relative for immigration purposes. Whether an alien qualifies as a minor shall be determined according to the alien's age at the time a relevant petition is filed.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 4 December 2019
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2019
Military Family Parole in Place Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to parole into the United States an alien who is the spouse, widow or widower, parent, or child of a qualifying current or former member of the Armed Forces. A qualifying member of the Armed Forces shall be (1) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, (2) a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve, or (3) a living or deceased individual who served in and was discharged from either service under a condition other than dishonorable. Such parole may be denied only if DHS, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs jointly issue a detailed written justification for the denial.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 2019
Securing America's Ports Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress a plan to scan all commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United States at a land port of entry using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems, such as X-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems. The plan shall include elements such as (1) an inventory of such systems currently in use, (2) the estimated costs of achieving a 100% scanning rate, and (3) the anticipated impact that increasing the scanning rate will have on wait times at land ports of entry. DHS shall periodically report to Congress on the progress in implementing the plan. DHS shall also carry out a pilot program to research and develop technology enhancements to inspection areas at land ports of entry.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act This bill expands protections for aliens who are victims of crimes or serious workplace violations. U visas (nonimmigrant visas for victims of crimes helping with the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity) shall be available to aliens who have suffered substantial harm related to workplace claims. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may allow an alien to work and temporarily remain in the United States if the alien (1) has filed for a U visa, or (2) has filed or is a material witness to a workplace claim and is helpful to authorities investigating the claim. The bill removes (1) certain fees to petition for a U visa, and (2) direct numerical limitations on such visas. A notice to an alien to appear at removal proceedings shall contain specified certifications, if the alien was taken (1) at a facility where a workplace claim has been filed, or (2) as a result of information provided to DHS in retaliation against individuals exercising their legal rights. Specifically, the notice shall state that (1) an adverse immigration determination may not be based solely on information furnished by the party engaged in the unlawful activity, and (2) the alien's information shall not be disclosed. Such an alien may not be removed until the appropriate law enforcement agency has had a chance to interview the alien. Removal proceedings against an alien who has filed or is a witness to a workplace claim shall be stayed until the resolution of the claim, with limited exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Refugee Protection Act of 2019 This bill provides protections for aliens such as asylum seekers and contains other provisions. The bill's provisions include eliminating the general requirement that an asylum seeker apply for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States; prohibiting requiring an asylum seeker to provide corroborating evidence of persecution if such evidence is not reasonably obtainable; waiving certain grounds of inadmissibility or deportability for qualifying refugees seeking permanent resident status; requiring the Department of Justice to appoint counsel to a child or particularly vulnerable individual in certain immigration proceedings; increasing the annual cap on principal nonimmigrant U visas (victims of crimes) from 10,000 to 20,000; prohibiting the removal of an alien with certain pending immigration applications, such as a U visa application; imposing limits on when an alien may be removed from the United States in a proceeding without the alien present; establishing a presumption that the least restrictive conditions necessary should be imposed in custody proceedings for asylum seekers, including release if appropriate; establishing that the maximum number of refugees admitted each fiscal year shall be no less than 95,000; directing the Department of State to help other governments increase their capacity to care for and accept refugees; directing the State Department to establish refugee processing centers in other countries in North and Central America; and authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to provide special immigrant status to qualified aliens who assisted U.S. efforts in Syria and admit up to 5,000 such aliens each fiscal year for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Homes for All Act of 2019 This bill provides funding for the construction of new public housing units, authorizes additional assistance for the construction of new affordable housing units, and otherwise addresses housing affordability. Specifically, the bill provides permanent, mandatory funding for the capital and operating funds available to public housing agencies (PHAs) and allows PHAs to use such funds to construct new public housing units. Under current law, a PHA generally may not use such funds to construct public housing units if doing so would result in a net increase of the number of public housing units owned, assisted, or operated by the PHA. The bill also (1) provides annual funding through FY2031 for the construction of new public housing units; and (2) authorizes additional assistance through FY2030 from the Housing Trust Fund for the construction of new, private-market, affordable housing units. A PHA may not discriminate, with respect to the rental of a unit developed with assistance under the bill, based on an individual's criminal record or immigration status. Additionally, a PHA receiving such assistance must meet specified requirements with respect to the new units regarding other forms of discrimination, supportive services, environmental standards, and accessibility. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a Community Control and Anti-Displacement Fund to award grants to local governments for the purpose of combatting gentrification and neighborhood destabilization.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Refugee Protection Act of 2019 This bill provides protections for aliens such as asylum seekers and contains other provisions. The bill's provisions include eliminating the general requirement that an asylum seeker apply for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States; prohibiting requiring an asylum seeker to provide corroborating evidence of persecution if such evidence is not reasonably obtainable; waiving certain grounds of inadmissibility or deportability for qualifying refugees seeking permanent resident status; requiring the Department of Justice to appoint counsel to a child or particularly vulnerable individual in certain immigration proceedings; increasing the annual cap on principal nonimmigrant U visas (victims of crimes) from 10,000 to 20,000; prohibiting the removal of an alien with certain pending immigration applications, such as a U visa application; imposing limits on when an alien may be removed from the United States in a proceeding without the alien present; establishing a presumption that the least restrictive conditions necessary should be imposed in custody proceedings for asylum seekers, including release if appropriate; establishing that the maximum number of refugees admitted each fiscal year shall be no less than 95,000; directing the Department of State to help other governments increase their capacity to care for and accept refugees; directing the State Department to establish refugee processing centers in other countries in North and Central America; and authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to provide special immigrant status to qualified aliens who assisted U.S. efforts in Syria and admit up to 5,000 such aliens each fiscal year for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act This bill expands protections for aliens who are victims of crimes or serious workplace violations. U visas (nonimmigrant visas for victims of crimes helping with the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity) shall be available to aliens who have suffered substantial harm related to workplace claims. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may allow an alien to work and temporarily remain in the United States if the alien (1) has filed for a U visa, or (2) has filed or is a material witness to a workplace claim and is helpful to authorities investigating the claim. The bill removes (1) certain fees to petition for a U visa, and (2) direct numerical limitations on such visas. A notice to an alien to appear at removal proceedings shall contain specified certifications, if the alien was taken (1) at a facility where a workplace claim has been filed, or (2) as a result of information provided to DHS in retaliation against individuals exercising their legal rights. Specifically, the notice shall state that (1) an adverse immigration determination may not be based solely on information furnished by the party engaged in the unlawful activity, and (2) the alien's information shall not be disclosed. Such an alien may not be removed until the appropriate law enforcement agency has had a chance to interview the alien. Removal proceedings against an alien who has filed or is a witness to a workplace claim shall be stayed until the resolution of the claim, with limited exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success Act or the AMIGOS Act This bill makes Portuguese nationals eligible for E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrant visas if the government of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals. An E-1 visa is for individuals entering the United States to engage in international trade, while an E-2 visa is for individuals investing a substantial amount of capital in the United States. Both are limited to nationals from countries that have a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2019
End the Migrant Protection Protocols Act of 2019 This bill revokes the Department of Homeland Security's statutory authority to return an alien to a contiguous country while removal proceedings are pending against that alien, if the alien arrived in the United States by land from that contiguous country.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2019
State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2019 This bill grants nonimmigrant visas to qualified aliens sponsored by a U.S. state (or the District of Columbia) to perform services, provide investment, or otherwise contribute to the state's economy. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall issue a visa to a qualified alien sponsored through a state program that (1) was approved by the state's legislature, (2) regulates the employment and residence of the alien, (3) has procedures to inform DHS of the alien's noncompliance with requirements, and (4) allows the alien to seek employment with new employers. Such a visa may be valid for up to three years and may be renewed. An alien with such a visa shall (1) be authorized to work and reside in the sponsoring state, (2) be subject to all relevant tax and employment laws, and (3) not be entitled to federal public benefits. States may enter into an agreement to jointly administer a sponsoring program, and to provide work authorization to aliens sponsored by other states that are party to the agreement. The number of visas available to each state shall be increased or decreased annually based on factors including (1) the state's economic growth in the prior year, and (2) the percentage of state-sponsored aliens that violated the program's rules. States are authorized to take various actions to enforce program rules. DHS and the Department of Justice shall jointly develop a visa application fraud prevention program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2019
Honoring the Oath Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee and modifies the naturalization procedures for a noncitizen in the Armed Forces. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall notify the committee when any individual in removal proceedings is a (1) member of the Armed Forces, (2) veteran, or (3) noncitizen spouse or minor child of such an Armed Forces member or veteran. The committee shall review the case of any such individual and make recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice as to how the case should be resolved. Such an individual shall not be removed until the committee has provided its recommendations. DHS and the Department of Defense shall jointly carry out a program allowing a noncitizen individual who serves on active duty in the Armed Forces (and any noncitizen spouse or minor children of the individual) to become a U.S. citizen if the individual is not otherwise ineligible for citizenship. The Armed Forces member shall be given the opportunity to apply for citizenship during the accession process into the Armed Forces. DHS shall adjudicate such an individual's application by the last day of the individual's active service in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2019
Restricting Solitary Confinement in Immigration Detention Act of 2019 This bill places limits on solitary confinement in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Solitary confinement shall be (1) limited to the shortest duration and least restrictive conditions necessary, and (2) consistent with the rationale for placing the alien in solitary confinement. Administrative segregation (a type of solitary confinement) shall (1) be limited to where a substantial and immediate threat makes such segregation necessary; (2) be limited in duration, with certain exceptions; and (3) not be used to discipline. An alien who requires protection (1) may be placed in solitary confinement upon the alien's request, and (2) shall be transferred to a safer alternative upon the alien's request. The bill places additional restrictions on placing a vulnerable individual in solitary confinement, such as an individual who (1) is a minor; (2) has a serious disability or mental illness or; or (3) is pregnant or had just given birth. Generally, such individuals may not be placed in solitary confinement absent a substantial and immediate threat. An alien may not be placed in solitary confinement based on (1) identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender; (2) HIV status; (3) race, religion, or nationality; or (4) the alien's report of misconduct. An alien in solitary confinement shall receive a weekly mental health evaluation. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Department of Homeland Security shall have unrestricted access to ICE facilities, records, and personnel. The bill imposes various training, reporting, and data collection requirements related to solitary confinement.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2019
Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2019 This bill revises provisions related to the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain aliens. DHS may detain an alien pending a removal decision for any length of time until the alien is subject to a final removal order. DHS must detain certain aliens, such as those convicted of an aggravated felony, beyond certain time limits for detaining an alien. The authority of the Department of Justice to review DHS custody decisions concerning an alien awaiting a removal decision shall be limited to whether the alien may be detained, released on bond, or released with no bond. DHS may release such an alien on bond only if the alien is not a flight risk or risk to the community. For an alien subject to a removal order, DHS may extend the 90-day removal period (generally the window in which DHS has to remove an alien after a final order of removal) in certain instances, such as when the alien's removal is stayed during an appeal. DHS may continue to detain an alien beyond the removal period and any removal period extensions. DHS shall periodically certify a justification for detaining an alien beyond the removal period. DHS shall establish a detention review process for aliens who (1) have made all reasonable efforts to comply with a removal order, and (2) are not subject to mandatory detention. DHS shall use the review process to determine whether an alien should be detained or released with conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2019
E Visa Integrity Act of 2019 This bill imposes additional requirements to acquire an E visa (for an investor or trader who is a national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, or an Australian specialty worker). Specifically, if an alien became the national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States through a financial investment in that foreign country, the alien must have been domiciled in that foreign country for a continuous period of at least three years at any point before applying for an E visa. The bill also requires an alien seeking an E-2 visa (investor) to invest a substantial and economically impactful amount of capital in the United States, where currently the statute only requires an investment of a substantial amount.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2019
A Just Society: The Embrace Act This bill establishes that an alien may not be denied any federal public benefit solely due to that alien's immigration status.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2019
No Wall-Cam Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being expended for livestreaming border wall construction activities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2019
Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 This bill contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including provisions establishing a certified agricultural worker (CAW) status and changing the H-2A temporary worker program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant CAW status to an applying alien who (1) performed at least 1,035 hours of agricultural labor during the two-year period prior to November 12, 2019, (2) was inadmissible or deportable on that date, and (3) has been continuously present in the United States from that date until receiving CAW status. The bill imposes additional crime-related inadmissibility grounds on CAW applicants and makes some other grounds inapplicable. CAW status shall be valid for 5.5 years and may be extended. DHS may grant dependent status to the spouse or children of a principal alien. An alien with a pending application may not be detained or removed by DHS and shall be authorized for employment until DHS makes a final decision on the application. A CAW alien (and dependents) may apply for lawful permanent resident status after meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years. DHS shall create an electronic platform for (1) filing H-2A petitions, (2) facilitating the processing of H-2A cases, and (3) providing agencies a single tool for obtaining H-2A-related case information. The bill makes various changes to the H-2A program, such as (1) modifying the method for calculating and making adjustments to the H-2A worker minimum wage, (2) specifying how an employer may satisfy requirements that it attempted to recruit U.S. workers, (3) requiring H-2A employers to guarantee certain minimum work hours, and (4) making the program available for year-round agricultural work and reserving a visa allocation for the dairy industry. DHS shall establish a pilot program allowing certain H-2A workers to apply for portable status, which gives the worker 60 days after leaving a position to secure new employment with a registered H-2A employer. DHS shall establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify Program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment must use the system. This bill permanently establishes the Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program, which provides financing assistance for rural rental housing and off-farm labor housing and rental assistance for qualified tenants of such housing. It also authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide various assistance, including funding for insuring loans and grants for new farmworker housing.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 7 November 2019
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2019
Military Family Parole in Place Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to parole into the United States an alien who is the spouse, widow or widower, parent, or child of a qualifying current or former member of the Armed Forces. A qualifying member of the Armed Forces shall be (1) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, (2) a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve, or (3) a living or deceased individual who served in and was discharged from either service under a condition other than dishonorable. Such parole may be denied only if DHS, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs jointly issue a detailed written justification for the denial.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2019
Immigrant Investor Program Reform Act This bill reauthorizes the EB-5 investor program through September 2025 and makes various changes to the program, such as imposing various oversight mechanisms. (EB-5 visas provide permanent resident status to qualified investors whose investments create a certain number of jobs.)
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2019
Immigration Detainer Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill expands statutory provisions to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to request a law enforcement agency to detain an individual who has been arrested for violating any law (if the individual is believed to be an unlawfully present alien), where current provisions only explicitly authorize detainer requests for individuals arrested for violating controlled substances laws. The bill also modifies other related provisions. A law enforcement agency that has received a detainer request may hold the targeted individual for up to 48 hours. DHS may enter into agreements with law enforcement agencies to indemnify such agencies against claims for wrongful detention resulting from a detainer request. No provision of federal, state, or local law may restrict any government entity from (1) providing DHS with access to databases with information relating to issued detainers, or (2) holding an individual subject to a detainer. DHS shall periodically certify to Congress as to which state or local entities have not complied with a detainer request. Such entities shall be ineligible for compensation for costs related to honoring detainer requests. State and local entities that comply with DHS detainer requests shall have prioritized access to (1) certain law enforcement-related grants, and (2) certain excess federal property.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2019
This resolution commemorates the 30th annual All Souls Procession in Tucson, Arizona, and urges the United States to promote policies that preserve human dignity and end migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2019
This resolution recognizes the October 2019 celebration of Filipino American History Month as a testament to the advancement of Filipino Americans and a time to reflect on and remember the many notable contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2019
Operation Stonegarden Authorization Act This bill provides statutory authorization for the Operation Stonegarden grant program within the Department of Homeland Security. Through the program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall provide grants for enhancing border security to law enforcement agencies that are (1) in a state with an international land or maritime border, and (2) involved in an active U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation coordinated through the Border Patrol.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2019
DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2019 or the DOTGOV Act of 2019 This bill transfers the .gov internet domain program from the General Services Administration to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and provides support for expanding .gov usage among public entities. The bill directs CISA to make .gov domain name registration services, as well as supporting services, generally available to any federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial government entity, or other publicly controlled entity that complies with the policies for registration developed by CISA. CISA shall inventory all host names and services in active use within the .gov domain and provide the data to domain registrants at no cost. CISA shall develop and submit to Congress (1) a strategy to utilize information collected for countering malicious cyber activity; (2) an outreach strategy to local, tribal, and territorial governments and other publicly controlled entities to inform and support migration to the .gov domain; and (3) a .gov domain security enhancement strategy and implementation plan. The bill allows recipients of State Homeland Security grants or Urban Area Security Initiative grants to use grant funds for migrating any online service to the .gov domain.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2019
Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 This bill contains provisions related to alien farmworkers, including provisions establishing a certified agricultural worker (CAW) status and changing the H-2A temporary worker program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may grant CAW status to an applying alien who (1) performed at least 1,035 hours of agricultural labor during the two-year period prior to October 30, 2019, (2) was inadmissible or deportable on that date, and (3) has been continuously present in the United States from that date until receiving CAW status. The bill imposes additional crime-related inadmissibility grounds on CAW applicants and makes some other grounds inapplicable. CAW status shall be valid for 5.5 years and may be extended. DHS may grant dependent status to the spouse or children of a principal alien. An alien with a pending application may not be detained or removed by DHS and shall be authorized for employment until DHS makes a final decision on the application. A CAW alien (and dependents) may apply for lawful permanent resident status after meeting various requirements, including performing a certain amount of agricultural labor for a number of years. DHS shall create an electronic platform for (1) filing H-2A petitions, (2) facilitating the processing of H-2A cases, and (3) providing agencies a single tool for obtaining H-2A-related case information. The bill makes various changes to the H-2A program, such as (1) modifying the method for calculating and making adjustments to the H-2A worker minimum wage, (2) specifying how an employer may satisfy requirements that it attempted to recruit U.S. workers, (3) requiring H-2A employers to guarantee certain minimum work hours, and (4) making the program available for year-round agricultural work and reserving a visa allocation for the dairy industry. DHS shall establish a pilot program allowing certain H-2A workers to apply for portable status, which gives the worker 60 days after leaving a position to secure new employment with a registered H-2A employer. DHS shall establish an electronic system patterned on the E-Verify Program for employers to verify an individual's identity and employment authorization. Employers hiring individuals for agricultural employment must use the system. This bill permanently establishes the Housing Preservation and Revitalization Program, which provides financing assistance for rural rental housing and off-farm labor housing and rental assistance for qualified tenants of such housing. It also authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide various assistance, including funding for insuring loans and grants for new farmworker housing.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2019
New Deal for New Americans Act of 2019 This bill provides assistance to immigrants and addresses issues related to naturalization. The bill establishes the National Office of New Americans to promote and support immigrant integration and encourage the pursuit of U.S. citizenship among immigrants. The bill also establishes grant programs for eligible entities that provide (1) legal services for immigrants, (2) English language education that focuses on integrating students into society, and (3) workforce development training that supports the economic integration of immigrants. The bill also reauthorizes the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS may establish a nonprofit entity to spur innovation in the expansion of citizenship preparation programs and to support assistance for immigrants seeking permanent resident status or citizenship. The bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security to (1) report to Congress before increasing fees for immigration adjudication and naturalization services above the levels of such fees on January 1, 2019, and (2) waive or reduce certain immigration-related fees for low-income aliens. The bill also (1) waives the English proficiency requirement for the naturalization of certain permanent residents, (2) repeals the public charge ground for deportation, (3) requires states to provide for automatic voter registration to qualifying new citizens unless that individual declines, and (4) sets a floor of 110,000 to the maximum number of refugees who may be admitted into the United States each year.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2019
Immigration Detainer Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill expands statutory provisions to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to request a law enforcement agency to detain an individual who has been arrested for violating any law (if the individual is believed to be an unlawfully present alien), where current provisions only explicitly authorize detainer requests for individuals arrested for violating controlled substances laws. The bill also modifies other related provisions. A law enforcement agency that has received a detainer request may hold the targeted individual for up to 48 hours. DHS may enter into agreements with law enforcement agencies to indemnify such agencies against claims for wrongful detention resulting from a detainer request. No provision of federal, state, or local law may restrict any government entity from (1) providing DHS with access to databases with information relating to issued detainers, or (2) holding an individual subject to a detainer. DHS shall periodically certify to Congress as to which state or local entities have not complied with a detainer request. Such entities shall be ineligible for compensation for costs related to honoring detainer requests. State and local entities that comply with DHS detainer requests shall have prioritized access to (1) certain law enforcement-related grants, and (2) certain excess federal property.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 29 October 2019
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2019
Veteran Deportation Prevention and Reform Act This bill modifies immigration and naturalization procedures for noncitizens who are members or veterans of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill requires interagency coordination to (1) identify such individuals who are the subject of immigration removal proceedings or who have already been removed; and (2) naturalize them as citizens or otherwise change their status, as appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2019
Cuban Family Reunification Act This bill directs the Department of State to restart processing applications under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. (The program, which was suspended in 2017, allowed eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for parole for family members in Cuba, who could then enter the United States while waiting for immigrant visas.) The State Department shall prioritize applications filed before this bill's enactment and ensure that such applications are processed within 60 days of the enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2019
Syrian Partner Protection Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide special immigrant status to qualified aliens who assisted U.S. efforts in Syria against the Islamic State. (A special immigrant is qualified to become a permanent resident) A qualifying alien is a Syrian national (or stateless person who habitually resided in Syria) who (1) partnered with or worked for the United States in Syria in a sensitive and trusted capacity (such as an interpreter) on or after January 1, 2014, for at least one year, and (2) provided documented service to U.S. efforts against the Islamic State. The spouse or child of such an alien shall also qualify for special immigrant status. DHS may admit up to 4,000 principal aliens under this bill each fiscal year for the five fiscal years after this bill's enactment. Unused visas at the end of a fiscal year shall carry forward and be available the next year. Aliens admitted under this bill shall not be subject to other numerical limitations. If a qualifying alien applying for special immigrant status under this bill is in imminent danger, the Department of State shall provide protection to that alien. An alien who has received special immigrant status under this bill shall be eligible for benefits generally available to admitted refugees, such as resettlement assistance.