Immigration

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced their decision to hear arguments in U.S. v. Texas, the case regarding the President’s executive actions to provide temporary relief from deportation for undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children and parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. Those actions, an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), were halted by a decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

Tonight, President Barack Obama delivered his seventh and final State of the Union Address to Congress.

On December 23, 2015, the Washington Post announced that the Obama Administration planned to initiate a series of raids targeting hundreds of families for deportation. Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers commenced a series of raids in states including Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As a result, 121 individuals – mainly women and children from Central America - were taken into custody. Advocacy groups claim that the immigrant families, many of whom are now being held in the immigrant family detention center in Dilley, Texas, were denied due process, including a lack of legal representation and adequate notice and time for their hearings.

Today, the House of Representatives voted 289-137 for H.R. 4038, the so-called “American SAFE Act of 2015.” This bill adds new certification requirements and requires that the FBI Director, the Homeland Security Secretary, and the National Intelligence Director concur on each refugee from Iraq and Syria. Organizations like the ACLU, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Oxfam, the AFL-CIO, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and dozens of religious groups argue that these new requirements are unnecessary and would effectively stop the flow of any and all refugees from Iraq and Syria.

On Monday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled 2-1 to uphold a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs.

Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced the Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act. This legislation will provide U Visa eligibility for immigrant workers who report unsafe or unfair labor practices. The bill will also strengthen labor agencies’ investigative powers and allow a stay of removal and work authorization for workers who file a workplace claim. These reforms will provide all workers with the assurance that they can speak up against illegal business practices without fear of retaliation. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Charles Rangel (NY-13), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and David Cicilline (RI-01).