Homeland Security Institute Newsletter July 29, 2005

29 July 2005 Newsletter

Mute on Immigration

Mute on Immigration

Los Angeles Times: Borderline leadership

Los Angeles Times: Borderline leadership

Los Angeles Times: Judge Rules Students Can Stay in U.S.

Los Angeles Times: Judge Rules Students Can Stay in U.S.

Four Arizona Students From Mexico Forestall Their Deportation - New York Times

Four Arizona Students From Mexico Forestall Their Deportation - New York Times

Deportation Case Against Students Tossed

Deportation Case Against Students Tossed

Frist says Senate unlikely to get to immigration this year

The Houston Chronicle reported July 15, 2005, that Senate Majoritiy Leader Bill Frist has stated that immigration reform will not be on the table in 2005. He said that it is likely to be considered in the next 12 months.

Frist says Senate unlikely to get to immigration this yearHouston Chronicle ^ July 15, 2005 By SAMANTHA LEVINE and MICHAEL HEDGES

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Thursday that immigration reform is probably off the table for this year, a prediction that threw cold water on the methodical efforts of Sen. John Cornyn to pass a bill this fall.
"The overall guest worker-immigration legislation will come in this Congress (which ends in late 2006). It won't be this summer, I can't promise it will be in the fall," said Frist, R-Tenn. "More likely, it will be in the early part of next year, but within the next 12 months."
Cornyn, R-Texas., said he was unaware of Frist's comments and found them disturbing. "I hope that isn't right," said Cornyn, who is likely to unveil his proposal, including a guest worker program, next week with his co-author, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
"My impression was that he wanted to do something sooner rather than later," Cornyn said. "I need to talk to him."
'Comprehensive approach'
Frist's comments came during a conference call on border security measures with reporters that coincided with the Senate's debate on the 2006 homeland security spending bill.
Frist said one reason for taking time with the issue was that the Senate's Republican leadership was aiming at a "comprehensive approach" on the idea of guest workers and immigration reform to attract bipartisan support. He said the leadership would "look at what the president has (proposed) and look at individual initiatives."
The majority leader also said he had asked the Government Accountability Office, Congress' watchdog agency, to analyze how many illegal immigrants die annually trying to enter the United States.
"We must protect our nation from those who seek to enter it illegally, but we also have a moral obligation to protect all who set foot on our soil from physical harm," he said.
The delay on immigration legislation this year is largely due to the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings to replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
The confirmation proceedings occur in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will also be partly responsible for handling an immigration bill.
Once the committee acts, the full Senate must vote on the nominee. The intensity of that debate is expected to consume a good deal of the Senate's schedule and drastically reduce the number of other bills in the Senate this year.
Concern, disappointment
Still, the news from Frist, who is in charge of scheduling which legislation hits the floor, shocked lawmakers who have spent months crafting immigration proposals.
One of them is Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona who introduced a bill in May with Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy.
The Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a hearing on that measure, as well as the Cornyn-Kyl bill, this month.
"I am very concerned and very disappointed," said McCain, whose legislation would allow illegal immigrants to earn U.S. citizenship. "It's not helpful. More and more bad things happen. There is greater risk for terrorists crossing our borders. There are greater health care and law enforcement costs."
McCain said he hopes the drumbeat of concerns will keep the pressure on Frist to take up an immigration bill.
Cornyn, who chairs the Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, and Kyl, who chairs the homeland security subcommittee, have held a half-dozen hearings on the immigration issue over the past few months.
Their bill would create a guest worker program that mirrors Bush's preference for a system that lets immigrants work here for three years before having to return to their home countries.
It also would include plans for stronger border enforcement and the phasing-in of requirements for all U.S. employers to verify the immigration status of their employees.
Last overhaul took 5 years
But that bill, as well as the McCain-Kennedy measure, will have a tough time in 2006. All of the House and one-third of the Senate will be up for election.
Joseph Vail, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Houston Law Center, said Congress has historically taken a long time to act on immigration.
Lawmakers spent about five years crafting the last immigration overhaul bill, which passed in 1986.

HoustonChronicle.com - Cornyn's immigration bill includes guest worker program

HoustonChronicle.com - Cornyn's immigration bill includes guest worker program

Two Articles Dissect Enforcement-only vs. Comprehensive Immigration Reform Approaches

Title

Los Angeles Times: Immigration Overhaul Seen as Key to Domestic Security

Los Angeles Times: Immigration Overhaul Seen as Key to Domestic Security

DHS | Department of Homeland Security | Secretary Michael Chertoff U.S. Department of Homeland Security Second Stage Review Remarks

DHS | Department of Homeland Security | Secretary Michael Chertoff U.S. Department of Homeland Security Second Stage Review Remarks

Los Angeles Times: Enforce Immigration Law, or Change It? Answer May Be Both

Los Angeles Times: Enforce Immigration Law, or Change It? Answer May Be Both

DHS Science and Technology Conference

DHS Science and Technology Direcorate

Engaging the Private Sector: Homeland Security R&D Directions and Opportunities (22-25 August; Atlanta) The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is sponsoring a conference to gain a better understanding of the research, development, testing, and evaluation needs of the department; potential business opportunities; and R&D being pursued under DHS S&T sponsorship. Meet senior management from the S&T Directorate, including portfolio managers from the Office of Plans, Programs, and Budget and program managers from the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Office of Research and Development, and the Office of Systems Engineering and Development and learn how to participate in the challenge to bring innovative homeland security solutions to reality. Discuss and obtain information on innovative technologies from industry, the national and federal laboratories, and academia. For more information, contact Kimberly Owen or Donald Tighe. Update! Please note: a draft agenda for the DHS S&T Directorate’s 2005 Private Sector Conference is now posted on the site. [View conference website]

Chicago Tribune news : Nation/World

Chicago Tribune news : Nation/World

ILW.COM The Real Story Behind The New E-3 Visa

ILW.COM - immigration news: The Real Story Behind The New E-3 Visa

Gary Endelman sends us his fascinating commentary on the "Aussie E-3" visa legislative history.

AILA Update on Implementation of E-3 Visas for Australians

AILA - Agencies & Liaison - Department of State - Liaison Reports - DOS Update on Implementation of E-3 Visas for Australians