Blog Posts - THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Conference Committee on Border Wall Schedules First Meeting

1/29/2019

Conference Committee Working on Border Security Funding Schedules First Meeting

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Shelby and Lowey

Formal House and Senate negotiations are set to begin tomorrow over the President's demand that Congress appropriate more than $8 BILLION in additional Fiscal Year 2019 funding for border security, a demand that famously includes a request for a $5.7 BILLION appropriation for construction of a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico.

Tomorrow's action is set to occur in a conference committee that was established late last week to iron out differences between the President and Democrats in Congress over the President's border security funding demands. The conferees will be working under a deadline of February 15, 2019, when the short-term continuing appropriations resolution that re-opened the closed functions of the federal government expires.

House Passes Bill on Cryptocurrency and Trafficking

1/28/2019

House Passes Bill Mandating a Study of the Contribution of Cryptocurrencies to
Human and Drug Trafficking

Monday, January 28, 2019

Rep. Vargas

The full U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure that would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the contributions that cryptocurrencies make to human trafficking. House floor action occurred on Monday, January 28, 2019, in connection with H.R. 502, the “Fight Illicit Networks and Detect Trafficking Act” or the FIND Trafficking Act”, which was introduced in the House by Representative Juan Vargas (D-CA).

The House took up the measure on Monday, January 28, 2019, using a procedure known as “suspension of the rules.” Under this process, debate is limited to 40 minutes, no floor amendments to the measure are permitted, and the bill must receive the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds of those Members who are present and voting in order to be passed.

January 28 Legislative Preview

1/26/2019

A Sigh of Relief Can Be Heard in the Halls of the U.S. Capitol Complex as the House and Senate Face the First Calm Week of the 116th Congress

Monday, January 28, 2019

Revised on Tuesday, January 28, 2019, at 9:45 pm EST

What initially looked like a light week of immigration- and refugee-related congressional activity suddenly turned heavy as the week dawned, with Democrats basking in the glow of the deal they cut late last week to reopen the shuttered departments, agencies, and functions of the federal government without having to appropriate a penny for the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico..that President Trump has demanded that they fund.

In all, from the perspective of those interested in immigration, refugee, homeland security, or human trafficking policy, the week's schedule includes one hearing, five business meetings, one conference committee meeting, and possible floor action on one matter of possible consequence on those subjects.

Congress Ends Government Shutdown Without Funding Trump's Border Wall

1/25/2019

Congress Clears Short-Term FY ’19 Continuing Appropriations Resolution Reopening
Shuttered Federal Functions

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Congress today cleared for the President’s consideration a short-term continuing appropriations resolution (CR) funding the shuttered operations of the federal government through February 15, 2019. The congressional action had the effect of re-opening the government without funding President Trump's proposed wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, an outcome that the President repeatedly asserted he would not accept..

Today's congressional action occurred in connection with H.J. Res. 28, the “Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019”. Congress cleared the measure for the President’s consideration on Friday, January 25, 2019, and the President signed it into law later that evening. The action ended the longest shutdown of portions of the federal government in the nation’s history.

It was part of a larger deal that requires Congress to convene a conference committee to consider proposals to enhance border security. That conference committee must report back either the fact that it has reached a compromise or that it has failed to reach one by February 15th.

Congress Sets Up Process for Considering Trump Border Wall Funding Request

1/25/2019

Congress Establishes a Process for Congressional Consideration of Trump Border Wall
Funding Request

Friday, January 25, 2019

McConnell and Pelosi

The House of Representatives and Senate on Friday passed differing versions of a short-term measure providing continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security. In actuality, though, Friday's floor action on the measure was intended more to provide a vehicle for Congress to negotiate a deal between itself and President Trump on border security funding.

Friday’s action occurred in connection with H.J. Res. 31, a joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes. The House approved the House-passed version of the measure on Thursday, January 24, 2919, by a vote of 231-180. The Senate acted one day later, approving the amended Senate-passed version of the bill by a voice vote.

Immediately following House and Senate passage of the measure, a conference committee was established to iron out an agreement on border security funding, with the goal of completing a deal by February 15, 2019, when stop-gap funding for numerous federal departments, agencies, and functions expires..

House Passes Tenth Bill Seeking to Reopen Government

1/24/2019

House Passes Yet Another FY ’19 Continuing Appropriations Measure

Thursday, January 24, 2019

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed a short-term continuing appropriations resolution that would fund the operations of the shuttered departments, agencies, and functions of the federal government through February 28, 2019. Yesterday's House floor action occurred on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, in connection with H.J. Res. 28, a joint resolution making short-term continuing appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019 for the closed functions.

The House passed the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 229-184. It marked the time the tenth time in the nascent 116th Congress that the House had passed a measure seeking to reopen all or some of the functions of the federal government that have been shuttered by the standoff between President Trump and congressional Democrats over the President's demand that Congress appropriate $5.7 BILLION to fund the construction of a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico.

Trump Proposes Border Wall "Compromise"

1/20/2019

Trump Proposes “Compromise” that would Reopen Government, Fund Border Wall, and Enact Temporary Protections for DACA and TPS Beneficiaries

Sunday, January 20, 2019

President Donald J. Trump yesterday proposed a plan to re-open the shuttered departments, agencies, and functions of the federal government.

The President's plan would require Congress to appropriate $5.7 BILLION in Fiscal Year 2019 funds to construct 234 miles of a "steel barrier system" along the U.S. border with Mexico. It would, as well, require Congress to appropriate approximately $3 BILLION in additional Fiscal Year 2019 funds for other border security related projects and activities.

House Agrees to Pro-Immigrant Amendments

1/17/2019

House Agrees to Two Pro-Immigrant Amendments in First Direct Floor Votes on Immigration
During the 116th Congress

Thursday, January 17, 2019

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday agreed to two pro-immigrant amendments in the first direct floor votes on immigration today of the 116th Congress. Yesterday's House floor action occurred in connection with H.R. 268, a bill making supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, The measure also would make continuing appropriations for the shuttered departments and agencies of the federal government, through February 8, 2019.

The two amendments that the House agreed to were offered by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

116th Congress to Convene

1/3/2019

House and Senate to Convene First Session of the 116th Congress Amidst Border Security-Inspired Partial Shutdown of the Federal
Government's Operations

Thursday, January 3, 2019

The First Session of the 116th Congress convenes on Thursday, January 3rd, with Democrats holding a 235-199 majority in the House and Republicans holding a 53-47 organizational majority in the Senate.

Under normal circumstances, much of the work during the first few weeks of a new Congress centers on ceremonial and organizational activities. However, with more than one-fourth of the federal government shut down due to a dispute between Congress and the President over immigration-related funding priorities, policy matters -- and immigration policy matters, specifically -- have been thrust into the forefront of the opening days of this Congress.