Mediaboss Marketing

A bipartisan group of senators will formally launch immigration talks on Thursday, marking the latest entry by Congress to try to capture the long-sought policy priority in recent years.

The group will include Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as well as Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), according to Durbin. All of the senators are members of the Judiciary panel.

A bipartisan immigration deal is a heavy lift, particularly in an election year. But the talks likely represent Democrats best shot at passing a bill after hopes of including immigration reform in a sweeping Democratic-only tax and spending bill, known as Build Back Better, ran aground last year.

Instead of trying to craft an agreement from scratch, the group is going to use smaller, already introduced, bipartisan immigration-related bills to try to put together a package that could get the 60 votes needed to advance through the Senate.

Weve got a list. Weve got a starting list. There could be some more. But its a starting point. Ive talked to four or five Republican senators today. Theres a genuine interest in doing something, Durbin said while warning against the talks becoming top-heavy.

The meeting will be the first formal sit-down that the group has had and comes after Durbin and Tillis told The Hill earlier this month that they intended to convene an immigration gang after the two-week April break.

Tillis said on Wednesday that the group was looking at different proposals where we look like weve got bipartisan support.

What you have to do obviously is you take a look at the proposals in isolation then you have to reconcile them against how you would put them together for something that would work as a package, Tillis told The Hill.

The nascent immigration talks come as lawmakers are entrenched in a fight over the administrations decision to lift Title 42,a Trump-era pandemic public health policy that the Biden administration kept in place but now plans to lift on May 23.

Crafted in the early days of the pandemic, the border policy allows rapid expulsion of migrants in the name of public health and prevents them from seeking asylum.

The administrations decision has sparked fierce pushback from Republicans as well as some Democratic senators. But the administration is also facing pressure from a swath of Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates to stick by the decision, arguing that the Trump-era program is inhumane.

A GOP demand for a vote to effectively block the administration from lifting Title 42, which has also gotten snagged by a court fight, has stalemated a deal for $10 billion in coronavirus aid. Republicans view the two issues as related because the administrations decision to lift Title 42 comes as there is a broader coronavirus public health emergency still in effect.

Asked if he would try to keep the Title 42 fight separate from the immigration group talks, Durbin replied, As far as we can.

View post:
Senate group to start immigration talks Thursday - The Hill

From social media to cable news, all the American public sees from our leaders are partisan attacks and hyperbolic rhetoric, but that's not the way it has to be. To prove it, Former Members of Congress (FMC) and the Fulcrum have joined forces to bring you Congress at a Crossroads.

The monthly video series brings together Former Members of both parties to discuss the structural issues in today's Congress, as well as the hottest political issues. They won't always agree, but they will always treat each other with respect and civility.

This month, our host, FMC CEO Pete Weichlein sat down with Former Members Henry Bonilla (R-TX) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) to discuss the current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, why Congress has not been able to pass any meaningful immigration reform, and how this issue will affect the upcoming midterm elections, particularly amongst Hispanic voters.

From Your Site Articles

Related Articles Around the Web

Go here to see the original:
Video: The Politics of Immigration - The Fulcrum

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) hosted a press conference with community leaders and advocacy organizations including the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministrys (NCCHM) Races y Alas Congress, Americans for Prosperity, AmericanHort, National Immigration Forum, Races, The LIBRE Initiative, and several other members of the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus to urge action on his legislation, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This legislation is a strong workforce solution which will provide certainty to both farm owners and workers through an accessible, employment-based program, and is a key component to his efforts to address border security, Dreamers, and the agricultural workforce.

Click here to hear Rep. Newhouses remarks.

Rep. Newhouses remarks as prepared can be found in full below:

Thank you, Bishop, for that introduction.

Hello everyone, Im Congressman Dan Newhouse from Washington State, and Im here today to urge my colleagues to come together so we can finally fix our broken immigration system.

We need a system that stops rewarding illegal behavior and reforming our broken system has been one of my top priorities in Congressfrom ensuring we have a workable guestworker program for our agriculture industry to providing certainty and legal status for Dreamers who were brought here as children at no fault of their own.

The best way to stop illegal immigration is to streamline our legal immigration processes, eliminate opportunities to work without legal status, and simply enforce our laws. Thats why I continue to push my legislation, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Agriculture producers across the country are facing a labor shortage crisis, and I dont use the word crisis lightly.

Im a farmer myself, and I can tell you that it is truly a struggle to find workers. Without an adequate workforce, our crops will go unharvested, and our already-delicate food supply chain is placed further at risk.

So, to keep our families fed and our country running, many of our producers rely on the H-2A program for labor, but the program is burdensome and the application process doesnt work for farmers or farmworkers.

This puts our farmers in a tough spot.

While I see firsthand the struggle our Central Washington producers face, this isnt just an issue affecting Central Washington, this is a nationwide issue.

That is why at the federal level, I introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Actto address these labor shortages and ensure we have a legal and reliable workforce for all of agriculture.

The legislation streamlines the existing H-2A program and establishes a new employment- and merit-based program to ensure that not only are agriculture workers in the United States legally, but that they remain law-abiding and continue to contribute to our farms, ranches, local communities, and economies.

By ensuring a legal and reliable agricultural workforce, we can secure our food supply, strengthening our national security and averting disaster.

It is imperative we reform our broken immigration laws and ensure that those who wish to pursue a legal pathway or come to our country to contribute to our agriculture industry are able to do so.

We also must deliver certainty for Dreamers in Central Washington and across the country by enacting a solution that strengthens our national security and allows DACA recipients to continue contributing to our communities.

The United States is a country built by immigrants, and we welcome them into our communities. In my home district of Central Washington, immigrants are small business owners, scientists, teachers, veterans, neighbors, friends, andin many casesfamily.

Congress cannot keep kicking this can down the road, and until we have a comprehensive solution signed into law, these young peoplewho were brought to this country at no fault of their ownwill continue to suffer.

Responsible immigration reform means legislation that protects our communities, strengthens our national security, and secures our southern border, but also recognizes the contributions of immigrants and bolsters our local economies, producers, and small businesses.

It is past time we deliver solutionsnot just empty promisesto our farmers and ranchers, to our farmworkers, and to all Americans who deserve a strong food supply chain.

And we already have that solution in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

If I can leave today with a message, I would impress upon you to reach out to your Senators and tell them you want to see the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, as well as legislation that gives certainty to Dreamers and improves border security, move forward in the Senate.

Because together, we can finally secure our border, provide certainty for our Dreamers, and provide a lasting solution for our farmers and ranchers.

Thank you.

###

Originally posted here:
Newhouse Urges Senate to Take Immediate Action on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act - Dan Newhouse

PHOENIX Along the border near Yuma, as many as 10,000 immigrants cross into the U.S. every week. Nearly all of them are sent back. Across the length of the southwest border, the U.S. Border Patrol reports it encountered more than 221,000 migrants in the month of March alone.

"We inherited a broken and dismantled system that is already under strain. It is not built to manage the current levels and types of migratory flows. Only Congress can fix this," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. Mayorkas was testifying before a House Appropriations Subcommittee.

On Tuesday Mayorkas released a 20-page memo outlining the government's preparations ahead of the scheduled May 23 termination of Title 42. It's a six-point plan to deal with the expected rush of migrants once Title 42 is lifted.

It includes a surge of personnel and resources to the border and Mayorkas says a commitment by the Biden administration to strictly enforce U.S. Immigration law.

"Individuals who cross the border without legal authorization are processed for removal and if unable to establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, be promptly removed from the country," Mayorkas said.

Arizona Congressman Tom O'Halleran says he needs to know more about what the administration will do along the border. On a recent appearance on Fox News, O'Halleran said, "I disagree with the president. The president has to have a plan. We don't want chaos at the border."

Arizona Director of Homeland Security Tim Roemer, who worked in the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security, said the plan is "short on detail and lacks any sense of urgency," Roemer said. "Arizona was never consulted by the administration."

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who along with Texas Senator John Cornyn introduced Immigration Reform legislation last year, called the plan to end Title 42 unrealistic.

"While the administration's adoption of our bipartisan border processing center proposal represents an important first step to reduce the strain on Arizona and treat migrants fairly and humanely, I remain concerned the plan does not ensure local communities, law enforcement, and non-profits receive adequate support to prevent a humanitarian and security crisis in Arizona border communities," Sinema said.

On Monday, a federal judge in Louisiana announced he will issue a temporary restraining order delaying the end of Title 42. A May 13 hearing is scheduled to determine how long that order will be enforced.

See the article here:
Biden administration lays out plan to deal with migrants after Title 42 - ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix

This event can be viewed at this zoom link: https://stthom-edu.zoom.us/j/94546730224

A social justice event dealing with immigration reform and titled Immigration: Taking Mercy on the Stranger will be held online and in person April 28, 2022, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., in Cullen Hall on the campus of the University of St. Thomas-Houston. This presentation is part of USTs Fratelli Tutti series highlighting good Samaritans of Houston who find ways in their work to heal the social fabric and reach across walls and boundaries to promote the common good. The event speaker will be Stan Marek, a community leader and president and CEO of the Marek Family of Companies. He also was recognized by UST with its Faithful Citizenship Award, which celebrates remarkable Houstonians for their extraordinary lives of faith.

Marek Offers an Insiders View of Illegal Immigration

Stan Marek, speaker

In 2020, Marek co-authored a book, Deconstructed: An Insiders View of Illegal Immigration and the Building Trades. The publication unravels relevant economic issues driving illegal immigration, looks at the human toll and outlines practical, comprehensive solutions.

Marek said, Immigration is once again one of the most divisive issues in our country. We will be talking about real immigration issues that impact healthcare, education, law enforcement, and business. Our main purpose, through our Rational Middle platform, is to educate and empower voters on immigration issues. And we will offer a commonsense solution that seems to resonate with each side of the aisle.

Getting to Know Marek

The Texas native and business leader regularly demonstrates his passion for workforce development, sustainability and immigration reform. Marek has championed a leading-edge workforce development program for his employees and has focused on Comprehensive Immigration Reform for the past three years. He is the co-founder of Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy and a member of the Greater Houston Partnership task force, Americans for Immigration Reform.

Loren Steffy, moderator

Event Moderator Is Award-winning Journalist

Serving as moderator during the April 28 talk will be Mareks co-author, award-winning business journalist Loren Steffy. The former Houston Chronicle columnist is the executive producer for Rational Middle Media, a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and managing director for the communications firm 30 Point Strategies.

The event on April 28 is free and open to the public.

Read more from the original source:
Taking Mercy on the Stranger: A Presentation on Immigration Reform - Construction Citizen