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Category: Immigration

Obama Takes Action on Immigration

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President Obama has announced during a prime-time television address on Thursday evening that he will take executive action on immigration. The sweeping actions aim to shield as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and will grant work permits to some.
A new program will allow the parents of US citizens and permanent residents to apply for work permits and deferred deportation. It is estimated that around 4 million parents are eligible to take advantage of this sweeping reform. To be eligible, parents must be here illegally for at least five years and have no felony convictions.
In addition, federal law enforcement officers are directed to shift enforcement efforts to illegal immigrants with criminal records, gang affiliations, or ties to terrorism going forward. There will also be a long-overdue expansion of high-tech visas, and restrictions on would-be entrepreneurs will be loosened to allow them to travel more freely to the US to launch companies.

The GOP has confirmed that the executive actions cannot be blocked through appropriations. While many within the GOP claim the President does not have legal authority to make such sweeping actions, the White House maintains it does and points to the fact that every US President in the last half century has taken executive action on immigration.

 

White House Initiative Releases Financial Aid Guide for Hispanic Students

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The White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics released a new guide on financial aid today. Available in both Spanish and English, the guide consolidates and outlines existing resources in a culturally relevant way for Hispanic students. The guide aims to better support these students in their efforts to enroll in and pay for higher education. It includes recommendations for how to complete college application materials and the FAFSA form, and provides tips on choosing the right college and an overview of financing options. In addition, the guide includes resources for students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and non-U.S. citizen students.

Access the guide on the Initiative’s web page.  The guide will also be housed on the U.S. Department of Education’s new online resource page, Educational Resources for New Arrivals & DACA students.

DHS Announces New Immigration Regs

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced the publication of two proposed regulations, including a rule to extend employment authorization to spouses of certain H-1B workers, and a proposal to enhance opportunities for certain groups of highly-skilled workers by removing obstacles to their remaining in the United States.  

Both Notices of Proposed Rulemaking will soon publish in the Federal Register. DHS encourages the public to comment on the proposed rule through www.regulations.gov.  All public comments will be considered before the final rule is published and goes into effect.

Murray Introduces Bill to Provide In-State Tuition for DREAMer Students

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Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for Dreamers Act of 2014. The IN-STATE for Dreamers Act establishes the American Dream Grant program, which encourages states to increase access to higher education for low-income students, regardless of immigration status. This program would provide $750 million in need-based student financial aid to states that set equitable in-state tuition rates or offer state financial aid to the thousands of undocumented students who graduate from American high schools each year.

American Dream Grants would supplement state financial aid funding, in order to increase higher education affordability for all students. States would qualify for grants by allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students or by expanding access to state financial aid for these students. This legislation is not a state mandate and is fully paid for. Already 19 states, including Washington, currently offer in-state tuition for undocumented students.

At the state level, the Washington State legislature is currently considering a similar measure called the Washington State DREAM Act which would offer need-based aid to undocumented students. Several other states, including California, Texas, Illinois, and New Mexico, already offer need-based grants to undocumented students.

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) have also signed on as original co-sponsors of this legislation.

The University of Washington, Washington State University, Colorado State University and the University of Hawaii have voiced their support of the bill.

Additional information on the legislation is here.

House Democrats Introduce Comprehensive Immigration Reform

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A group of House Democrats yesterday – led by Washington’s 1st District Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, released a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The legislation, called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act largely reflects the bipartisan Senate bill. Among other things, the plan:

  • Contains much of the same language from the Senate bill that reforms visa programs and interior enforcement
  • Includes a bipartisan border-security bill which already passed the House Homeland Security Committee
  • Focuses on securing borders, protecting citizens, uniting families, and offering a pathway to citizenship based on certain qualifications.

While this is a significant step in the immigration reform world, it is not likely that this bill will advance anytime soon. With all of the action surrounding the budget and debt ceiling, the latest consensus is that larger immigration reform will get pushed to 2014 – although House Republicans may still move their piece-meal bills.

Click HERE to read DelBene’s Press Release

Click HERE for a section-by-section summary of the House Democrats’ legislation