May 30, 2007

Dear JFI Colleagues:

The Senate adjourned last Friday after spending a week considering the immigration reform bill.  Several amendments were offered to eliminate key provisions of the legislation, including amendments to remove the temporary worker program (Dorgan,31-65) and the legalization program (Vitter,29-66), both of which were overwhelmingly defeated.   Significantly, two-thirds of the U.S. Senate voted against the Vitter amendment, which would have eliminated the legalization program.  This represents a hard won victory for our network.   The Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act, endorsed by USCCB, was added to the legislation by voice vote.  

An amendment offered by Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) to authorize state and local law enforcement of immigration laws was defeated by one vote.  The only loss of the week was an amendment offered by Senator Lindsay Graham to require mandatory jail time for those who re-enter illegally into the country, which was adopted by a voice vote.  Below is a summary of the votes taken this past week.

The Senate will reconvene June 5 and consider more amendments to the legislation.  Several family amendments could be considered, including an amendment by Senator Menendez to move up the family backlog reduction date to anyone who filed prior to January 1, 2007;  an amendment by Senator Clinton to remove the cap on spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents; and amendments by Senator Obama to make the new "point" system family-friendly and to sunset it after five years.  There also will be negative amendments, including an amendment by Senator Cornyn to disqualify anyone from the legalization program who used a fraudulent document or has a final order of removal pending.

It is likely that the Senate will vote on final passage of the immigration bill by June 8.  We will keep you apprised of developments as they occur.

Votes on May 22

1. A Dorgan (D-ND) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=S6485&dbname=2007_record> , to strike the Y temporary worker program, was defeated by a vote of 31 to 65 <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00174> .

Votes on May 23

2. A Bingaman (D-NM) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6506&position=all> , to reduce the cap on Y temporary workers to 200,000, was agreed to by a vote of 74 to 24 <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00175> .

3. A Feinstein (D-CA) - Martinez (R-FL) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6408&position=all> , to provide for the protection of unaccompanied minors, was agreed to by voice vote.

4. A Gregg (R-NH) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6522&position=all> , to provide even more resources for border enforcement, was agreed to by voice vote.

5.  A Graham (R-SC) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6514&position=all> , to provide for minimum sentences for those who renter the United States after removal, was agreed to by unanimous consent.

6.  A Leahy (D-VT) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6530&position=all> , having to do with rules applicable to immigrants employed as dairy workers, was agreed to by unanimous consent.

7. A Hutchison (R-TX) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6530&position=all> , providing local officials and the Secretary of Homeland Security greater involvement in decisions regarding the location of border fencing, was agreed to by unanimous consent.

Votes on May 24

8. An Akaka (D-HI) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6537&position=all>  to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas was agreed to by a vote of 87 to 9 <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00176> .

9. A Coleman (R-MN) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6535&position=all> , to bar localities from having policies that bar officials from asking about immigration status in the course of law enforcement or dispensing other services, was defeated by a vote of 48 to 49 <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00177> .

10. A Dorgan (D-NC) amendment <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2007_record&page=S6569&position=all> , to sunset the temporary worker program after five years, was rejected by a vote of 48 to 49 <http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00178> .

11. A Sanders (D-VT) amendment, to establish the American Competitiveness Scholarship Program, passed by a vote of 59 to 35.

12. A Vitter (R-LA) amendment, to strike the legalization program, was defeated by a vote of 29 to 66.