The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring of the Senate’s immigration bill: The CBO score shows that there are now 197 billion reasons for Congress to do the right thing and pass immigration reform this year,... Continue »
Congratulations, Jeff Sessions–you got your wish! For weeks now, the junior Senator from Alabama — and leading anti-immigrant voice in the Senate — has been complaining about the upcoming Congressional Budget Office score for the Senate Gang of 8 bill.  The CBO usually scores a bill for 10 years,... Continue »
This afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee is continuing their markup of the SAFE Act (known on twitter as #HATEAct), which is already the worst anti-immigrant bill in recent history.  (View the press conference denouncing it here.) Rep. Steve King (R-IA), however, apparently just can’t help himself: King just attempted to... Continue »
This week, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has begun to talk tough about how he plans to move immigration through the House—with a majority of the majority, he says, and no violation of the Hastert rule. At a closed-door meeting with conservatives today and a press conference after, Boehner... Continue »
House Members, DREAMers & National Immigration Leaders Denounce the SAFE Act Leaders Call on the House to Get Behind Real Immigration Reform with Citizenship at the Heart Washington, DC – Today, the House Judiciary Committee began marking-up a new immigration bill, HR 2278, introduced by Rep. Trey Gowdy and... Continue »
National Journal reports that anti-immigrant House members are asking why Republicans should pass legislation that would give citizenship to “11 million undocumented Democrats.”  This fear of citizenship – and future voting behavior – courses through much of the immigration debate and underscores many Republican amendments designed to make the... Continue »
The House Judiciary Committee is meeting today to markup H.R. 2278, the so-called “SAFE Act,” an extremist anti-immigrant bill which would criminalize all undocumented immigrants.  Below is a collection of responses to the bill: Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL): The Arizona SB1070 law was substantially struck down by the Supreme... Continue »
USA Today: House proposal to further criminalize illegal immigration criticized By Alan Gomez National Journal: Sens. Hoeven, Corker Push New Border-Security Amendment By Rebecca Kaplan NBC Latino: Legislation to criminalize undocumented immigrants takes center stage today By Sandra Lilley Houston Chronicle (Editorial): Cornyn: The Great Pretender? Associated Press: House... Continue »
Below are remarks from Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), who delivered a speech on the House floor about today’s markup of the SAFE Act in the House Judiciary Committee: Remarks on Immigration, U.S. Congress, June 18, 2013 Mr. Speaker — Later today, the Judiciary Committee will mark-up the first immigration-reform... Continue »
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) voted twice against the Gang of 8 immigration bill working its way through the Senate last week, and immigration reform advocates have been calling him out on it ever since. “Sen. Mark Kirk, where are you?” asked a Chicago Tribune editorial of his position on immigration... Continue »