Immigration

Like other family amendments, faced opposition from the right

June 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – A family reunification amendment to the immigration bill offered by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was blocked today without getting to a vote on final passage. The amendment, which would have allowed for 10 or 15 points for family ties out of a 105 point system, was subject to a motion to table, which passed by a 55-40 vote. Thus, the amendment was stricken.    » read more »

Senators' Measure To Get Rid Of REAL ID Stalls Sweeping Immigration Bill

June 27, 2007 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester brought the debate over immigration reform to a grinding halt today on the Senate floor. After opponents of Baucus and Tester’s amendment to strike REAL ID requirements failed to muster a majority of votes, debate on the controversial immigration bill came to a standstill.    » read more »

June 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC—As the Senate debates immigration reform, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined Senators Kennedy and Salazar in the final push to fix our broken system. As Mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa knows the problem up close and understand that if this bill doesn’t pass it will be years before we have the chance again. He is helping the Senators pass this important bill -- a record investment in border security.

Below are Senator Kennedy’s remarks at this press conference, as prepared for delivery:    » read more »

June 27, 2007 -- Washington, DC – In remarks on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today expressed her support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill.

Senator Feinstein stressed the importance of securing our nation’s borders, increasing interior enforcement, and providing reliable employer verification documents. Senator Feinstein also noted that the legislation would establish a path to legalization for the 12 million undocumented people currently living and working in the United States.    » read more »

June 27, 2007 -- After a critical vote yesterday on immigration reform in the Senate and looking toward another, the Wall Street Journal detailed how the issue is tearing the GOP apart in an editorial this morning.    » read more »

June 27, 2007 -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after the Senate voted to move forward on the comprehensive immigration reform bill.

In the statement Dean reaffirmed the Democratic Party's support for comprehensive reform that restores order to the border, protects workers and their wages, stops dividing families, and allows hard working immigrants who pay taxes and obey the law the opportunity to apply for legalization and eventually earn the responsibilities of citizenship:    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo today issued to prosecutors and law enforcement across the state a “Law Advisory Regarding Immigration.” The advisory provides essential information for spotting and handling immigration issues.    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a key player in the immigration debate, today voted in favor of cloture to resume consideration of immigration reform legislation. Cloture was agreed to by a 64-35 vote. Later this week, the Senate will have to take another cloture vote to proceed to a final vote on the bill.

Sen. Menendez, a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform who has expressed serious concerns that the legislative process has leaned to the far right this year, made the following statement:    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to the cloture vote on the immigration reform legislation.

“I’ve been in Congress for more than 40 years and immigration reforms are always controversial. But Congress is expected to muster the political will to get it done. And today, I’m proud to say that we did. Today’s vote is a major step forward for Congress, and for the country. It is a major step forward for our national security -- for our economy -- and for our humanity.    » read more »

26 June 2007 -- The U.S. Senate has voted to revive broad legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration system, after the measure was blocked by opponents earlier this month. But the fate of the measure remains uncertain.

The Senate Tuesday voted 64 to 35 to revive the bill.

Under Senate rules, at least 60 votes were necessary in the 100-seat chamber to move the bill forward.

The Senate action came shortly after President Bush urged lawmakers to support the legislation.    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo today issued to prosecutors and law enforcement across the state a “Law Advisory Regarding Immigration.” The advisory provides essential information for spotting and handling immigration issues.    » read more »

Rell: “The Students and Their Parents Are Here Illegally and Neither Sympathy nor Good Intentions Can Ameliorate that Fact”

June 26, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has vetoed a bill approved by the General Assembly that would have allowed illegal aliens in Connecticut to pay in-state tuition at State colleges and universities.    » read more »

June 25, 2007 -- Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following response to Republican Senators who earlier today expressed their objection to the return of the immigration bill to the Senate floor. The text of the letter is below:

June 25, 2007

The Honorable John Cornyn
The Honorable David Vitter
The Honorable Elizabeth Dole
The Honorable Jeff Sessions
The Honorable Jim DeMint
United States Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senators Cornyn, Vitter, Dole, Sessions and DeMint:    » read more »

Joel Kaplan, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Via Teleconference

June 25, 2007 -- MR. STANZEL: I appreciate everyone's patience, and thank you for joining us today. I'm joined here by Joel Kaplan, who is Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the White House, and has been very involved in the immigration effort. And he'll start off with some opening thoughts, but we really want to provide this opportunity to you to get the perspective of the White House as the Senate brings comprehensive immigration reform back up for consideration this week.    » read more »

June 21, 2007 -- As Republicans in Congress and the Senate continue to stand in the way of comprehensive immigration reform, the Boston Globe is reporting today on the distressing story of Yaderlin Jimenez, whose immigration status is now uncertain after her husband, a U.S. citizen and Purple Heart recipient, was captured by Sunni insurgents in Iraq on May 12th.    » read more »