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AILA'S HOT BILLS
107th
CONGRESS
April
4, 2002
Below
is a list of immigration-related bills introduced during the 107th
Congress that reflect AILA’s legislative priorities. (The list will
be updated regularly. It is organized by topic, with Senate bills
listed first.) For the
status of these bills, or for more information, please contact the
AILA Advocacy Department (Phone 202-216-2400;
Fax 202-371-9449) or check out the Advocacy Center on InfoNet.
Adjustment
of Status/Family Unification
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S.
672
Support
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Child
Status Protection Act: Introduced
by
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), S. 672 would amend the
Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the continued
classification of certain aliens as children in cases where
the aliens “age out” while awaiting immigration
processing.
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H.R.
3984
Support
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Waivers
for Certain Victims of September 11:
Introduced
by
Representative Michael Ferguson (R-NJ), H.R. 3984 would amend
the USA Patriot Act to permit an alien lawfully admitted for
permanent residence whose spouse died as a result of a
terrorist activity on September 11, 2001, to apply for
naturalization under the conditions that would have applied if
such death had not occurred.
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H.R.
1209
Support
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Child
Status Protection Act of 2001: Introduced
by Representative George Gekas (R-PA), H.R.1209 would amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act to determine whether an
alien is a child, for purposes of classification as an
immediate relative, based on the age of the alien at the time
that an immigrant visa petition is filed on his or her behalf.
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Asylum/Special
Immigrants
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S.
1291
No
position
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DREAM
Act:
Introduced
by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) on August 2001, the Development,
Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would allow
states to determine who is eligible for in-state tuition
rates. The bill
would grant conditional residency through cancellation of
removal and adjustment of status to undocumented students who
are seeking college education and meet certain qualifications.
Applicants would only become permanent residents after
they have obtained a college degree.
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S.
1311
Support
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Refugee
Protection Act:
Introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sam Brownback
(R-KS), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard
Durbin (D-IL), James Jeffords (I-VT), and Bob Graham (D-FL),
S. 1311 would, among other things, limit the use of expedited
removal procedures to immigration emergencies and provide
safeguards to assure due process rights. H.R.
4074 is the companion bill in the House.
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H.R.
4074
Support
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Refugee
Protection Act of 2002:
Introduced by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ). H.R. 4074 is
an identical version of S.1311.
The bill would, among other provisions, limit the use of
expedited removal procedures to immigration emergencies and
provide safeguards to assure due process rights.
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H.R.
1918
Support
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Student
Adjustment Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representatives Chris Cannon (R-UT) and Howard Berman
(D-CA), H.R. 1918 would amend the Immigration and Nationality
Act to cancel the removal and adjust the status of certain
alien college-bound students who are long-term U.S. residents,
and would amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit states to determine state
residency for higher education tuition.
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H.R.
1904
Support
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Unaccompanied
Alien Child Protection Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT),
H.R. 1904 would establish an Office of Children's Services
within the Department of Justice to coordinate and implement
Government actions involving unaccompanied alien children, and
for other purposes.
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H.R.
1582
Support
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Immigrant
Children’s Educational Advancement and Dropout Prevention
Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), H.R.1582 would amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act to adjust the status of
certain long-staying alien children, to lower high school drop
out rates for certain immigrant children, and to restore the
right of State and local governments to decide whom they will
admit to their State and local colleges and universities.
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Due
Process and Civil Liberties
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S.
955
Support
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Immigrant
Fairness Restoration Act of 2001: Introduced
by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Bob Graham (D-FL), S.
955 would provide comprehensive reform of the 1996 immigration
laws, including: eliminating mandatory and indefinite
detention; eliminating the bars to admissibility for unlawful
presence; restoring waivers of certain grounds of
inadmissibility established by the 1996 laws; and restoring
due process, proportionality, judicial discretion, and
judicial review to immigration law.
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H.R.
3894
Support
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Restoration
of Fairness in Immigration Act of 2002:
Introduced by Representative John Conyers (R-MI), H.R. 3894
would restore due process by repealing the retroactivity of
IIRAIRA, restore judicial review and discretion, eliminate
mandatory detention, and otherwise restore fairness and
proportionality.
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H.R.
1452
Support
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Cancellation
of Removal Reform Bill: Introduced
by Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), H.R. 1452 would amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the eligibility
of certain long-term permanent resident aliens to seek
cancellation of removal, and would reform some of the harsher
provisions of the IIRAIRA.
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H.R.
1266
Support
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Secret
Evidence Repeal Act of 2001: Introduced
by Representative David Bonior (D-MI), H.R. 1266 would ensure
that no alien is removed, denied a benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act, or otherwise deprived of
liberty, based on evidence that is kept secret from the alien.
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H.R.
87
Support
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Keeping
Families Together Act of 2001: Introduced
by Representative Bob Filner (D-CA), H.R. 87 would amend the
Immigration and Nationality Act to restore certain provisions
relating to the definition of aggravated felony and other
provisions as they were before the enactment of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
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Essential
Workers
| S.
1259
Support
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Rural
and Urban Health Care Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), S. 1259 would amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the
admission of nonimmigrant nurses.
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| H.R.
2705
No
position
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Rural
and Urban Health Care Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), H.R. 2705 would modify
the requirements applicable to the admission into the United
States of H-1C nonimmigrant registered nurses. The bill limits
to two the number of times an alien may take State licensure
examination and requires the alien to depart the U.S. if he or
she fails to pass the examination on the second attempt. The
bill also imposes a 195,000 numerical cap on H-1C visas.
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INS
Reorganization
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H.R.
1562
Support
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Immigration
Restructuring and Accountability Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), H.R.
1562 would, among other things, replace the Immigration and
Naturalization Service with the Office of the Associate
Attorney General for Immigration Affairs, the Bureau of
Immigration Services, and the Bureau of Immigration
Enforcement.
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| H.R.
3231
Oppose
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INS
Reorganization:
Introduced by Representative Sensenbrenner (R-WI), H.R. 3231
would replace the Immigration and Naturalization Service with
the Agency for Immigration Affairs, and make various other
organizational changes.
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National
Security
Section
245(i)
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S.778
Support
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245(i)
Extension:
Introduced
by Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), S.778 would expand the class of
beneficiaries who may apply for adjustment of status under
Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by
extending the deadline for classification petition and labor
certification filings to April 30, 2002.
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H.R.
1885
No
position
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Section
245(i) Extension Act of 2001:
Introduced
by Representative George Gekas (R-PA), H.R. 1885 would expand
the class of beneficiaries who may apply for adjustment of
status under Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act by extending the deadline for classification petition and
labor certification filings.
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Restrictionist
Bills
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H.R.
190
Oppose
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Clarifies
the Effect on the Citizenship of an Individual Born in the
United States::
Introduced
by Representative Bob Stump (R-AZ), H.R. 190 would declare
that a person born in the U.S. to a mother who is neither a
U.S. citizen or national, nor a lawful permanent resident, and
who is eligible to become, or is a citizen or national, of a
country which either of his or her natural parents is a
citizen or national, is not a U.S. citizen solely by virtue of
being born in the U.S.
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H.R.
4010
Oppose
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Terrorist
Admission Prevention Act of 2002:
Introduced by Representative Dave Weldon (R-FL), H.R. 4010
would establish a moratorium on nonimmigrant visas to people
born in, or who hold citizenship from, a specified list of
countries and any other country designated as a sponsor of
terrorism. The bill would also amend hte INA to expand and
make retroactive the definition of terrorist activities for
purposes of deportation.
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H.R.
3286
Oppose
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Moratorium:
Introduced by Representative Weldon (R-FL), H.R. 3286 would,
among other things, provide for a temporary moratorium on
visas for certain aliens.
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| H.R.
3222
Oppose
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High-Tech
Work Fairness and Economic Stimulus Act of 2001: Introduced
by Representative Tancredo (R-CO), H.R. 3222 would limit the
number of H–1B nonimmigrant visas issued in any fiscal year.
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| H.R.
3221
Oppose
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Moratorium
on Student Visas:
Introduced by Representative Roukema (R-NJ), H.R. 3221 would
establish a temporary moratorium on the issuance of visas for
nonimmigrant foreign students and other exchange program
participants and would change reporting requirements for
universities under the foreign student monitoring program.
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H.R.
3181
Oppose
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Moratorium
on Student Visas:
Introduced by Representative Bilirakis (R-FL), H.R. 3181 would
establish a temporary moratorium on the issuance of visas for
nonimmigrant foreign students and other exchange program
participants, and would change procedures for issuance of
nonimmigrant student visas and procedures for admission at
U.S. ports of entry.
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H.R.
2113
Oppose
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Secret
Evidence Rule: Introduced
by Representative Rohrabacher (R-CA), H.R. 2113 would amend
the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that no
permanent resident alien or alien in the United States with an
unexpired visa is removed or otherwise deprived of liberty,
based on evidence that is kept secret from the alien.
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23LE1006
04/04/02
Hugo
Romero
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