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[Previous entry: "Department Of Labor States that requests for expedites for Labor Certifications must be denied"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Visa Bulletin for November 2004"] 10/11/2004 Entry: "House Passes Bill with Numerous Anti-Immigrant Provisions" The House debated and voted today on H.R. 10 as well as a number of immigration-related amendments to the bill. Unfortunately, the bill passed by a large margin (282-134) and contains a number of extremely troubling provisions, including: (1) a broad expansion of expedited removal, (2) heightened burdens for asylum eligibility, (3) prohibition on acceptance of consular identifications, (4) restrictions on driver’s license issuance to noncitizens, (5) elimination of habeas review for a variety of final removal orders, (6) new mandatory detention provisions, (7) elimination of temporary stays pending judicial review of removal orders, and (8) authorization to remove individuals to countries without functioning governments. The House debated and voted today on H.R. 10 as well as a number of immigration-related amendments to the bill. Unfortunately, the bill passed by a large margin (282-134) and contains a number of extremely troubling provisions, including: (1) a broad expansion of expedited removal, (2) heightened burdens for asylum eligibility, (3) prohibition on acceptance of consular identifications, (4) restrictions on driver’s license issuance to noncitizens, (5) elimination of habeas review for a variety of final removal orders, (6) new mandatory detention provisions, (7) elimination of temporary stays pending judicial review of removal orders, and (8) authorization to remove individuals to countries without functioning governments. Efforts to substitute the bi-partisan Senate bill for H.R. 10 failed in two narrow votes. Amendments by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) to strip two of the most egregious provisions also failed in close votes. The next step in this process is for differences between the Senate and House bills to be reconciled through conference. A definitive schedule for the conference has not yet been announced, but statements from several Republican leaders suggest there will be a push to produce a conference report before the November elections. Members of the House and Senate would then be called back to Washington to vote on the reports.
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