Wednesday, the Senate voted on amendments to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, adding a requirement that E-Verify be used for federal contractors and that a border fence be completed by the end of 2010. More anti-immigrant amendments will be offered Thursday.


While we are used to seeing the kind of tough-on-immigration posturing from Members of Congress in the context of appropriations bills, there is a danger that the accumulation of incremental victories by restrictionists in Congress will start to negatively affect the composition of a comprehensive bill when Congress finally gets down to work on a serious effort to fix the broken immigration system. Please take action on the items below. Voting on amendments will begin at 11:15 AM (though the exact timing of these amendments is not certain at this time).


In both of these alerts, we are asking for calls to Democratic Senate offices.




Thanks to the National Immigration Law Center for the following:



SENATE VOTING ON SSA NO-MATCH LETTER RULE ON THURSDAY


CALLS NEEDED


OPPOSE VITTER AMENDMENT 1375 to H.R. 2892, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010

Senator Vitter (R-LA) has introduced an amendment to the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010 that would undo the administration's decision today to rescind the Bush Administration rule regarding SSA No-Match letters. Under the rule, which is currently blocked by a court order, ICE can use the receipt of a no-match letter as evidence that the employer has "constructive knowledge" that the employee who is the subject of the letter is not authorized to work. As has been clearly stated by SSA, SSA no-match letters make no statement about a person's immigration status.


The Vitter amendment would:



Prevent DHS from using funds to rescind the rule;
Allow the flawed rule to move forward, which if implemented, would result in countless thousands of workers losing their jobs.

ACTION NEEDED:


1. Call your Democratic Senator(s) (Click Here to Find your Senator)


2. Tell them:




You OPPOSE the Vitter amendment (#1375) overriding President Obama's decision to rescind the flawed Bush administration SSA No Match rule.

You SUPPORT having a real debate about immigration issues and the only way for that to happen is by starting comprehensive immigration reform this year.



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And secondly, thanks to Grisella Martinez in our office for making this comprehensible:



SENATE VOTING ON E-VERIFY AMENDMENT

ON THURSDAY MORNING


CALLS NEEDED

OPPOSE GRASSLEY AMENDMENT 1415 to H.R. 2892, The Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010



Senator Grassley (R-IA) has introduced an amendment to the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010 that would allow employers who use E-verify to verify all of their existing employees, NOT JUST NEW-HIRES, even if they were employed before the employer started using E-verify, even if they've been working for the employer for 20 years. Current law prohibits these actions. Verifying workers under E-verify requires that every worker, citizens and non-citizens alike, present government-issued photo identification to their employer (such as a U.S. passport or driver's license).



Existing employees who can't present photo ID for verification under the program will be shut out of a job.



Who doesn't have photo ID?

Approximately 21 million U.S. citizens don't have government-issued photo ID
Approximately 11 million U.S. citizens don't have a U.S. passport or birth certificate
African-Americans, Latinos, women, senior citizens and low-income populations are less likely to have photo ID.


ACTION NEEDED:


1. Call your Democratic Senator(s) (Click Here to Find your Senator)


2. Tell them:




You OPPOSE the Grassley amendment (#1415) which jeopardizes U.S. workers and could shut millions of U.S. citizen and lawful immigrant workers out of jobs.

You SUPPORT having a real debate about immigration issues and the only way for that to happen is by starting comprehensive immigration reform this year, not hurting U.S. workers.


What Happened Today?

E-Verify: Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) offered an amendment that would make the E-Verify electronic worker verification program permanent. (Currently, E-Verify is set to expire in three years). It would also require its use by employers that receive federal contracts. Senator Schumer (D-NY) offered a motion to table the Sessions amendment. The motion to table failed by a vote of 44 to 53, and the Sessions amendment was adopted. (Dems voting the wrong way: Baucus (D-MT), Conrad (D-ND), Dorgan (D-ND), Hagan (D-NC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Landrieu (D-LA), Lieberman (ID-CT), Lincoln (D-AR) , McCaskill (D-MO), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Rockefeller (D-WV), Tester (D-MT))


See how your Senator voted:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... vote=00219


The Fence to Nowhere: Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) offered an amendment that would require the previously-authorized 700-mile border Fence to Nowhere be completed by the end of next year. This amendment specifies that vehicle barriers are not sufficient; that the Fence to Nowhere must "effectively restrain pedestrian traffic" (or at least make pedestrians walk around the fence). The amendment was adopted by a vote of 54 to 44.


See how your Senator voted:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/r ... vote=00220



What do Today's Votes Mean for Comprehensive Reform?

While many Senators who voted for these amendments have long opposed immigration reform, not all of them will oppose a comprehensive package. For restrictionists Senators, the writing is on the wall that comprehensive immigration reform will be taken up later this year by Congress, and they are trying to get what they can before they become less relevant. Many Senators who will in the end support comprehensive immigration reform want to show they are going to be tough on enforcement, and will do so at every opportunity. It is disappointing that Senators are still making these symbolic actions which amount to more money being thrown at efforts to enforce laws that are broken. It's time we start seeing them actually tackling the problem in a way that might fix it.


No comparable provisions are included in the House bill, which has already been passed. There will be a chance to remove these provisions when the House and Senate negotiate a compromise in Conference Committee (though it is not a given that these provisions will be stricken).


In Other News Today: DHS Announces Support of E-Verify for federal contractors; Bush No Match Regulation to be Rescinded

The Department of Homeland Security announced today that it will push ahead with a regulation that will require federal contractors and subcontractors to verify their workers with the E-Verify system. According to the announcement, the rule will "apply to federal solicitations and contract awards Government-wide starting on September 8, 2009."


In the same announcement, the administration said it would rescind a 2007 Bush administration regulation establishing procedures that employers could follow if they received No-Match letters from the Social Security Administration. The rule has never taken effect, due to a pending lawsuit. The announcement noted that E-Verify is a better tool for identifying unauthorized workers.


You can read the entire statement here:

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1247063976814.shtm


The Forum has put out a release commenting on both the administration and Senate actions today, and you can read the release here:

http://www.immigrationforum.org/press/r ... ve-reform/