Congress Passes DHS Appropriations Devoid of Wedge Issue Immigration Amendments

October 21, 2009

Washington, DC – Yesterday, the Senate approved the conference report on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill HR 2892. The adopted bill dropped some harsh immigration enforcement amendments that had been added to earlier versions of the bill by restrictionists, and also included immigration measures promoting immigrant integration and family unity. The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law.  The following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan, non-profit pro-immigrant advocacy organization in Washington.

The Senate’s stamp of approval on a DHS appropriations bill devoid of restrictionist amendments is more evidence that Congress is getting ready to find a practical solution to our immigration troubles.  Common sense prevailed despite attempts by restrictionists to include ‘more of the same’ immigration enforcement-only provisions that purport to appear ‘tough on illegal immigration’ without a serious effort to fundamentally fix our broken immigration system.

Congress refused to waste more money on the ‘border fence to nowhere’ that has proven expensive and ineffective.. We are pleased Congress is beginning to realize that a hard physical barrier on the border is not a serious response to an immigration system two decades out of date and in need of top-to-bottom reform. 

The fact that E-Verify was reauthorized for three years as a voluntary program shows that Congress is not ready to embrace whole-heartedly a mandatory expansion of the program.  The databases on which this program relies on are seriously flawed and not ready for prime-time. A rapid-fire expansion of a flawed verification system would have devastating consequences on struggling small businesses and American workers and would likely drive workers from tax-paying, above-board work into the underground, black market, cash economy.

The Senate also demonstrated leadership and political will for immigration reform by supporting the Orphans, Widows and Widowers Protection Act, legislation that that will provide immense relief for immigrants who are not only suffering from the loss of loved ones, but are facing deportation as well.   We applaud the courageous efforts of Senator Menendez (D-NJ), Gillibrand (D-NY) , Nelson (D-FL)  and Leahy (D-VT) to ensure that this important family unity measure was included in the bill.

Finally, Congress recognized the importance of welcoming newcomers and incorporating them into the fabric of our society by approving an $11 million initiative for immigrant integration requested by President Obama. The funds will establish a new Immigrant Integration program in the Office of Citizenship at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The serious work of drafting the top-to-bottom fixes we all know our immigration system needs remains before us, but the passage of the bill is a welcome sign that Congress is gearing up to seriously address achievable and workable comprehensive immigration reform.

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