Despite statements earlier from the Administration that it would release the next executive order (EO) on immigration this week, the White House announced February 22 that the new EO will not be released until next week.
Category: Immigration
Appeals Court Upholds Decision on Travel Ban
A three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit of Appeals kept in place Thursday a temporary restraining order against the Trump Administration executive order that sought, among other things, to bar visa holders from seven nations from entering the United States. The original order was issued by a federal district judge in Western Washington after a suit against the ban was filed by the states of Washington and Minnesota. The initial suit by Washington and Minnesota included declarations from a number of educational entities, including the University of Washington and Washington State University.
The decision primarily focused on the question of whether the ban should be blocked while the legality of the policy behind the ban is examined. The judges ruled unanimously against the various arguments offered by the Administration.
The Administration is now weighing its next steps in the process.
Senators Cotton and Perdue Unveil RAISE Act
Senators Tom Cotton (R-AK) and David Perdue (R-GA) have introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act. The legislative text has not yet been posted.
The measure would lower overall immigration to 637,960 in its first year and to 539,958 by its tenth year-a 50 percent reduction from the 1,051,031 immigrants who arrived in 2015.
According to Senator Cotton’s website, the measure would:
- Prioritize Immediate Family Households. The RAISE Act would retain immigration preferences for the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents while eliminating preferences for certain categories of extended and adult family members.
- Eliminate Outdated Diversity Visa Lottery. The Diversity Lottery is plagued with fraud, advances no economic or humanitarian interest, and does not even deliver the diversity of its namesake. The RAISE Act would eliminate the 50,000 visas arbitrarily allocated to this lottery.
- Place Responsible Limit on Permanent Residency for Refugees. The RAISE Act would limit refugees offered permanent residency to 50,000 per year, in line with a 13-year average.
Legislative text is not yet available. Federal Relations will continue to update on this legislation and other immigration developments.
Judge Halts Immigration Executive Order, With Limits
Last night, a Brooklyn judge halted parts of an Executive Order on Immigration the White House issued Friday that bars immigrants and travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the US.
Judge Ann Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York issued a stay on the Administration’s immigration Executive Order issued Friday saying that individuals with approved US visas from being returned to their country of origin.
The Office of Federal Relations will continue to post and monitor on this issue as it evolves.
Administration Issues Executive Actions on Immigration and More
The White House issued a series of executive actions late Friday.
- An Executive Order limiting immigration and suspending immigrant benefits of foreign nationals from certain countries.
- A Presidential Memorandum with a plan on how to defeat ISIS.
- A Presidential Memorandum reorganizing the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
- A Presidential Memorandum on rebuilding the US Armed Forces.