Friday, February 27, 2009

It's Been a Busy Week on Immigration

Hey everyone!

There is a lot to update you on today and so that all these posts don't just get lost in cyberspace, I'm creating a content-guide post here to help you along the way.

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President Obama Releases Top Line Budget Numbers for FY2010

Yesterday, President Obama released his top line budget numbers for fiscal year 2010.

While it's too early to offer a full analysis of how these figures will be allocated to individual programs/agencies that affect immigration, this is what we know as of now:

  • The overall budget request by the president for the Department of Homeland Security's discretionary spending is $42.7 billion. This is a 6.4% increase over last year's $40.1 billion appropriation.
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will receive $1.4 billion for programs that focus on apprehending and deporting criminal aliens. It is not clear yet how this figure plays into ICE's overall discretionary spending. I will be watching these numbers, in particular, closely over the next couple of weeks to see how ICE funds are being allocated.
  • Customs and Border Patrol will receive $368 million within their existing funds to support 20,000 Border Patrol agents
  • The budget also includes $110 million to continue the expansion of the (problematic) E-Verify program.
The Department of Homeland Security's Funding Highlights report also states that "the Budget... supports strengthening the delivery of immigration services by streamlining and modernizing immigration application processes." However, the budget does not include a number of how much money will be dedicated to this process.

So, as I said, it's too early to make many judgments, comparisons, or analyzes with these numbers. But as I get more information, I will let you know.
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Congresswoman Roybal-Allard Introduces Legislation to Ensure the Humane Treatment of Immigrant Detainees

Yesterday, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard introduced the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 2009 (H.R. 1215) which works to "better ensure immigrant detainees receive fair and humane treatment while in detention."

This bill comes in response to the numerous deaths and cases of abuse in immigrant detention centers that have garnered media attention in recent months. These cases are not isolated however; in fact, over 80 people have died while in DHS detention during a five-year period beginning in 2003. A large portion of these deaths, it appears, could have been avoided if adequate and timely medical attention had been provided.

Although the federal government established immigration detention standards in 2000, these standards are not enforceable by law and not consistently implemented. The Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act seeks to correct the failure to provide safe and humane conditions by setting binding, clear, and enforceable detention standards.

In particular, the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act:
  • Improves detainees' access to telephones and medical care, including treatment for survivors of sexual abuse
  • Improves mental health care standards, which are critical for persons who have suffered persecution, torture, or other trauma
  • Promotes alternatives to detention which enable detainees to be released on their own recognizance, bond, or other non-custodial supervision programs
  • Provides protections for unaccompanied children taken into DHS custody
While providing water and food to children who are sometimes held for 72 hours or more at the border seems like common sense, reports show that children on the border are often held in deplorable conditions.

FCNL supports this effort by Congresswoman Roybal-Allard to implement clear and binding standards for the detention of immigrants. We have joined other national, regional, and local faith-based organizations in writing a letter of support for this bill. To view the letter, click HERE.

To read the full text of the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 2009, click HERE.
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Cocktails and Criticism: Deepak Bhargava--Executive Director of the Center for Community Change--Responds to the Bellingham Raid

Yesterday, Deepak Bhargava wrote a moving response to the Bellingham raid on the Center for Community Change's blog.

Bhargava wrote first of his opportunity to meet with President Obama last week during a cocktail reception for progressive leaders at the Whitehouse. He was pleased at that time with the response he received from Obama regarding comprehensive immigration reform.

Like most of us, however, he was disappointed when he received a call 10 pm on Tuesday night--just as Obama's address to the nation was finishing--that the first worksite raid under the Obama administration had taken place.

And also like most of us, he was pleased by the quick response of Secretary Napolitano and the Whitehouse to call for an investigation of the raid and publicly state that such enforcement tactics are not the Obama administration's immigration strategy.

What I would most like to point to you all, however, is the part of the blog where Bhargava asks "What lessons might we draw from this whole experience?"

He responds:

First, we are not agents of the Obama Administration – or any other politician. Our highest commitment as progressives is to the most vulnerable people in our society, and being progressive means nothing at all if it doesn’t mean standing up for and with them. Second, we shouldn’t expect to get change that we don’t help to make happen. To paraphrase Frederick Douglas, there is not progress without agitation. Third, if we take the view that the Administration is potentially an ally – rather than reflexively assuming bad intent -- and we are clear and specific about what we want to see happen, we can in fact make real progress by working together. I am heartened by what this Administration has gotten done for low-income people in an incredibly short period of time through the recovery bill and SCHIP legislation – and the speed of their response to our concerns about this tragic raid further confirms their sincere commitment to change.

I am also heartened that the President is leading a national conversation on shared responsibility and shared sacrifice – two critical elements of the community values that are at the center of all the work to which we community organizers are passionately committed.

So, maybe cocktails and criticism – in the context of a respectful and real relationship that grows and develops over time — can go together and deliver results.

I think these are important lessons for us all to consider as we move forward in our work for a more just and equitable society. The campaign is over and now it is time for us to create the change that we believe in.


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Congressional Hispanic Caucus Hopeful After Meeting with Napolitano

After a meeting with DHS Secretary Napolitano, The Hill reports that Hispanic lawmakers are hopeful that she will end workplace raids by Immigration and Customs Enfocrement (ICE).

Yesterday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Congress (CHC) held a closed door meeting with Secretary Napolitano. According to members of the CHC, she raised the issue of the Bellingham riad on her own accord and said that she had "grave concerns" over what happened.

Congressman and CHC Immigration Task Force Chairman Luis Gutierrez said the meeting was "very, very constructive. We’re happy....We shared with her our concerns about the raid. She shared with us that she had grave concerns about the manner in which it was carried out and that it’s under evaluation. I think the most important words were that she had ‘grave concerns.'"

The CHC is made up of Hispanic members of Congress who work to advance national and international issues that have an impact on policies related to the Hispanic community. The CHC pushes for comprehensive immigration reform and, right now, they are also focused on scaling back intimidating and agressive enforcement tactics impletmented under the Bush administration.

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