Editor's Comments of the Day

The Senate has just passed eleven private relief bills granting permanent resident status. Unlike public bills that affect the general public, a private bill is legislation that affects a particular individual, private corporation or specific part of the country. The beneficiaries of many private bills are people seeking help with immigration. Before a Congressman can initiate a private bill on behalf of an immigrant, all administrative and judicial remedies must be exhausted. Private bills are usually introduced in cases with compelling humanitarian factors where the INS has not, will not or cannot grant relief. Until a scandal several years ago campaign contributions were the major means used to encourage Senators to introduce private bills. In these days of closer scrutiny and talk of campaign reform it may be easier to persuade a Senator to take up the cause by reminding him that getting a green card for a sympathetic case makes better copy than kissing babies.

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Congressional News of the Day

Senate Passes "An Act for the Relief of Certain Persian Gulf Evacuees"
The Senate amended and passed H.R. 3646, the "An Act for the Relief of Certain Persian Gulf Evacuees," which waives certain grounds for inadmissibility and adjusts the status of Persian Gulf evacuees named in the Act.

Senate Passes Private Bills
Senate passed private relief bills granting permanent residency to Wei Jingsheng, Marina Khalina and her son, Jacqueline Salinas and her children , M.S. Elizabeth Eka Bassey and her children , Saeed Rezai, Tony Lara, Malia Miller, Mina Vahedi Notash, Jose Gadalupe Tellez Pinales and Guy Taylor.

House Passes H.R. 5062
Rep. Filner thanked the House for unanimously passing H.R. 5062 , to establish the eligibility of certain aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence for cancellation of removal under section 240A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and encouraged the Senate to quickly pass this bill that would help restore fairness to families split apart by the 1996 immigration legislation.

Amendments to H-1B Bill and Visa Waiver Bill in Senate
Amendments submitted on September 28 to S. 2045, the H-1B bill, include provisions to exempt from the H-1B cap J-1s granted a waiver of the two year home residency requirement and provisions for regular reports on INS backlogs to Congress. The amendments to H.R. 3767, which would make the visa waiver pilot program permanent, include measures to extend the G status for employees of INTELSAT beyond its privatization.

Debate on the H-1B Bill
Debate over S. 2045, the H-1B bill, continued on the floor of the Senate with Sen. Kennedy stressing the need to devote resources to the education and training of US workers instead of continuing to rely on labor from abroad. Debate is scheduled to resume Tuesday, October 3, 2000, at 9:30 a.m.

Senate Cloture Vote on Amendment to H-1B Bill
The roll call vote to end debate on amendment 4177 to S. 2045, the H-1B bill, was 92 in favor, 3 against and 5 not voting.

Sen. Feingold Comments on the Debate in Senate of the H-1B Bill
Sen. Feingold addressed the Senate and expressed his opposition to the way that the majority leader sought to prevent Senators from offering amendments on the H-1B visa bill and his effort to stifle debate by repeatedly filing cloture on the bill. Sen. Feingold went on to discuss campaign finance and racial profiling and how they relate to the H-1B visa bill.

Testimony Heard for H.R. 5285, the "Serial Human Rights Abusers Accountability Act of 2000"
Testimony presented to the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, during the September 28, 2000, legislative hearing on H.R. 5285, the "Serial Human Rights Abusers Accountability Act of 2000," includes statements from Lamar Smith, Sheila Jackson Lee, Mark Foley, Kevin Rooney, Bo Cooper, Genevieve Augustin, and Dan Stein.

S. 3139 Referred to Committee on the Judiciary
S. 3139, a bill to ensure that no alien is removed, denied a benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act, or otherwise deprived of liberty, based on evidence that is kept secret from the alien was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Communication on Fingerprinting Rule Sent to Senate Committee on the Judiciary
A communication from the Director of Policy Directives and Instructions Branch, INS, states that a rule entitled "Fingerprinting certain applicants for a replacement permanent resident card (Form I-551)" was laid before the Senate on September 26, 2000, and sent to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Zone Family Contribution to Immigrants
In an address in the House, Rep. Kucinich of Ohio acknowledged former City of Cleveland Councilman Michael Zone and his family who were among the early Italian families to settle in Ohio. Rep. Kucinich commentated that "as a councilman, Michael Zone worked hard for the Italian-American residents and assisted many of them with immigration and government services."

Congressional Schedule for Upcoming Week
The Congressional program for the week of October 2-6 includes a vote on S. 2045, the H-1B bill in the Senate and mark up by the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims of H.R. 5285 , the "Serious Human Rights Abusers Accountability Act of 2000," H.R. 5293, a bill to improve provisions relating to inadmissibility and detention of, and cancellation of removal for, aliens who have committed crimes, and to consider INS reports for private relief bills.

INS News of the Day

President Extends DED for Liberians
In a memorandum to the Attorney General the President has instructed her to implement deferral of enforced departure for one year from September 29, 2000, and make provisions for work authorization.

Immigration News of the Day

Hispanic Vote Unlikely To Swing Election
According to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, despite early speculation on their impact, Latinos make up a small fraction of voters in most states that are too close to call.

Unequal Success in the Quest for Asylum
The Los Angles Times reports that Iraqi Christians get virtual VIP treatment as they arrive from Mexican custody while other smuggled groups are often turned away. Experts concede US policy has many gray areas.