Senate Meets with Parliamentarian on Budget Bill
As of Friday morning, the Senate Parliamentarian was still reviewing the Democrats’ immigration plans for the spending bill and hadn’t ruled on whether the policies should be included. On Monday Senator Chuck Schumer sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to fellow Democrats outlining various meetings with the parliamentarian, saying, “Our goal is to finalize the remaining committees over the course of this week and next.” No word on when Schumer will bring the spending bill to the Senate floor, but reports indicate that the Senate is still planning to pass the spending bill by Dec. 25.
Senate Confirms First CBP Leader In More Than Two Years
On Tuesday, Senators voted to confirm Tucson, Arizona Police Chief Chris Magnus to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Magnus is the first Senate-approved commissioner of CBP in more than two years, and has worked in law enforcement since the 1970’s. Magnus is taking the lead at the agency after Border Patrol reported the highest number of apprehensions on record in the past year.
Immigration Groups Team Up To Prepare For a 2022 GOP Takeover
Two massive immigration organizations — the American Immigration Council and the New American Economy — announced this week they’re joining forces and merging their non-profits into a unified American Immigration Council. With some political commentators worried the 2022 midterms could bring a change in Congressional party majorities, immigration advocates hope that the merger will provide a path forward if political winds change.
CBP Reports Agents Rarely Disciplined For Misconduct
According to a new report issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), agents rarely faced disciplinary consequences in 2020, despite reports of assault, corruption, and more. The report showed a 14% rise in complaints filed against Field Operations officers and a 4% increase in complaints filed against border agents. Despite the 17% uptick in allegations, the report said “removals and indefinite subsections did not increase from 2019.”
USCIS To Temporarily Waive Civil Surgeon Signature Requirement on Form I-693
USCIS said this week it will temporarily waive the requirement for a civil surgeon to sign Form I-693 (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record) no more than 60 days before an applicant files an application for an underlying immigration benefit, including Form I-485 until Sept 2022. The goal is aimed at helping applicants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related processing delays.