Daily DACA Round-Up: 1/16/18

Hello, and to quote Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the debate over Dreamers has reached a "shitshow." I will try to do my best to guide you through this mess.

But, first, let's start with a PSA:

If your DACA expires sometime this year or early next year, please send your renewal application to USCIS ASAP.

I have faith that there are links around the Internet to help you.

Here's why I am saying this, as the biggest development today came from the U.S. Department of Justice:

(https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/...E6P#.rdJvzlOjp)

What does this mean? Well, DOJ is seeking a two-prong approach. It will appeal to the (liberal) 9th Circuit to stay the injunction (Meaning DACA renewals would be halted). The court is unlikely to stay the injunction, given what we have seen in the travel ban lawsuits.

Meanwhile, DOJ is also appealing directly to SCOTUS later in the week, asking the court to judge directly whether it thinks the Trump administration had ended DACA in a legal way. It's important to recognize that DOJ is not asking for SCOTUS to stay the injunction.

If you are a law nerd, this thread from Buzzfeed News' Legal Editor Chris Geidner is worth a read: https://twitter.com/chrisgeidner/sta...55263515549702

If we assume the 9th Circuit is not going to stay the injunction, then we have until SCOTUS rules on this issue to renew our DACA applications. When will SCOTUS rule? No one is sure.

(https://twitter.com/EricColumbus/sta...48992003395584)

It seems unlikely that SCOTUS or the 9th Circuit will stop people from renewing their DACA this week. But every passing week makes things riskier and riskier for the applicants.

I'll leave it at that, for now, and let's move on to what's happening in Congress.

Today was a whirlwind of a day in Congress. We'll start at the DHS Secretary Kristen Nielsen's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The biggest headline was whether Nielsen recalls Trump saying "shithole" in Thursday's meeting (She doesn't), but legislatively, one of the most interesting nugget was this:

(https://twitter.com/damianpaletta/st...03816778276864)

Obviously, a $20 b. border security funding is a non-starter for many Democrats, and even some Republicans are opposed to building "a wall" along the border.

Nielsen also said it's important for any DACA deal to "close the loopholes" in our immigration system:

(https://twitter.com/DLind/status/953304449996509184)

She also said the administration does not plan to extend DACA beyond March 5, which was legally impossible but still floated by some inside and outside the administration.

(https://twitter.com/edatpost/status/953320434363174912)

After the much-anticipated hearing, senators and congressmen were pushing their preferred version of a "DACA fix" today.

There are effectively three bills to watch out for, so we'll handle each one of them briefly.

Durbin/Graham bill (aka. Group of Six bill):

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today that the full text of his bill will be released tomorrow.

(https://twitter.com/LisaDNews/status/953330204843356161)

The bill has gained a couple more GOP supporters (Murkowski and Collins). That brings the number of GOP supporters in the Senate to five. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the bill "the last train leaving the station," as he thinks this is the only bill that can get bipartisan support in the Senate.

(https://twitter.com/pdmcleod/status/953405569121046528)

But will the bill go well in the House? Reporters say, "eh,":

(https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/stat...34635781599232)

(https://twitter.com/lbarronlopez/sta...44704992763904)

Here's the full summary of the bill - (https://twitter.com/seungminkim/stat...95496143466501)

Goodlatte's bill

Thankfully, it hasn't gotten a lot of traction today. The most important news regarding this bill actually came yesterday:

(https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...es-daca-340603)

But the bill seems DOA in the Senate, and even in the House, many moderate GOP members are hesitant to vote for this bill. So, let's just move on.

(If you do want to read this bill, here's the text: https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-conte...Future-Act.pdf and summary: https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-conte...-Act-Final.pdf)

Hurd/Aguilar bill (Known as the USA Act):

The last bill on the floor is the bill that was mentioned about a week ago (https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/polit...led/index.html).

Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Pete Aguilar (D-CA) officially released their bill today, with 40 bipartisan supporters (20 Democrats and 20 Republicans). Most significantly, it has the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus leaders, meaning the bill should get support from pretty much all Democrats and many moderate Republicans.

(https://twitter.com/heatherscope/sta...82494228885505)

[QUOTE-Heather Caygle (Politico reporter)]Dems still planning to vote no on CR. But seems to be some wiggle room on that if this Hurd-Aguilar bill gains momentum.

CHC Chair Lujan Grisham: "If we don’t get a vote [on DACA], I think that strategy will stay. But we also don’t want any strategy to prevent us from prevailing[/quote]

(https://twitter.com/heatherscope/sta...79465538752512)

So, what is exactly in the bill? Well, it's a relatively straightforward Dream Act for border security measure, which is why the bill has gotten a lot of Democratic sponsors in the House v. Durbin/Graham bill.

Here's the press release: https://denham.house.gov/news/docume...ocumentID=2230

Bill's text: https://denham.house.gov/uploadedfil...xt_1.16.18.pdf

The bill grants conditional permanent residency to 1) who entered the U.S. under 18 and 2) Has been continuously physically present in the U.S. since Dec. 31, 2013 (Advanced Parole is fine). It's an 8-year CPR to GC, meaning 13-year pathway to USC. Typical employment/education/military requirement applies.

The most interesting thing about this bill is that it doesn't seem to allocate a certain amount of funding to border security, only that technological advancements such as "unmanned aerial systems" be operated. $110 m. a year grant to state authorities for border security is proposed from 2018-2022 fiscal year. The bill also allocates funding for at least 165 add. immigration judges and 69 add. immigration attorneys by 2020. There are also provisions to appoint officials to strengthen the situations in Central America.

But will the bill get the blessing from the GOP leadership in the House, let alone the Senate? The GOP leadership is "aware" of the bill but hasn't given any commitment, says Hurd. (https://twitter.com/heatherscope/sta...76101300162560)

Time will only tell...

So, those are the brief summary of the three bills that matter the most right now. Other negotiations (Including the "Group of No.2's") are happening, but not enough is known to say anything about it.

This post is already so long so let's just touch on the shutdown watch before I head out for the day:

No one is optimistic that a DACA deal will be reached before Friday, so that means another continuing resolution ("Punt, baby, punt!"). What will be in it?

(https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/953443320113528832)

Health care tax measures mean delaying some Obamacare taxes such as Cadillac/medical device taxes for a couple years.

House GOP seems largely in supportive of it (https://twitter.com/scottwongDC/stat...31616390619136). But given that on Jan. 20, a sequester
(across-the-board spending cuts including the military) kicks in, will defense hawks and others bite on it?

(https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/953433393617948673)

What about Democrats? Well, they are not revealing their hands yet, although some legislators are saying shutdown is "more likely than not" this time (https://twitter.com/frankthorp/statu...01205450657794).

Finally, what's to look forward tomorrow? Well, Congressional Hispanic Caucus is meeting with WH chief of Staff John Kelly tomorrow (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...reamers-341178). Kelly helped Stephen Miller derail Thursday's meeting. What will Kelly say to CHC tomorrow?

And legislators' effort to push what they want should continue tomorrow, as well as an effort to prevent the government from shutting down.

That should just about do it. May God smile in our favor tomorrow.

Update: A growing development on the CR (https://twitter.com/sarahnferris/sta...61647955365888)

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATES! I should stop checking the forum every 20 mins during the day and just wait for your update!

Happy with the renewal just need AP along Set dont care about other things right now.

Mhm

Mark Meadows says there isn’t enough support in the GOP conference to pass the CR, not even in the Freedom Caucus alone.

He also says Freedom Caucus members would support a defense cromnibus — full fiscal year for defense, one month for non-defense. via @MEPFuller

OP must be a reporter or a paralegal or something

Do this every night

I am mentally exhausted

I always look forward to your posts!

Thank you!

I sent in my renewal today! It’s be there tomorrow at 10:30am

Thanks for another great job!

It wouldve been nice if AP was reinstated as well