McCain Not Giving Up on Amnesty
“Even as House Republican leaders reject the idea of a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday that he still sees hope on the horizon for a full fix to the problem, rather than granting only young people a legalized status,” the Huffington Post writes.
“‘I don’t accept your premise that the House of Representatives will absolutely reject a path to citizenship,’ McCain said in response to a question during a forum with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), hosted by the Arizona Republic, KPNX-TV 12News and USA Today. ‘I just don’t accept that. I think we will know more in two or three months.'”
Somali Immigrants Charged With Voter Fraud
“About 50 men and women packed a Rice County courtroom Tuesday afternoon as two Somali women pleaded not guilty to charges of voter fraud stemming from the general election last November. Farhiya Abdi Dool, 38, and Amina A Hassan, 31, each face one felony charge of unlawful voting for voting once by absentee ballot and once at a polling place during the 2012 general election. Each woman faces five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the offense. The women, both naturalized U.S. citizens, were charged June 21,” Southernminn.com reports.
Private Prison Opponents Try to Stop Immigrant Detention
“What if [amnesty]advocates used financial arguments to make their case? Ask 10 individuals how they feel about the immigration debate, and you’ll get a range of responses combining humanitarian, employment, population, or economic concerns. You probably won’t hear about the hefty price tag of the immigration control battle, nor the profits that private prisons are making off the government’s expenditures, nor the alternatives to detention that might pair more humane treatment with cost effectiveness,” says The Atlantic.
“‘We’ve worked in partnership with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement…for 30 years to help safely and humanely house detainees at a savings to taxpayers, and we will continue to work with them in whatever capacity they need,’ CCA spokesman Steve Owen said in an email.”
Debt Limit Debate Among Possible Factors Delaying Amnesty
“[Amnesty] advocates have a new enemy: the congressional calendar. Fall’s fiscal fights have lined up in a way that could delay immigration reform until 2014, multiple senior House Republican leadership aides tell POLITICO, imperiling the effort’s prospects before the midterm elections,” Politico reports.
“The mid-October debt ceiling deadline — an earlier-than-expected target laid out Monday by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew — is changing the House GOP leadership’s plans to pass immigration bills that month. ‘If we have to deal with the debt limit earlier, it doesn’t change the overall dynamics of the debate, but — just in terms of timing — it might make it harder to find time for immigration bills in October,’ one House Republican leadership aide said.”
$1.5 Billion Jobs Program Among Pork Projects in Senate Amnesty Bill
“After a comprehensive immigration bill passed the Senate in June, President Obama says he’s “absolutely confident” it can pass the House if put to a vote. But critics question how many lawmakers have actually read the 1,200-page bill, which they say is packed with hidden pork-barrel spending projects ranging from $1.5 billion for a “Youth Jobs Program” to millions for immigrant support groups that some say have a political agenda,” Fox News writes.
“‘Earmarks, special pork deals, and cash for groups allied with the Obama administration should be eliminated from any final bill,’ Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in a statement to FoxNews.com.”