Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act

The National Immigration Forum promotes immigration policy that will foster comprehensive solutions to the U.S. immigration crisis. In addition to general education on immigration matters, during the fourth quarter of 2008, Forum staff participated in the promotion of several legislative proposals relating to emergency relief from removal of deportation, improvement in immigration detention standards, immigrant detainee medical conditions, visa reforms for family and employment based petitions, and addressed various immigration concerns as they were raised during House or Senate debate. More specifically, the Forum worked on issues relating to the following bills: H.R. 4088/S. 2366/S. 2368 Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act provides for expanded border and interior enforcement of immigration laws and requires mandatory use of electronic employment verification system. The National Immigration Forum opposed this bill. H.R. 5570 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the special immigrant non-minister religious worker program, and for other purposes. See S.3606, which became Public Law 110-391 on 10/10/2008. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill in conjunction with other efforts to extend critical immigration programs set to expire on Sept 30, 2008. S. 3114 The Secure and Safe Detention and Asylum Act provides for improved and more generous standards in detention, particularly for individuals seeking asylum. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R. 5882/S. 3514 To recapture employment-based immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays and to prevent losses of family- and employment-based immigrant visas in the future. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R. 5921 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per country level for employment-based immigrants and to end the spill-over of unused immigrant visa numbers between employment-based and family-sponsored The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R. 6020 Lance Corporal Jose Gutierrez Act of 2008 provides for exemptions and streamlined procedures for families of military personnel. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R. 5950 Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 expands requirements and procedures for medical care provided to detainees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R. 6617 /S. 3334 Strengthening Communities through Education and Integration Act of 2008 provides innovative solutions for immigrant integration, including expansion of programs for English as a Second Language programs. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. S. 3594 The Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act restores and preserves basic due process rights for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and workers involved in labor disputes, who are the victims of immigration raids. The National immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R.7255 Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act provides for alternatives to immigration detention and improved detention standards for immigration detainees. The National Immigration Forum supported this bill. H.R.2638 Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. The National Immigration Forum supported provisions of this resolution covering extensions of immigration programs set to expire at end of fiscal year, including E-verify program. The Forum did not support provisions to further increase ICE budget for detention programs or expansion of E-verify program.

Client expense: $50,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Legislative Issues: Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4088); Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 (H.R. 5950); Secure and Safe Detention and Asylum Act (S. 3114); Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act (S. 3606); Conrad 30 Program Extension (H.R. 5571); Reuniting Families Act (S. 3514); Visa Efficiency and E-Verify Extension Act of 2008 (S. 3414); Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act (S.3594) Agency Issues: visa processing; immigration benefits processing; ICE workplace enforcement raids; ICE detention standards & medical issues; labor certification

Client expense: $20,210 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Social Security Administration (SSA), State, Dept of (DOS), White House Office

Legislative Issues: Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4088); Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 (H.R. 5950); Secure and Safe Detention and Asylum Act (S. 3114); Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act (S. 3606); Conrad 30 Program Extension (H.R. 5571); Reuniting Families Act (S. 3514); Visa Efficiency and E-Verify Extension Act of 2008 (S. 3414); Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act (S.3594) Agency Issues: visa processing; immigration benefits processing; ICE workplace enforcement raids; ICE detention standards & medical issues; labor certification

Client expense: $20,210 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Social Security Administration (SSA), State, Dept of (DOS), White House Office

Legislative Issues: Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4088); Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 (H.R. 5950); Secure and Safe Detention and Asylum Act (S. 3114); Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act (S. 3606); Conrad 30 Program Extension (H.R. 5571); Reuniting Families Act (S. 3514); Visa Efficiency and E-Verify Extension Act of 2008 (S. 3414); Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act (S.3594) Agency Issues: visa processing; immigration benefits processing; ICE workplace enforcement raids; ICE detnetion standards & medical issues; labor certification

Client expense: $19,000 · Firm income: Not reported

HR 5570. The Religious Worker Visa Extension Act of 2008. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the special immigrant nonminister religious worker program, and for other purposes. With other members of an informal coalition of religious organizations, lobbied for its passage in the Senate. Then lobbied for introduction and passage of S 3257. Legal Immigration Extension Act of 2008. A bill to extend immigration programs to promote legal immigration and for other purposes. Finally, lobbied for introduction and passage of S 3606. Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act. A bill to extend the special immigrant nonminister religous worker program.

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

See attached. H.R. 5515 by Sam Johnson (R-TX) New Employee Verification Act of 2008 (Provisions amending the Social Security Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent unauthorized employment, and to improve coordination of the provisions of such Acts) H.R. 5882 by Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) A bill to recapture employment-based immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delays and to prevent losses of family and employment-based immigrant visas in the future. (Provisions that would reach back to 1992 and "recapture" employment-based and family-based visas, potentially adding over 550,000 new green cards) H.R. 5924 by Robert Wexler (D-FL) Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act. (Provision that would lift the cap on employment-based visas for nurses and physical therapists until 2011) H.R. 5950 by Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008. (Provisions that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "to establish procedures for the delivery of medical and mental health care to all immigration detainees inDHS custody) H.R. 6020 by Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to protect the well-being of soldiers and their families, and for other purposes. (Provisions that would grant any person who served honorably as a member of the U.S. armed forces in certain "contingency operations" the opportunity to become a naturalized citizen) H.R. 6633 by Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) Employee Verification Amendment Act of 2008. (Provisions that would evaluate and extend the basic pilot program for employment eligibility confirmation and to ensure the protection of Social Security beneficiaries) S. 2840 by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) The "Military Personnel Citizenship Processing Act. (Provisions that would establish an office within DHS that would serve as a liaison between that department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in effort to facilitate citizenship applications of both active and former service members and their spouses and minor children S. 3257 by Arlen Specter (R-PA) Legal Immigration Extension Act of 2008. (Provisions related to extending E-Verify for five years and reauthorize several other visa categories) S. 3414 by Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Visa Efficiency and E-Verify Extension Act of 2008. (Provisions which reauthorizes E-Verify for five years, but also includes a provision that would recapture visas that the State Department did not issue in fiscal years 1992 through 2007) S. 3606 by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) The "Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act." (Provisions relating to The Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program that allows certain qualifying religious organizations to sponsor nonminister religious workers for a visa that allows them to permanently immigrate to the United States. 5,000 visas are available in this category annually)