Congress heads into August recess

The smell of jet fumes is permeating the air in Washington, D.C., as Congress races towards the exits. The House of Representatives began its August recess on Wednesday, a day earlier than expected. The Senate is torn between President Trump’s demand that it stay in town to process nominations and the allure of the jet fumes. As of right now, the Senate is expected to leave town at the end of next week. 

IAP had an action-packed week teaching Hill staffers about the disastrous amnesty bill that Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) introduced (which we told you about last week), welcoming new administration officials, meeting with current officials, and strategizing with our Border Security and Mass Deportation Coalition partners.

Because Rep. Salazar’s amnesty bill has been the talk of the town since she introduced it, IAP was asked to provide separate amnesty briefings to Legislative Directors, Chiefs of Staff, and Staff Assistants from the Hill. Happily, it was clear that all the staffers recognize the bill for what it is: a mass amnesty. We are confident that all of their bosses will oppose it.

IAP was honored to be invited to the swearing-in ceremony of our friend, Joseph Edlow, as the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Joe fully understands the impact of mass immigration on Americans, and we anticipate that his department will adopt strong pro-American policies.

IAP had the opportunity this week to talk with Border Czar Tom Homan, as well as several officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It was a great opportunity to thank them for all they are doing to secure our borders and deport illegal aliens, as well as to offer ideas on additional strategies to improve efficiency and messaging to the American people.

IAP also had the chance to catch up and strategize with our partners in the Border Security and Mass Deportations Coalition. The coalition was originally formed in 2022 to put together the legislation that would become H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. Having successfully pushed that through the House of Representatives last Congress, we are gearing up to get it through the House again and to get it up for a vote on the Senate floor this Congress. Following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which contains the funding needed for border security and interior enforcement of our immigration laws, it is now time to close the legal loopholes that allowed the Biden Administration to flood our country with illegal aliens. It is time for Congress to enact H.R. 2!

Immigration Articles

Quashing Rumors, Vance Says Amnesty Deal Is Off the Table
With all of the amnesty discussions of the past few weeks, it was refreshing to hear a clear and unambiguous message from Vice President Vance: “We’re not going to do amnesty. We’re not going to tell people who have come into the country illegally that they are allowed to break our laws and be rewarded for it.”

States Sue Over Unauthorized Immigrants’ Access to Federal Programs
The Trump Administration recently moved to expand the list of benefits programs counted as federal benefits, which has the effect of cutting illegal aliens off from access to those benefits. New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, along with the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, filed suit to stop the change. Did your state make the list?

ICE detainers in top sanctuary city have skyrocketed under Trump compared to Biden's 4-year term: DHS
In other New York news, Fox News reports that ICE detainers for the notorious sanctuary New York City have increased by 400% since Biden left office. ICE issues detainers to take custody of illegal aliens who are arrested by states and localities, but New York City ignores those requests and allows criminal aliens to be released back onto the streets. According to the article, “only a handful” of the more than 6,000 requests in the past six months have been honored.

Exclusive Poll: Americans Firmly Oppose Amnesty for Illegal Aliens, Back Trump’s Deportation Agenda
Our friends at Tea Party Patriots Action commissioned a poll and released the results in Breitbart. The poll shows overwhelming opposition to amnesty (77%) and continued support for mass deportations (56%).

Immigration for Christians
Finally, for a deep dive this week, our friends at the Center for Renewing America have published a great article analyzing the biblical basis for immigration restriction. This comes as major faith-based organizations line up behind yet another amnesty proposal on Capitol Hill.

Next Week

The House is on recess until September 2. The Senate is in town next week, and we are awaiting word on whether it will join the House on recess or stay in town to continue processing nominations.

Either way, we’re looking forward to making it through the dog days of summer and into fall!