Pres. Trump highlights immigration accomplishments during SOTU

Pres. Trump focused on populist immigration policies during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, seeking to reset the public's mood on enforcement amid the now two-week-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Democrats forced the shutdown after demanding that several provisions be added to the DHS spending bill that would severely limit immigration enforcement and protect nearly every illegal alien from deportation.

The President highlighted Somali fraud, which has fleeced the American taxpayers of billions of dollars, and he highlighted the victims of crimes committed by criminal illegal aliens. He also called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a valid photo ID when voting in federal elections.

But Pres. Trump did not outline how he plans to make good on his campaign promise to deport the largest number of illegal aliens in U.S. history.

The Immigration Accountability Project has been working with the Mass Deportation Coalition in preparing a playbook with a variety of policy options the Trump Administration can use to increase deportations to at least one million per year. You can learn more about the Coalition and our guiding principles at MassDeportationCoalition.org.

As for the SAVE America Act, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he plans to bring the House-passed legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. However, he has been throwing up roadblocks to utilizing the "talking filibuster" to overcome Democratic resistance to the bill. 

The talking filibuster is actually the original filibuster described in current Senate rules, rather than the so-called “zombie filibuster” (where they don’t have to do anything but vote “no”) that the majority party has relied on for years to maintain their light work schedule and three-day work weeks. The talking filibuster requires Senators who oppose the bill to speak continuously on the floor of the Senate in order to delay a final vote. Each senator is allowed to speak twice, so the process could take a significant amount of time (it took 60 days for the Senate to overcome Democratic opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act).  Senators are also allowed to offer amendments, and each amendment would reset the clock unless Republicans voted in lockstep to table the amendments. However, Senate Republicans would eventually be able to force a final vote at a 51-vote threshold and send the bill to Pres. Trump’s desk. 

Rep. Andy Ogles jumps into Immigration Rankings Top 5

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) cosponsored three bills rated as Key Legislation by IAP Action, leapfrogging him to the No. 5 ranking in the House of Representatives in this week's Congressional Immigration Rankings. Rep. Ogles cosponsored the Stopping Border Surges Act (H.R. 116), the Nuclear Family Priority Act (H.R. 2705) to end chain migration, and the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 251) that would require all employers to use E-Verify.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) made the biggest move of the week, moving up 30 spots to No. 113 in the House after cosponsoring the SAFE for America Act (H.R. 1241), which would end the visa lottery. The bill is also rated as Key Legislation by IAP Action.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) made the biggest move in the Senate, jumping five spots after becoming the 48th cosponsor of the SAVE America Act.

Rep. Al Green (D-TX) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) slid the most, dropping seven spots and three spots, respectively. Rep. Green cosponsored the LOAN Act (H.R. 4862) that allows certain illegal aliens to access federal student loans. Sen. Blumenthal cosponsored the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act (S. 709), which allows certain foreign physicians to practice in the United States.

You can view the full Congressional Immigration Rankings at IAP Action.

Immigration Articles

Daily Caller: What Battleground Voters Really Think About Election Integrity

A poll conducted by Heritage Action in five battleground states (Alaska, Georgia, Maine, Ohio, and North Carolina) found that a majority of voters support the SAVE America Act's requirements for proof of citizenship and valid ID to vote in federal elections.

AXIOS: GOP revolt derails ICE detention plans

Republican elected officials in several states are leading local "not-in-my-backyard" revolts against ICE's multi-billion-dollar plan to rapidly expand immigration detention facilities.

Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Considers Requiring Banks to Collect Citizenship Information

The Trump administration is considering an executive order that would require banks to collect citizenship information, such as passports, from both new and existing customers as part of a whole-of-government approach to stopping illegal immigration.

Next Week

The House and Senate are back next week. DHS is still shut down, and the public is demanding a talking filibuster of the SAVE America Act, so most attention will be on the Senate. Tuesday and Wednesday, Secretary Noem of DHS will be testifying before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and the House Judiciary Committee will be marking up Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock’s (R-CA) Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act.