Interfaithimmigration

1. Interfaithimmigration.org Welcome to the IIC’s Webinar on Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 Friday, April 19th, 2013 Call and Webinar will begin at 3:00 p.m. EST For audio, please dial 805-399-1000 and enter access code 104402. The audio and visual portions are NOT linked. You must dial this number to hear the audio portion of the webinar.

2. AGENDA 3:00 Welcome, agenda, resources: Jen Smyers, Church World Service 3:05 Summary of bill by special guests Jeanne Butterfield, Raben Group and Angie Kelly, Center for American Progress 3:12 Path to Citizenship: Jen Smyers and ShainaAber 3:15 Border Enforcement: ShainaAber, Jesuit Conference 3:18 Detention, Counsel & Courts: Nora Skelly, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 3:21 Family reunification: Jen Smyers, CWS 3:24 Workers’ Visas & Rights: Ryan Murphy, Sisters of Mercy 3:27 Refugees & Asylum Seekers: Katie Conway, Episcopal Church 3:30 Overview of positives & negatives: Jen Smyers, CWS 3:33 Next Steps & Actions: Noel Andersen, CWS 3:36 Robust Period of Questions & Answers, then conclude at 4:00

3. Available Resources Compiled statements from faith groups responding to the Senate bill: (will continue to be updated as more statements are completed and release) http://www.interfaithimmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IIC-Statements-on-Immigration-Bill.pdf CAP: Top 10 Ways the Senate’s Immigration Reform Bill Will Fix Our Broken System: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2013/04/17/60837/top-10-ways-the-senates-immigration-reform-bill-will-fix-our-broken-system/ NILC: Senate immigration reform bill: Summaries & analysis : http://nilc.org/irsenate2013.html Full text of bill: http://www.schumer.senate.gov/forms/immigration.pdf

4. Overview of Bill Path to Citizenship: people who have been in the U.S. since January 1, 2012 could apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status. In 10 years they could apply for a greencard, and 3 years after that could apply for citizenship. Fines total $2,000. Expedited path for DREAMers, ag workers. Border Enforcement: 90% enforcement effectiveness must happen before people can apply for citizenship: fencing, technology, border agents, mandatory employment verification, electronic entry/exit. Detention, Counsel & Courts: increase legal orientation for people in detention, inform individuals of rights, alternatives to detention Family reunification: Would keep U.S. citizens from sponsoring siblings and married adult kids over 30; positive fixes for spouse, fiancé, minor kids of greencard holders, stepkids, widows, orphans, separated kids Workers’ Visas & Rights: expands high-skilled visas, agricultural visas, temporary worker visas allowing portability; wage standards, protections for US workers, labor market commission to set numbers Refugees & Asylum Seekers: removes the 1-year filing deadline for asylum, helps keep refugee families together, provides legal status to stateless people

5. Top Ten Questions and Answers about the Senate Immigration Bill • What are the eligibility requirements for people for legalization? • 2. What will happen to people in current visa backlogs? • 3. Will the border enforcement "triggers" delay the legalization program? • 4. What about family members...spouses/kids of LPRs, siblings, LGBT partners, adult married kids? • 5. What about DREAMERS, what happens to them? • 6. What changes does would be made to employment-based visas? • 7. What about people who had TPS or DED? • 8. Are there any changes to the asylum and refugee programs in this bill? • 9. What about other enforcement measures, such as E-Verify? • 10. When will this bill become law? What is the process? When can people begin to apply for legalization?

6. Path to Citizenship • Initial registration: Once implementation begins (which will take some time after enactment), people will have 1 year (can be extended by 18 months) to apply for “Registered Provisional Immigrant” status. DHS must submit its plan for enforcement before RPI can be issued. Cost: $500. • Renewal: After 6 years, people with RPI must apply for renewal. • Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residency: After 10 years total in RPI status, people can apply for Lawful Permanent Residency (LPR). Cost: $500. • Applying for Citizenship: After 3 years with LPR status, individuals can apply for U.S. Citizenship. Cost: $1,000. • DREAMersand qualifying agricultural workers: Will be able to apply for LPR status only 5 years after receiving RPI status, and citizenship immediately after receiving LPR status. • Ineligibility: people who have committed a felony, aggravated felony, or 3 misdemeanors (other than traffic offenses) will not be eligible.

7. Border Security • Additional Resources for Border Security • $6.5 billion • Fencing, border prosecutions • Militarization of the border • National Guard, DOD • Sensors, drones, radar, cameras • More Oversight of DHS at the Border • Immigration Ombudsman • DHS border oversight taskforce • Use of force policy development • training • What’s missing? • A uniform complaint process • A fix to ATEP, Operation Streamline • NGO access to CBP facilities • Due process guarantees • Safe repatriation protocols

8. Interior Enforcement • Five year phase-in of mandatory E-Verify • Electronic entry/exit system for visas • Anti-fraud measures • Interior Enforcement • Worker Protections • Immigration Court Improvements • Improved access to counsel • Judicial Discretion • Alternatives to detention, detention reforms • New Criminal and Civil Penalties for border crossing, including prison terms

9. Family Reunification • Would keep U.S. citizens from sponsoring siblings and married adult kids over 30 • Would more quickly reunited Lawful Permanent Residents’ spouses and children • Positive fixes for spouse, fiancé, minor kids of greencard holders, stepkids, widows, orphans, separated kids • Two new Merit-Based Systems, in addition to family and employment systems • Backlog Reduction, recapturing unused visas, increases per-country caps • Allows parents of U.S. citizens who immigrate to the U.S. to bring their minor children with them • Permits some family members with approved petitions awaiting green cards to work and live in the U.S. (V-visa) • Allows family members to visit the U.S. for up to 60 days per year • Family members who are derivatives of employment-based immigrants are exempt from numerical limits. • Allows immigration judges and DHS to take into account the hardship that an immigrant’s U.S. citizen or LPR parent, spouse or child would experience should an individual be deported or barred from entry. • Allows individuals applying for pathway to citizenship to include in their applications their spouse and children under 21 as derivatives.

10. Workers’ Visas & Rights • H-1B • Deterring Abuse • H-2B • New Worker Program (W Visa) • Agriculture • INVEST Visa

11. Refugees & Asylum Seekers • Would remove the 1-year filing deadline for asylum • Would keep refugee families together who currently are separated • Would improve the efficiency and process of the Iraqi special immigrant visa application process • Would provide legal status to stateless people • Would allow the Administration to designate groups of humanitarian concern who share common characteristics that identify them as targets of persecution as eligible for resettlement

12. Positives • Bipartisan reform that has a real chance of being enacted • Pathway to citizenship • Expedited pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and agricultural workers • Reduces the visa backlog • Positive reforms for family unity, employment visas, and agricultural workers • Increased protections for refugees, asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants

13. Concerns • How many of the 11 million will be eligible? • 13 years before Citizenship • (5 for DREAMers & ag workers) • 90% Effectiveness rate of • enforcement must be met • citizenship can be attained • Family immigration categories • Border Security Measures • Due Process & Worker protections

14. Next Steps • We will have to defend ALL positive pieces from amendments seeking to remove or alter them for the worse • We will seek improvements to the provisions of concern during the amendment process • Senate Judiciary Committee markup will begin May 7 • Get ready to make calls on amendments! 1-866-940-2439 • May 1st: Immigrant Sunday

15. IIC Contacts by organization African American Ministers in Action: Leslie Malachi, lmalachi@pfaw.org American Jewish Committee: Chelsea Hanson, hansonc@ajc.org Bread for the World Institute: Andrew Wainer, awainer@bread.org Church World Service: Jen Smyers, jsmyers@churchworldservice.org Disciples of Christ: Sharon Stanely, sstanley@dhm.disciples.org Episcopal Church: Katie Conway, kconway@episcopalchurch.org Franciscan Action Network: Marie Lucery, lucey@franciscanaction.org Friends Committee on National Legislation: Ruth Flower, flower@fcnl.org Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society: Liza Lieberman, liza.lieberman@hias.org Interfaith Worker Justice: Michael Livingston, mlivingston@iwj.org Irish Apostolate USA: Geri Garvey, administrator@usairish.org Islamic Information Center: HajarHosseini, hosseini@islamicinformationcenter.org Jesuit Conference, ShainaAber, saber@jesuit.org Jewish Council for Public Affairs: ElyssaKoidin, ekoidin@thejcpa.org Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: Nora Skelly, nskelly@lirs.org Mennonite Central Committee: Tammy Alexander, talexander@mcc.org Muslim Public Affairs Council: HodaElshishtawy, hoda@mpac.org Sisters of the Good Shepherd: Larry Couch, lclobbyist@gsadvocacy.org NETWORK: Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy, D.C., melacy@networklobby.org Pax Christi: Scott Wright, scott@tassc.org PICO: Heibi Thompson, hthompson@piconetwork.org Presbyterian Church, USA: Melissa Gee, melissa.davis@pcusa.org Sisters of Mercy of the Americas: Ryan Murphy, rmurphy@sistersofmercy.org Sojourners: IvoneGuillen, iguillen@sojo.net Union for Reform Judaism: Sarah Krinsky, skrinsky@rac.org Unitarian Universalist Association: Jen Toth, JToth@uua.org United Church of Christ: Rev. Mari Castellanos, castellm@ucc.org United Methodist Church: Bill Mefford, bmefford@umc-gbcs.org UNITED SIHKS: Harpreet Singh, harpreet.singh@unitedsikhs.org U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Kevin Appleby, kappleby@usccb.org World Relief: Jenny Yang, jgyang@worldrelief.org