cot memo immigration 071614

8/12/2019 Cot Memo Immigration 071614

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DATE: July 16, 2014

TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Councilmember Richard Fimbres

Ward 5

SUBJECT: Meetings in Washington D.C. (Immigration)

During my vacation, I had meetings with administration officials, congressional staff and

consultants about immigration, postal reform and defense issues involving Tucson and SouthernArizona. These meetings were arranged by our federal lobbyists.

I met with Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Director, White House Immigration Domestic PolicyCouncil, Kevin Bailey, Policy Assistant, Domestic Policy Council, and Elias AlcantaraAssociate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

More than 52,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border fromOct. 1 through June 15, about double the total in a similar period a year earlier, U.S. Customs

and Border Protection reported. Most of the children are coming through Central America andMexico, according to the White House.

They stated that the Administration is opening a new facility in South Texas with 1,000 beds tohelp provide additional space for the children and adults with kids. The hope is that it will stemthe need for the children and families to have to travel beyond Texas. Discussions about the $3.7

billion dollar funding request the President was going to make took place as well.

Specifically, the $3.7 billion request covers four areas: deterrence, enforcement, foreign

assistance and capacity -- paying for the detention, care and transportation of children already inthe U.S. The supplemental appropriation request will also include $615 million for theAgriculture Department for wildfire suppression.

In addition to this emergency funding request, the administration is also moving forward toexplore what parts of the various immigration reforms could be achieved through executiveorder. The President has expressed his disappointment with the stalled immigration bill in theHouse and is currently pursuing an inventory of policies by his agencies of jurisdiction. These

reforms are expected to be made public by the end of the summer.

Legislative Outlook for the $3.7 billion Request:

MEMORANDUM


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The extra $3.7 billion is spread out amongst a number of Appropriations subcommittees.

Because of the stalled appropriations process, most notable the Labor-HHS-Education bill, itappears the budget will not be approved until after the November midterm elections.

Therefore, the president wants the money as an emergency supplemental, which would allowleaders to bring it to the floor quicker because no appropriations committee approval would berequired. Congress used such an approach in clearing funds to address damage caused by

Hurricane Sandy.

However, many fiscal conservatives have already suggested that this funding should be offset andnot allowed to be designated as emergency spending, which would allow the request to not counttowards the budget caps.

Officials from Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services estified beforethe Senate full appropriations committee to discuss this request .

Summary of the $3.7 billion Request:

Department of Agriculture Wildfire Management

$615 million for wildfire suppression.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families

$1.8 billion for additional capacity to care for unaccompanied children including through more

stable, cost-effective arrangements, while maintaining services for refugees; and the necessarymedical response to the arrival of these children. With these funds, HHS will have the resourcesto be able to care for the children currently projected to come into the custody of the Department

of Homeland Security.

Department of Homeland Security (PHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

$879 million for the detention, prosecution, and removal of apprehended undocumented

families;

$116 million for transportation costs associated with the surge in apprehensions of

unaccompanied children; and

$109 million for expanded domestic and international immigration and customs investigatory

and other enforcement efforts.

DHS Customs and Border Protection


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$364 million for operational costs associated with responding to the surge in the apprehensions

of unaccompanied children and families;

$29 million for expansion of the Border Enforcement Security Task Force program; and

$39 million to increase air surveillance capabilities to improve detection and interdiction ofillegal activity in the Rio Grande Valley region.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Administrative Review and Appeals

$45.4 million for additional immigration judge teams to increase case processing;

$2.5 million for expansion of the legal orientation program; and

$15.0 million for direct legal representation services to children in immigration proceedings.

DOJ General Legal Activities

$1.1 million for additional immigration litigation attorneys to support Federal agenciesinvolved in detainee admission, regulation, and removal action.

Department of State (State) and Other International Programs (OIP) Diplomatic and ConsularPrograms

$5 million for public diplomacy and international information programs and support related toCentral American migration issues.

State and OIP Economic Support Fund

$295 million for the repatriation and reintegration of migrants to countries in Central America

and to address the root causes of migration from these countries.

General Provisions

Proposes to limit the authority of agencies appropriated funds under DHS to reprogram

appropriations within an account and to transfer up to 30 percent between appropriationsaccounts with notification; Proposes authority to transfer up to $250 million betweenappropriations made available in this Act for the humanitarian situation at the border; and

Proposes adjustment to the discretionary spending limits for wildfire suppression operations.


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I want to thank Tracy Tucker and Terry Bracy for setting up these meetings for me while I was in

Washington, D.C.

RGF/mk

cot memo immigration 071614

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