House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. released the following statement in support of President Obama's impending announcement that he will exercise his authority under existing law to improve our broken immigration system through executive action:
"President Obama has the authority, under the U.S. Constitution and the Immigration and Nationality Act, to improve our broken immigration system so that it better serves American families, our communities and the economy. Like so many presidents before him, President Obama has chosen to use his authority to defer removal where it is in the national interest.
Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security announced a new temporary plan to require passengers originating from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to enter the United States through one of five designated airports enhanced with Ebola-screening measures (located in Dulles, Atlanta, New York City, Newark and Chicago):
(DETROIT) – Today, the White House made public that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has no intention of bringing immigration reform legislation up for a vote on the House Floor. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement after President Obama's announcement that he will take administrative steps in the coming months to reform the country's immigration system:
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, "An Administration Made Disaster: The South Texas Border Surge of Unaccompanied Alien Minors." This hearing comes as a humanitarian crisis in parts of Central America is felt along the Southwest border of the United States - where thousands of children have arrived in recent weeks - largely as a result of violence occurring in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. As the hearing got underway, full committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the following statement:
One year ago today, eight members of the U.S. Senate – Senators Schumer, Durbin, McCain, Rubio, Bennet, Menendez, Flake and Graham – introduced S. 744, the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act." This comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. immigration system would bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, strengthen American businesses, families, and communities, and spur much-needed economic growth. While the U.S. Senate passed S. 744 on a bipartisan vote of 68-32, the U.S. House of Representatives has failed to take any action on comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), along with 65 other members of Congress, wrote Ambassador Samantha Power, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), about the UN's inadequate response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti. Specifically, the letter detailed how in October 2010, UN peacekeepers in Haiti introduced cholera to the Caribbean nation and urged the UN to take immediate legal responsibility for the resulting harms. While the UN has expressed a desire to repair the damage, to date, no significant action has been taken. Following transmission of the letter to Ambassador Power, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:
Opening Statements
Statement of Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.
Hearing on: "Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children"
Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
2141 Rayburn
Today, the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security held a hearing entitled, "Addressing the Immigration Status of Illegal Immigrants Brought to the United States as Children." After the first panel's opening remarks, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
Today, a new White House report was released finding that comprehensive immigration reform would create jobs, boost productivity and economic growth, raise worker's wages, and strengthen Social Security. Following the release of the report, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
"The White House report today makes clear: comprehensive immigration reform is a boon to our economy, workers, middle class families, and the country as a whole.
Conyers Calls on Judiciary Republicans to Abandon Partisan, Piecemeal Approach to Immigration Reform
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee Markup of H.R. 2131, the "Supplying Knowledge-based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas Act (The SKILLS Visa Act)." This comes on the heels of a full committee Markup yesterday of H.R. 1772, the "Legal Workforce Act," that would make E-Verify, an electronic employment verification system, mandatory for all employers. Following his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
Opening Statements
Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. for
the Markup of H.R. 1772, the "Legal Workforce Act," by the Committee on the Judiciary
Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. 2141 Rayburn House Office Building
The Legal Workforce Act would make E-Verify – the electronic employment verification system – mandatory for all employers.
Yesterday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 1773, the "Agricultural Guestworker Act." Following the markup, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of H.R. 2278, the "Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act." Following his opening remarks, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:
Opening Statements
Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
for the Markup of H.R. 2278, the "Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act" (the SAFE Act)
by the Committee on the Judiciary
I am greatly disappointed that we are here today to consider H.R. 2278, the SAFE Act, just days after it was the subject of a contentious legislative hearing.
This bill moves our conversation in the wrong direction and returns the immigration debate to partisan solutions that have failed in the past.
This afternoon, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, "S. 744 and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: Lessons Learned or Mistakes Repeated?" This hearing comes a day after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to report to the Senate Floor S. 744, comprehensive immigration reform legislation entitled the, "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act." At the opening of the House hearing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement:
This afternoon, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing entitled, "The Release of Criminal Detainees by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Policy or Politics?" At the hearing, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following statement during his opening remarks:
"The title of today's hearing-'The Release of Criminal Detainees by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Policy or Politics?'-is somewhat misleading.