jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-04-28 00:00:00

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to define "criminal gang."

An alien who is or was a member of a criminal gang, or who participated in gang activity knowing that such participation will promote the gang's illegal activity, shall be inadmissible and deportable.

The Department of Homeland Security may designate a group or association as a criminal gang.

Detention shall be mandatory for anyone found inadmissible or deportable for criminal street gang membership.

Individuals found inadmissible or deportable for criminal gang membership shall be barred from:

 asylum; withholding of removal; temporary protected status; special immigrant juvenile status; deferred action; and parole, unless assisting the United States in a law enforcement matter and required by the government to be present with respect to such assistance. An alien found at a U.S. land border or port of entry who is determined to be inadmissible and a threat to public safety (certain criminals, terrorists, street gang members) shall be subject to expedited removal.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-12 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

Adoptive Family Relief Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare that if an immigrant visa was issued on or after March 27, 2013, for a child who has been lawfully adopted, or who is coming to the United States to be adopted, by a U.S. citizen, any statutory immigrant visa fees relating to a renewal or replacement of such visa may be waived or refunded if:

 the child was unable to use the original immigrant visa during the period of its validity as a direct result of extraordinary circumstances, including the denial of an exit permit; and such inability was attributable to factors beyond the control of the adopting parent or parents.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-14 00:00:00

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make the special immigrant non-minister religious worker program permanent.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-04 00:00:00

Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions.

Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress: (1) an evaluation of the security risks of aliens who enter the United States without an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization verification, and (2) a description of any improvements needed to minimize the number of aliens who enter the United States without such verification.

 Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary, in evaluating visa waiver program countries, should prioritize the reviews of countries in which circumstances indicate that such review is necessary or desirable.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-10 00:00:00

Partner with Korea Act

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services and with respect to whom the Secretary of Labor has certified to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State that the intending employer has filed an attestation concerning U.S. worker protections with the Secretary of Labor.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-17 00:00:00

Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide that the following fees shall be miscellaneous receipts to be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury:

 asylum fees, nonimmigrant nurse fees, employer fees, additional employer fees, Department of State and Department of Homeland Security fraud prevention and detection fees, visa waiver program fees, temporary protected status fees, adjustment of status fees, administrative fines and penalties, the genealogy fee, the premium fee for employment-based petitions and applications, biometric entry and data system fees, and nonimmigrant foreign student fees. Authority for the visa waiver program travel promotion fee is extended through September 30, 2015.

 Fee disposition provisions are revised.

Fee revenues in all of the accounts under section 286 of INA, as of the day before enactment of this Act, shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury on the effective date provided for by this Act.

All of the accounts authorized under such section (including the Immigration User Fee Account and the Land Border Inspection Account), as of the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be terminated on such date.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-18 00:00:00

Domestic Refugee Resettlement Reform and Modernization Act of 2015

 Requires the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of the Office of Refugee Resettlement's domestic refugee resettlement programs.

Requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement to: (1) ensure that refugee assistance is provided to qualifying refugees who are secondary migrants; (2) report to Congress regarding states experiencing departures and arrivals due to secondary migration; and (3) expand the Office's data analysis, collection, and sharing activities to include data on mental and physical medical cases, housing needs, and refugee employment.

Requires the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services to provide refugee resettlement guidance to appropriate national, state, and local entities.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-13 00:00:00

Criminal Alien Deportation Act

This bill amends the the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the detention of any alien who is: (1) unlawfully present in the United States; and (2) arrested for specified offenses, conviction of any of which would render the alien inadmissible or deportable.

Release authority is transferred from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and amended to provide that DHS:

 may release an alien held pursuant to this Act to the appropriate authority for any proceedings subsequent to the arrest, shall resume custody of such alien during any period pending the final disposition of any such proceedings when the alien is not in the custody of the appropriate authority, and shall continue to detain until removal proceedings are completed any alien not convicted of the offense for which he or she was arrested. DHS shall complete removal proceedings for any such detained alien within 90 days.

It shall be the goal of DOJ, DHS, and the Executive Office for Immigration Review to use funds authorized under this Act to resolve promptly cases pertaining to aliens inadmissible on specified criminal grounds.

In order to help achieve this goal DOJ shall designate up to 100 temporary immigration judges and DHS shall hire 150 new immigration litigation attorneys.

It is the sense of the Senate that:

 gains made in border security and positive trends in recidivism rates are of critical importance to those living and working in the border region and to the nation as a whole; refusing to prosecute first time illegal border crossers under Operation Streamline will jeopardize border security gains; border security steps that have led to improvement on the border, such as Operation Streamline, should be preserved; and appropriate executive branch officials should remove any issued or related prohibition, policy, or direction to cease prosecuting first time illegal border crossers under Operation Streamline.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-14 00:00:00

Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties applicable to aliens who unlawfully reenter the United States after being removed.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-14 00:00:00

Protecting American Citizens Together Act or the PACT Act

This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make a sanctuary city ineligible to receive, for at least one year, any funds pursuant to:

 the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, the Cops' Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Port Security Grant Program, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or any other non-disaster preparedness grant program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A sanctuary city shall be eligible to receive such funds after the Attorney General certifies that it is no longer a sanctuary city.

The Attorney General shall prioritize a request from the Secretary of Homeland Security to transfer an alien who is without lawful status in the United States and in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before a request from a state or state subdivision to transfer the covered alien to its custody.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

Improving Cooperation with States and Local Governments and Preventing the Catch and Release of Criminal Aliens Act of 2015

This bill prohibits a jurisdiction from receiving any of the funding specified in this Act if it does not cooperate with federal officials regarding criminal aliens or other aliens deemed to be a removal priority by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including by refusing to: (1) detain or transfer custody of such aliens pursuant to detainers placed upon them; or (2) notify a federal law enforcement agency, upon request, of their release.

Such funding consists of:

 incarceration reimbursement funds under the Immigration and Nationality Act, grant funding under the Second Chance Act of 2007, and any other law enforcement related grants or contracts awarded by DHS or the Department of Justice (DOJ). A jurisdiction shall become eligible to receive such funds, grants, or contracts after DHS certifies that:

 the jurisdiction no longer fails to cooperate with federal officials regarding detentions, transfers, and notifications; and the statute, policy, or practice of that state or local government prohibiting law enforcement officers from assisting or cooperating with federal immigration law enforcement regarding criminal aliens has been repealed, rescinded, or terminated. Withheld funds shall be reallocated equally among:

 states and local governments which cooperate with federal officials regarding detentions, transfers, and notifications, and apply to the appropriate Department for such funds; and any statutorily authorized federal grant program designed to protect victims of violence. DHS and DOJ shall publish jointly on their websites: (1) a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, and (2) a list of jurisdictions that do not grant federal immigration law enforcement officers regular access to jails or detention facilities.

The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to increase the penalty for reentry by a removed alien.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to: (1) require law enforcement officials of a state or a local government to report or arrest victims or witnesses of a criminal offense, or (2) limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement with regard to aliens who are not criminal aliens.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-21 00:00:00

Stop Sanctuary Cities Act

This bill makes it unlawful for any state or political subdivision to:

 restrict or prohibit a government entity or official from sending to or receiving from the responsible federal immigration agency information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status, or from maintaining or exchanging information about an individual's status; or fail to comply with a immigration-related detainer that has been lawfully issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Any state or subdivision that:

 violates such prohibition shall be ineligible for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program funds; and does not come into compliance with such requirements within 180 days of receiving noncompliance notification from DHS shall be ineligible for assistance under the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Funding may not be withheld until DHS has: (1) notified a state or subdivision of its noncompliance, and (2) determined that voluntary compliance cannot be secured.

No liability shall lie with a state or subdivision that is acting in compliance with a lawfully issued DHS detainer solely because the state or subdivision is holding an alien in compliance with such detainer.

Nothing in this Act may be construed to require law enforcement officials of a state or a subdivision to provide DHS with information related to a victim or a witness to a criminal offense.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-22 00:00:00

Criminal Alien Notification Act

This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a law enforcement notification system for every state.

"Law enforcement notification system" means a secure information sharing system utilized by federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies to:

 notify the identification bureaus of the state from which an alien is being released and of the state in which the alien is intending to reside of the anticipated release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody of an alien who is inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds, and notify DHS of the release from custody of an alien who has been arrested for certain offenses the conviction of any one of which would render the alien inadmissible. DHS shall establish a secure information sharing system that enables state, tribal, and local courts to notify DHS of a protective order issued against an inadmissible or deportable alien who is under DHS supervision.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-30 00:00:00

Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2015

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Department of Homeland Security to authorize employment for an asylum applicant who is not in detention and whose asylum application has not been determined to be frivolous.

Employment authorization shall be: (1) for a period of one year, and (2) renewable for additional one-year periods for the entire period necessary to adjudicate the applicant's asylum claim.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-01 00:00:00

Invest in Our Communities Act

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) exempt spouses and children of EB-5 investor immigrants from worldwide employment-based immigration limits, and (2) revise the fiscal year worldwide level of employment-based immigrant admissions.

EB-5 visas are excluded from per country caps.

EB-5 visas shall be made available to qualified immigrants who participate in a regional center program in the United States designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the promotion of economic growth, including: (1) increased exports, (2) improved regional productivity, (3) job creation, and (4) increased domestic capital investment.

A regional center shall: (1) have jurisdiction over a specific geographic area, which shall be consistent with the purpose of concentrating pooled investment in defined economic zones; and (2) certify compliance with U.S. securities laws, and supervise all offers, purchases, and sales of securities made by associated parties to ensure securities compliance.

DHS shall establish a procedure for pre-approval of new commercial enterprises.

Any person subject to the suspension or termination of EB-5 rights made under the discretion of DHS may appeal such decision and be entitled to a hearing before an administrative law judge.

No person may be involved with a regional center as its principal, administrator, owner, officer, board member, manager, executive, general partner, fiduciary, or other similar position of significant authority for the operations or management of the center if he or she: (1) is not a U.S. national or lawful permanent resident; or (2) has been found liable for certain financial or securities crimes, or terrorist, espionage, or human trafficking activities.

The bill sets forth DHS suspension or termination authority for a noncomplying regional center.

The child of an alien investor whose conditional permanent resident status is terminated shall continue to be considered a child for purposes of a subsequent immigrant petition by the alien investor if the child remains unmarried and the subsequent petition is filed within one year after termination of status. An alien shall not be considered a child with respect to more than 1 petition filed after he or she reaches 21 years old.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-06 00:00:00

Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act

This bill prohibits a sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving grants under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, the Community Oriented Policing Services Program, and the Community Development Block Grant Program. A sanctuary jurisdiction is a state or political subdivision that has a policy or practice in effect that: (1) prohibits or restricts information sharing about an individual's immigration status, or (2) prohibits compliance with a lawfully issued detainer request or notification of release request.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) must terminate grant funding 30 days after DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determine, notify, and publish the states and political subdivisions that are sanctuary jurisdictions.

A state or political subdivision that complies with a detainer is deemed to be an agent of DHS. The bill authorizes such agent to take actions to comply with the detainer. It also limits the liability of such agent if the actions taken complied with the detainer.

The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase from two years to five years the maximum prison term for an alien who reenters after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed.

It establishes a 10-year maximum prison term for an alien who reenters after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed on 3 or more prior occasions.

It establishes a five-year mandatory minimum prison term for an alien who reenters after being removed following a conviction for an aggravated felony or following two or more prior convictions for illegal reentry.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-07 00:00:00

Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2015 

 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to adjust to permanent resident status a qualifying Liberian national who: (1) has been continuously present in the United States between January 1, 2013, through the date of status adjustment application; or (2) is the spouse, child, or unmarried son or daughter of such an alien.

 Adjustment applications must be filed not later than one year after the date of enactment of this bill.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-21 00:00:00

Stop Illegal Reentry Act or Kate's Law

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase from two years to five years the maximum prison term for an alien who reenters after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed.

It establishes:

 a 10-year maximum prison term for an alien who reenters after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed on 3 or more prior occasions; and a 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an alien who reenters after being removed following a conviction for an aggravated felony or following 2 or more prior convictions for illegal reentry.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-10-30 00:00:00

Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2015

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare that, effective as if enacted on January 1, 2015, a returning H-2B visa alien (temporary nonagricultural worker) who has already been counted toward the applicable numerical limitation shall:

 not again be counted toward that limitation in the current fiscal year, but shall be considered a returning worker; and shall be counted again toward the limitation if the alien departs the United States for a period longer than one year, or was not counted toward the limitation in any of the three most recent fiscal years. "Other temporary service or labor" for H-2B purposes means that an employer's labor need will last: (1) at most 1 year if peak load or intermittent, unless it is a one-time occurrence not to exceed 3 years; or (2) not to exceed 10 months if the employer's need is seasonal.

 An H-2B employer shall file an employee petition with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which shall have exclusive authority to issue rules and final determinations for the H-2B visa program.

 H-2B employer requirements are set forth regarding: (1) petitions, (2) admissions and maximum stay in status, (3) housing, (4) enforcement, (5) transportation, (6) recruitment, (7) U.S. worker protections, (8) wages, and (9) absconding workers.

 DHS shall consult with the Department of State to develop an electronic notification system to notify the latter within 48 hours after an H-2B petition's final approval.