jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-04-29 00:00:00

American Families United Act

States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to enable the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand his or her discretionary authority beyond a case-by-case basis, or to provide legalization or nationalization of persons covered under this Act.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revise waiver of inadmissibility requirements, among other things waiving inadmissibility for: (1) certain persons who entered the United States before age 16 who have earned a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, (2) false claims of U.S. citizenship by persons under age 18 or lacking mental competence to knowingly misrepresent a claim, and (3) false claims of U.S. citizenship if inadmissibility would create family separation hardship for the alien (including a self-petitioner under the Violence Against Women Act) or for a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member.

Authorizes parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence. Places a three-year limit on immigration-related misrepresentations rendering aliens inadmissible. Revises the definition "conviction" for INA purposes.

Authorizes an immigration judge in specified circumstances, including family separation hardship, but with certain exceptions, to decline to order an alien removed, deported, or excluded and terminate related proceedings or grant permission to reapply for admission or for relief from removal.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-04-29 00:00:00

Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Act of 2015 

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a visa waiver program for the United States Virgin Islands for a national of a country that is a member or an associate member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) listed in regulations under this Act and who is applying for admission as a nonimmigrant business or pleasure visitor solely for entry into and stay in the United States Virgin Islands for not more than 30 days, if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that such waiver does not represent a threat to the welfare or security of the United States or its territories and commonwealths.

Directs the Secretary to suspend the admission of nationals of a country if such admissions have resulted in an unacceptable number of visitors remaining unlawfully in the United States Virgin Islands, unlawfully obtaining entry to other parts of the United States, or seeking withholding of removal or asylum, or that visitors from such country pose a risk to law enforcement or security interests of the United States Virgin Islands or of the United States.

Authorizes the Secretary to suspend the program at any time, on a country-by-country basis, for other good cause.

Provides for the addition of program countries.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-04-30 00:00:00

Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2015 or the STAPLE Act 

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from: (1) direct numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; and (2) H-1B visa (specialty occupation) numerical limitations aliens who have a U.S. STEM Ph.D. and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such an education.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-12 00:00:00

Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2015 or the SAFE for America Act

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-13 00:00:00

Accountability in Immigration Detention Act of 2015

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that persons detained pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act are treated in compliance with specified requirements regarding: (1) humane treatment, (2) detention facility standards, (3) solitary confinement limitations, (4) telephone access, (5) facility location, (6) investigation of grievances, (7) transfers, (8) language and translation services, (9) recreational programs and voluntary work, (10) medical care, (11) vulnerable populations, and (12) legal access.

Directs the Secretary to establish nationwide alternatives to detention programs that incorporate case management services in each DHS field office to ensure appearances at immigration proceedings and public safety.

States that the number of detention beds maintained shall be determined by the Secretary and shall be based solely on detention needs.

Expresses the sense of Congress that appropriations Acts shall not mandate maintenance of a minimum number of detention beds.

Requires that all detention facilities be inspected by the Secretary on an annual basis and by an independent (third party) auditor on a biannual basis.

Directs the Secretary to impose meaningful financial penalties upon facilities that fail to comply with applicable detention standards.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

This bill amends titles XI and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow a state to delay or deny an individual's initial eligibility for Medicaid benefits without providing a reasonable opportunity to submit evidence of a satisfactory immigration status or pending official verification of such status. A state that elects to provide a reasonable period for an individual to provide such evidence may not receive payment for amounts expended on the individual's medical assistance during that period.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

Opportunity for Military Academies and Readiness Act 

Authorizes an alien who possesses an employment authorization document issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy of the Department of Homeland Security and who otherwise satisfies the requirements for admission to a military service academy, other than U.S. citizenship, to be appointed to and to attend such academy and, upon graduation, to be appointed as a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-05-15 00:00:00

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny the earned income tax credit to an alien who has been granted deferred action from removal in any taxable year in which such alien was not lawfully present in the United States or not authorized to work. The bill requires the Commissioner of Social Security to provide the Internal Revenue Service with information on social security account numbers granted to aliens under the deferred action from removal program.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-20 00:00:00

Stop Birth Tourism Act of 2015

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize a consular officer or the Secretary of State to require that a nonimmigrant B-visa alien (temporary tourist or business visitor) provide a certification from a health care provider that the alien is not pregnant, or, if the alien is pregnant, regarding the status of the pregnancy.

Such an alien who is pregnant and likely to give birth in the United States is inadmissible.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-05-21 00:00:00

Our Communities, Our Choices Act of 2015

Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to require consultation with state and local elected officials and a public hearing before awarding grants or contracts to provide non-federal housing facilities for unaccompanied alien children.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-01 00:00:00

Better Agriculture Resources Now Act or the BARN Act

Revises the H-2A nonimmigrant agricultural worker visa program, including with respect to: (1) agricultural labor and services, (2) application requirements, (3) wages, (4) period of authorized nonimmigrant status, (5) housing, (6) legal assistance, and (7) violations.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-04 00:00:00

Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act of 2015

Makes 3,000 immigrant visas available in FY2016-FY2018 for individuals who were born in Tibet and have been continuously residing in India or Nepal prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.

Considers an individual to be a native of Tibet if such individual was born in Tibet or is the son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter of an individual born in Tibet.

 Provides derivative status for accompanying/following spouses and children.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-04 00:00:00

Training Highly Skilled Americans Act of 2015 

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish in the Treasury the STEM Education and Training Account.

Requires employers to submit along with an application for a certification a $1,000 fee (to be deposited in the STEM Education and Training Account).

Sets aside specified amounts for: (1) a low-income STEM scholarship program, (2) K-12 STEM education, and (3) STEM capacity building at minority-serving institutions.

Authorizes grants to eligible entities for American Dream Accounts for a group of low-income students.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-08 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: 2015-06-12 00:00:00

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that a returning H-2B alien (temporary nonagricultural worker) who has already been counted toward the applicable numerical limitation during one of the three preceding fiscal years: (1) shall not again be counted toward such limitation during a fiscal year, but (2) shall be considered a returning worker.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2015-06-15 00:00:00

Karl Hoerig Foreign Aid Suspension Act

Prohibits assistance to Brazil until the President certifies to Congress that the government of Brazil has removed the prohibition on extradition of Brazilian nationals to other countries.

Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition on a case-by-case basis if in the U.S. national interest.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-15 00:00:00

End Immuity for Brazilian Criminals Act 

Prohibits the issuance of a visa to a citizen, subject, national, or resident of Brazil until the President certifies to Congress that the government of Brazil has removed the prohibition on extradition of Brazilian nationals to other countries.

Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition on a case-by-case basis if in the U.S. national interest.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-17 00:00:00

Strengthening Refugee Resettlement Act

 Requires the Department of Homeland Security to work with the heads of other relevant federal agencies to conduct a review of refugee processing with the goal of streamlining processing, consistent with maintaining security.

 Requires the Department of State (Department) to establish overseas refugee English language and work orientation training programs prior to the departure for the United States of refugees who have been approved for U.S. admission.

Permits: (1) refugees (and their spouses and children) to be admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents, and (2) asylum seekers (and their spouses and children) to be granted lawful permanent residency.

 Requires the Department when setting the amount of reception and placement grants to: (1) adjust the grant amount to account for anticipated initial refugee resettlement needs, and (2) ensure that funding is provided to national resettlement agencies at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should appoint a White House Coordinator on Refugee Protection.

Requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement to make grants to national resettlement agencies to operate a case management system to assist individuals access eligible services, benefits, and assistance provided by the Office, federal, state, or local agencies, and private or nonprofit organizations.

Requires the Office, subject to available appropriations, to provide refugees with a minimum of 12 months' assistance and social services for employment, health, and living expenses.

Authorizes the Office to award grants to community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and resettlement agencies for programs to assist newcomers integrate into U.S. civic life.

Expands eligibility for, and participation in, the refugee matching grant program (federal-private refugee assistance).

Establishes a Domestic Emergency Refugee Resettlement Fund to meet unanticipated refugee resettlement needs.

Makes SSI (supplemental security income) benefits available to qualified aliens, U-visa aliens (victim of criminal activity), or certain T-visa aliens (victims of trafficking in persons) who were ineligible for such benefits because of their failure to acquire citizenship within seven years.

Makes a child who has been granted special immigrant status as a victim of criminal activity (U-visa) eligible for specified refugee benefits.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-18 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 the date of 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

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

Requires the Office 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: 2015-06-23 00:00:00

Visa Overstay Enforcement Act of 2015

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to subject any alien who remains in the United States after any visa or status under which the alien is lawfully present has expired to: (1) a fine or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, for a first offense; and (2) a fine or imprisonment for up to two years, or both, for any subsequent offense.

 Such penalties shall be waived if the overstay was due to medical necessity, public safety, or national security.

An alien convicted of a first offense may not be admitted to the United States for 5 years or granted a visa for 10 years.

 An alien convicted of a subsequent offense may not be admitted to the United States at all or granted a visa.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Adoptive Family Relief Act

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: 2015-06-25 00:00:00

Stop Catch and Release Act of 2015

This legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require mandatory detention of any alien who is unlawfully present in the United States and arrested for inadmissible or deportable crimes.

The bill transfers release authority from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS may release the alien to an appropriate authority for proceedings related to the arrest, but DHS must resume custody for any period that the alien is not in custody of the appropriate authority. If the alien is not convicted of crimes for which the alien was arrested, then DHS must continue to detain the alien until removal proceedings are completed.

DHS must complete the removal proceedings within 90 days.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-08 00:00:00

Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2015 or the CLEAR Act of 2015 

States that: (1) state and local law enforcement personnel, in the course of their routine duties, have the inherent authority to investigate, apprehend, or transfer to federal custody aliens in the United States (including interstate transportation of such aliens to detention centers) in order to assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws; and (2) effective two years after enactment of this Act, a state that has in effect a statute, policy, or practice prohibiting such law enforcement assistance shall not receive certain federal incarceration assistance.

Provides for the listing of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center database.

Directs states and localities to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with specified information about apprehended aliens who are believed to be in violation of U.S. immigration laws. Provides federal reimbursement for related state and local costs. (States that such provision shall not require state or local enforcement officials to provide DHS with information related to a victim of a crime or witness to a criminal offense.)

Directs DHS to make grants to states and political subdivisions that enforce immigration laws in the course of their routine law enforcement duties for special equipment and facilities related to arresting, detaining, or transporting illegal aliens.

Directs DHS to: (1) construct or acquire 20 additional detention facilities for aliens detained pending removal (or a decision on removal), and (2) consider the transfer of military installations under base closure laws for such purposes.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding illegal aliens apprehended by state or local authorities to provide for: (1) federal custody upon state or local request, and (2) state or local compensation for related incarceration and transportation costs.

Directs the Department of Justice or DHS to ensure that the detention of an alien subject to removal is in an adequate state or local prison, detention center, or other comparable facility prior to his or her removal examination.

Directs DHS to establish immigration-related training for state and local personnel.

Provides: (1) personal liability immunity to the same extent as corresponding federal immunity for state or local personnel enforcing immigration laws within the scope of their duties under this Act, and (2) civil rights money damage immunity for state or local agencies enforcing immigration laws unless their personnel violated criminal law in such enforcement.

Continues the institutional removal program, which shall be expanded to all states.

Authorizes state or local detention of an illegal alien after completion of such alien's prison sentence for: (1) up to 14 days to facilitate federal transfer, or (2) until transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2016 and subsequent fiscal years for the state criminal alien assistance program.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act 

Prohibits a state or local government from receiving federal financial assistance for a minimum of one year if it restricts or prohibits a government entity or official from: (1) sending to or receiving from the responsible federal immigration agency information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status, or (2) maintaining or exchanging information about an individual's status.

Restores assistance eligibility upon a Department of Justice (DOJ) determination that the jurisdiction no longer restricts or prohibits such actions.

Directs DOJ to report each year to Congress regarding state or local jurisdictions that restrict or prohibit such actions.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-07-09 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act

(Sec. 2) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make a state or local subdivision ineligible for state criminal alien assistance program funding if it: (1) has in effect any law, policy, or procedure prohibiting or restricting communication with the Immigration and Naturalization Service or other government entity regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status; or (2) prohibits state or local law enforcement officials from gathering information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status.

(Sec. 3) Withholds specified Department of Justice funds (for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, the Community-Oriented Policing Services program, and the Byrne JAG program) under parts Q and E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 from such states or local subdivisions.