Senate Passes Toomey-Van Hollen Bill to Sanction Chinese Authorities Over Hong Kong Friday, June 26, 2020 The U.S. Senate has passed legislation containing provisions that would deny or cancel visas to businessmen from China involved in persecuting freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The Senate acted on Thursday, June 26, 2020, in connection with S. 3798, the “Hong Kong Autonomy Act”, passing the measure by unanimous consent. As passed by the Senate, S. 3798 would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy. Introduced in the Senate by Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and cosponsored by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the bill permits the President to waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. However, Congress would be permitted to override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
0 Comments
Trump Administration Extends and Expands General Suspension of Immigration Through the End of 2020 Tuesday, June 23, 2020 ![]() Citing the economic collapse caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House has extended through the end of 2020 restrictions on immigration that it first imposed earlier this year, expanding them to also include foreign workers that often are hired by high technology companies and other employers. The announcement, implemented in a June 22, 2020, presidential proclamation, continues the suspension of most immigration to the United States that was first announced in an April 22, 2020 presidential proclamation. However, it expands the previously announced suspension so that it also includes workers on H-1B visas, which are most often used for employing foreign nationals in the technology sector, but also in academia and health care. The restrictions contained in Monday's proclamation are the latest in a series of steps that the Administration has taken to halt most forms of immigration to the United States. The Administration also has virtually stopped admitting refugees to he country, blocked the entry of unaccompanied alien children, and moved to make if much more difficult for person seeking asylum to apply for and receive that form of relief.
President Signs Bill to Protect the Human Rights of Uyghurs Wednesday, June 17, 2020 President Trump has signed legislation addressing the human rights situation facing Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China. The President quietly signed the measure into law on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, just hours before leaks from a book authored by his former National Security Advisor alleged that Trump had expressed to the President of the Peoples Republic of China his support for the imprisonment of more than a million Uyghurs in Chinese concentration camps. The President's action today occurred in connection with S. 3744, the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020", legislation championed by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), The House passed the bipartisan measure on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, by a vote of 413-1, clearing it for the President's consideration by a veto-proof majority. The Senate had passed S. 3.744 on May 14, 2020, by unanimous consent.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act was developed amid growing congressional frustration with what members on both sides of the aisle have perceived as President Trump’s unwillingness to make the human rights practices of foreign governments a priority, as well their perception that the President has been unwilling to challenge China, specifically, over its human rights abuses. As signed into law, the measure imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and require various reports on the topic..
Trump Suspends Entry of Some Chinese Students and Researchers into the United States
Friday, May 29, 2020
Video of the Trump May 29, 2020, Announcement on China
President Trump has suspended the entry of certain groups of Chinese students and researchers into the United States. The President announced the suspension in a Friday, May 29, 2020, statement made on the White House lawn while surrounded by he Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and others. He implemented the announcement in a presidential proclamation that he signed on that same day.
The suspension is part of a larger set of actions against the People's Republic of China (PRC) that the President announced on Friday. It comes in the midst of an escalating confrontation between the US and China over trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, China's security crackdown in Hong Kong, and China's military moves in the disputed South China Sea. Other actions he announced on Friday include imposing yet-to-be-specified sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials “directly or indirectly involved” in eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy; and ending to U.S. participation in the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO); beginning a process of stripping some of Hong Kong’s privileged trade status.
House Clears for the President's Consideration a Bill to Protect the Human Rights of Uyghurs
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Video of the House Floor Debate on the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020"
The full U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation addressing the human rights situation facing Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China. This week's House action occurred in connection with S. 3744, the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020", Ignoring hints of a possible presidential veto, the House passed the bipartisan measure on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, by a vote of 413-1, clearing it for the President's consideration by a veto-proof majority.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act was developed amid growing congressional frustration with what members on both sides of the aisle have perceived as President Trump’s unwillingness to make the human rights practices of foreign governments a priority, as well their perception that the President has been unwilling to challenge China, specifically, over its human rights abuses.
As cleared for the President's consideration, S. 3744 would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and require various reports on the topic.. Administration Imposes Travel Ban on Most Persons Traveling to the United States From or Through Brazil Sunday, May 24, 2020
The White House proclamation bars the entry of persons if they were physically present in Brazil during the 14-day period prior to their travel, effective on May 28, 2020. The ban shall be in effect until revoked by the President.
Excepted from the ban are U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, close relatives of U.S. citizens, some diplomats, and permanent residents, and flight crew members. With Sunday's announcement, persons traveling from Brazil join persons traveling from China, Iran, the United Kingdom, and the countries of the European Union in being barred from entering the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic. Senate Passes Rubio-Menendez Bill to Protect the Human Rights of Uyghurs Thursday, May 14, 2020 The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act was developed amid growing congressional frustration with what members on both sides of the aisle have perceived as President Trump’s unwillingness to make the human rights practices of foreign governments a priority, as well their perception that the President has been unwilling to challenge China, specifically, over its human rights abuses. As passed by the Senate, S. 3744 would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and require various reports on the topic.. The full Senate this week passed legislation addressing the human rights situation facing Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China. This week's Senate action occurred in connection with S. 3744, the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020", The Senate passed the bipartisan measure by unanimous consent on Thursday, May 14, 2020.
|
AuthorThis Week in Immigration Staff Archives
August 2020
Categories
All
|