logo
NumbersUSA Unveils State Immigration Enforcement Scorecards Project

NumbersUSA Unveils State Immigration Enforcement Scorecards Project

Yahoo01-04-2025

ARLINGTON, Va., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-partisan NumbersUSA organization announces a new initiative to comprehensively score all immigration enforcement actions by each state legislator.
We call this new tool our State Credible Immigration Enforcement Scorecards.
While Congress has the power to lower immigration's numerical limits and control national borders, the States have ample power to credibly enforce laws deterring illegal immigration within their own boundaries.
Today, we unveil the first Scorecards for each state legislator's immigration actions in Ohio and West Virginia (2023 and 2024), North Carolina (2024), and Montana (which met only in 2023). NumbersUSA will be adding Scorecards for additional states every month.
Creating these Report Cards requires significant effort, including research, data collection, and analysis. NumbersUSA has partnered with the Institute for Legislative Analysis to bring this scoring platform to life. Nobody else has ever offered anything like this deep look into state legislatures on immigration.
"And for the first time, we are negatively scoring leaders such as Speaker of the House and committee chairs when they quietly refuse to bring good bills up for a vote," says Andrew Good, NumbersUSA Director of State Government Relations. "This is a key reason that sensible immigration policies don't pass more frequently in Congress, and it is the main reason that credible immigration enforcement laws often have an uphill battle in the states."
Here are a couple of examples from our pioneer states that explain their poor Leadership grades:
The Ohio House passed a bill expanding the use of E-Verify last year on an 85-6 vote. But Ohio Senate leaders never allowed a vote on the bill, so it died at the end of 2024.
The West Virginia Senate passed a mandatory E-Verify bill in 2023, on a 34-0 vote. But leaders in the West Virginia House never allowed a vote on the bill, so it died at the end of their 2023 session.
In 2024, it looked like victory was guaranteed when the West Virginia House WAS allowed to vote and passed a bill expanding the use of E-Verify on a 82-18 vote. But the Senate which unanimously passed it the year before was barred from doing so again because Senate leaders refused to bring that bill up for a vote. The bill died.
Despite votes for E-Verify from the overwhelming majority of their state legislators, neither Ohio nor West Virginia has any E-Verify law at all, entirely because legislative leaders carried out the bidding of business lobbies and killed bills by not allowing votes. Our state scorecards expose these backroom deals.
"Join us in celebrating this groundbreaking tool, the first of its kind, and ensure that no state official's role in immigration enforcement goes unnoticed or misrepresented," NumbersUSA CEO Roy Beck says.
Andrew Good notes the immensity of holding state legislators accountable: "If you think our Congressional Grade Cards are impressive (and they are!), consider that state legislatures cumulatively introduce 23 TIMES more bills than Congress, totaling an average of 128,145 bills per year. That's a lot of Crackerjack to sift through to find the prizes.
"NumbersUSA is intent on guaranteeing that our elected state officials are transparent in their actions and accountable for delivering the credible immigration enforcement their constituents favor."
About NumbersUSANumbersUSA is a nonpartisan organization that for 28 years has educated voters -- particularly its more than 8 million online followers -- about immigration policies and has provided them easy-to-use tools to make their voices heard. It advocates for lower immigration levels and credible enforcement of immigration laws.
Media Contact:Andrew Goodagood@numbersusa.com(703) 816-8820
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/numbersusa-unveils-state-immigration-enforcement-scorecards-project-302416375.html
SOURCE NumbersUSA.com

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bill Ketter column: Showdown over federal powers
Bill Ketter column: Showdown over federal powers

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bill Ketter column: Showdown over federal powers

Federal courts rarely agree with presidents who discount the boundaries of the rule of law. But that hasn't deterred President Trump from his concept of unbridled executive powers. A worrisome example is his dismissive trait for the checks and balances of the co-equal legislative and judicial branches of government ingrained in the Constitution by the republic's Founders 247 years ago. Trump's first term set the stage for radical change with his selection of three conservative Supreme Court justices to join the three already on the nine-member tribunal. He also appointed over 240 federal appeals court and district court judges. Now some of those appointees are among the judges pumping the brakes on his goal to bend the government to his will, which he exaggerates as his electoral mandate. Still, it is damn the torpedoes. Trump's full speed ahead agenda has tested the nation's nerves with a storm of executive orders overriding Congress, firing thousands of federal workers, imposing teeter-totter tariffs, deporting illegal and legal migrants, stretching conflict of interest rules, punishing adversaries and causing economic uncertainty. That's just a synopsis. Trump has already signed over 150 executive orders, many of which encroach on legislative prerogatives or face constitutional challenge. If there is a savior in the system, it is the Supreme Court. Yet our judicial system is the institution most under Trump's thunderous attack. If the high court finds merit in his effort to upend constitutional restraints, the repercussion will be an authoritarian government. Congress and the judiciary will hold supplicant status. That may seem far-fetched. But take a few minutes to reflect on Trump's conduct to undermine the divided authority explicit in our three branches of government. His disruptive rhetoric bears witness. Asked by Atlantic magazine this spring how his second term so far differed from his first term, Trump replied: 'The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive. I had all these crooked guys. and the second time, I run the country and the world.' Back in February, Trump ordered a halt to tolls for vehicles entering New York City's traffic-clogged core streets, declaring on his social media site: 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!' In April, after several court orders blocking his worklist, he said: 'We cannot allow a handful of communist, radical-left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the president of the United States.' Then came the Supreme Court ruling in May that Trump could not abruptly deport a group of Venezuelan migrants by ignoring their right to due process hearings in court. The president attacked the justices for 'not allowing me to do what I was elected to do. This is a bad and dangerous day for America.' Dangerous is a word some legal scholars apply to describe Trump's conduct toward immigrants. Due process, after all, is a right required by the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which makes clear 'any person' subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. laws is entitled to it. It is not just the rule of law and the Constitution that have invited Trump's ire. He recently lashed out at the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization, and the American Bar Association for misguiding him on selecting judges in his first term. He blamed them for bad advice at a time he was new to Washington, relying on their counsel for judges aligned with his political views and sense of justice — even though federal judges take an oath to rule impartially and uphold the rule of law. This time he's insisting on deeper vetting of candidates for judgeships. Foremost, they must be diehard loyalists to his conservative causes, the same principal characteristic used to pick his lemming-like cabinet. That's the legacy of a dictator, not a president who promised meritocracy.

Got a gripe? Here's how to reach your Michigan members of Congress
Got a gripe? Here's how to reach your Michigan members of Congress

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Got a gripe? Here's how to reach your Michigan members of Congress

Got a question or a gripe for someone in Congress, or Michigan? Here's how you can get in touch with someone. Just in case you've forgotten your high school civics lessons (or maybe never had them), here's the lowdown: Every person living in any state has effectively three people representing him or her in Congress, two in the U.S. Senate, who represent everyone in that state and are elected to staggered six-year terms, and one member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who represents a smaller geographical area in each state and is elected to two-year terms. In Michigan, you're represented in Congress by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin and one of 13 members of the U.S. House of Representatives (who are often referred to as congressmen or congresswomen, even though Congress really encompasses both the Senate and the House). The easiest way is online. For Peters, go here and there's a link for "contact" at the top. From there you can link to forms to get help with a federal agency or to share your thoughts with the senator's staff. The latter also includes additional links to sign up to tour a federal building in Washington like the Capitol or the White House. There is also a link to try to schedule a meeting with the senator. Make sure to note if you want a response from the senator's staff and hit submit. For Slotkin, it's pretty much the same, just start here and go to "contact" at the top. She also has links from there not just for help with an agency or questions but for whistleblowers (people who spot potential wrongdoing by federal agencies) to file complaints. Both senators also have addresses and phone numbers for their offices around Michigan and in Washington at the bottom of their websites and contact pages. If you want to go the old school way, you can call Peters' office in Detroit at (313) 226-6020 or toll-free at (844) 506-7420 or his office in Washington at (202) 224-6221. You can also send him correspondence at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building, 477 Michigan Ave., Suite 1837, Detroit, MI 48226 or at the Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 724, Washington, D.C. 20510. For Slotkin, the Detroit-area phone is (313) 961-4330 and the Washington line is (202) 224-4822. Her address in Detroit is 719 Griswold Street, Suite 700, Detroit, MI 48226 and in Washington it's 291 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. By the way, if you want a list of all the senators nationwide and their contact information, you can find it at and follow the links from there. It's a little more complicated since there are currently 13 U.S. House districts (or seats) representing Michigan and you first have to figure out who your House member is. That's still pretty easy online, if you go here and type in your ZIP code. For instance, type in 49862 for Munising, and you get U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman. Type in 48650 for Pinconning and it might be either Bergman or U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (it will ask for your street address to determine which one). From there, you can follow the links to contact your member of Congress, make a tour request, etc. More: Trump signs measure to block California car standards, says it will 'rescue' automakers If you're not online, it's a little more difficult finding out who your member of Congress is, though you can always call your local city or township clerk's office, or drop in and ask. And while we can't give you a specific answer as to who represents you (since it's based on where you live and we don't know that), here's a rough outline of each of the state's 13 U.S. House districts, who currently represents each and the address, email and phone for a couple of their main offices: U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman Traverse City: 1396 Douglas Drive, Suite 22B, Traverse City, MI 49696 T: (231) 944-7633 Washington: 566 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-4735 U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar Caledonia: 8980 North Rodgers Court, Suite H, Caledonia, MI 49316 T: (616) 528-7100 Washington: 246 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-3561 U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten Grand Rapids: 110 Michigan St. NW, Suite 460, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 T: (616) 451-8383 Washington: 1317 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-3831 More: Trump has kind words for Slotkin, UAW's Fain, though without mentioning them by name U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga Holland: 170 College Ave., Suite 160, Holland, MI 49423 T: (616) 251-6741 Washington: 2232 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-4401 U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg Jackson: 401 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson, MI 49201 T: (517) 780-9075 Washington: 2266 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 T: (202) 225-6276 U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell Ann Arbor: 2006 Hogback Rd., Suite 7, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 T: (734) 481-1100 Washington: 102 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-4071 U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett Lansing: 328 W Ottawa St., Suite A, Lansing, MI 48933 T: (517) 993-0510 Washington: 1232 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-4872 U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet Flint: 601 Saginaw St., Suite 403, Flint, MI 48502 T: (810) 238-8627 Washington: 1408 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-3611 U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain Lake Orion: 30 N Broadway St., Lake Orion, MI 48362 T: (586) 697-9300 Washington: 562 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-2106 U.S. Rep. John James Warren: 30500 Van Dyke Ave., Suite 306, Warren, MI 48093 T: (586) 498-7122 Washington: 1519 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-4961 U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens Farmington Hills: 30500 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 525, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 T: (734) 853-3040 Washington: 2411 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-8171 U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib Detroit: 7800 W. Outer Dr., Detroit, MI 48235 T: (313) 463-6220 Washington: 2438 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-5126 U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar Detroit: 400 Monroe St., Suite 420, Detroit, MI 48226 T: (313) 880-2400 Washington: 154 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 T: (202) 225-5802 Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@ Follow him on X @tsspangler. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How to reach your Michigan members of Congress

$75 billion firm wins carve-out in tax bill after lobbying push
$75 billion firm wins carve-out in tax bill after lobbying push

Washington Post

timean hour ago

  • Washington Post

$75 billion firm wins carve-out in tax bill after lobbying push

The tax bill before Congress would partially exempt the U.S. Virgin Islands from a law meant to crack down on tax havens, after a lobbying campaign by the territory's government and a large private credit firm that stands to benefit from the measure. Over the past three years, an affiliate of the credit giant Golub Capital paid a Washington firm more than $500,000 to urge Congress to relax a global minimum tax approved as part of the 2017 GOP tax law, lobbying disclosures show. The push was supported by the Virgin Islands' governor and Democratic member of Congress. House Republicans included a bipartisan provision partially exempting the Virgin Islands from that law in the tax legislation they approved last month — a decision that has puzzled experts on both the left and right, who say it has little clear policy justification.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store