2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3524 to increase asylum claims Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3524, the Northern Triangle and Border Stabilization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), that would create 100,000 new green cards each year for five years for asylees from the Northern Triangle countries. The bill does provide funding for additional immigration judges on the border.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, to increase legal immigration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). The legislation would exempt certain family-preference immigrants from numerical limitations and increase annual caps on all adult family-preference categories. The bill would also repeal per-country caps, repeal the 3- and 10-year bars for admission, and increase the visa lottery by 25,000.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) to increase chain migration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act. This legislation would increase the cap for unmarried sons and daughters of citizens from 23,400 per year to 127,200 per year, increase the cap for married sons and daughters of citizens from 23,400 to 80,640, and increases the siblings cap from 65,000 to 191,520. The bill would also eliminate the per-country caps.

2017: Cosponsored the American Promise Act, introduced by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, to increase chain migration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4253, the American Promise Act. This legislation would grant amnesty to approximately 300,000 illegal aliens who have received Temporary Protected Status, thereby allowing them to sponsor their immediate family for green cards. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.).

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, to increase legal immigration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). The legislation would exempt certain family-preference immigrants from numerical limitations and increase annual caps on all adult family-preference categories. The bill would also repeal per-country caps, repeal the 3- and 10-year bars for admission, and increase the visa lottery by 25,000.

2020: Voted against H.R 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act on House floor Sen. Kennedy voted against H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, that would weaken interior enforcement and increase foreign worker visas. The bill reduced funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement by $431 million. Further, the bill authorized the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor to increase the number of H-2B visas issued during the 2021 fiscal year.

2020: Voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, to increase unnecessary foreign workers Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). The legislation would automatically renew all nonimmigrant work permits that would have expired during the Covid-19 national emergency for a length of time equal to original visa. Further, it would also fast-track the admission of foreign health care workers and increase the number of green cards issued each year for the next 3 years by 4,000 for the importation of foreign doctors and nurses.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 4319, the Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act, to increase U and T visas Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4319, the Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). The legislation would lift the numerical limitation on U visas and issue work permits to all U and T visa holders while their applications are pending.

2019: Cosponsored H.R.4623, the Keep STEM Talent Act, to increase unnecessary workers Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R.4623, the Keep STEM Talent Act, introduced by Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.). The legislation would exempt from numerical limitations aliens with Masters degrees or higher in a STEM field from U.S. institutions. This would increase legal immigration by 3 million over 10 years.

2019: Voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to expand low-skilled immigration Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). The legislation would have granted amnesty to approximately 1.5 million illegal farm workers and their families, while waiving many inadmissibility restrictions. It also would have expanded the H-2A guest worker program by setting aside 20,000 visas for year-round work traditionally held by American workers. Further, it would have created 40,000 new green cards for longtime H-2A workers and other low-skilled foreign workers.

2019: Voted in favor of H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, to increase H-2B visas Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, that provides funding for the federal government for FY2020. H.R. 1865 included a provision that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020. Under the same provision, DHS added an additional 30,000 H-2Bs in FY 2019.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 1762, the Partner with Korea Act, to increase unneccessary workers Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 1762, the Partner with Korea Act, introduced by Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) . This legislation would add South Korea to the E-visa (Treaty Traders/Investors) list, limiting it to 15,000 a year, not counting spouses and children.

2019: Voted in favor of the omnibus spending bill, H.J. Res. 31, to increase H-2B visas Sen. Kennedy voted in favor of H.J.Res. 31, the omnibus spending bill. The bill allows for the Secretary of Homeland Security to increase the number of H-2B guest worker visas issued in FY2019.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) to increase foreign workers Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act. This legislation would exempt anyone who would be eligible for an employment-based green card over the next 10 years from the annual cap. The bill would also eliminate the per-country caps.

2017: Voted in favor of increasing foreign worker visas Rep.Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 244, the 2017 omnibus spending bill. A provision of the bill allows DHS to raise the H-2B cap by 70,000 in 2017 by excluding returning H-2B workers. The spending bill, and the H-2B provision, covers half of 2017.

2017: Cosponsored legislation to increase foreign worker numbers in 2017 (Roskam) Rep. Kennedy sponsored H.R. 2106, the Partner with Korea Act. This legislation would create 150,000 non-immigrant work visas designated for citizens of South Korea under the E-4 visa program. The work permits are an addition to current levels. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Pete Roskam (R-Ill.).

2015: Voted against granting the President authority to expand immigration levels without Congress consent via Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)‚ Rep. Kennedy voted in favor against final passage of Trade Promotion Authority bill, H.R. 2146‚ (NOTE: in order to pass TPA the House of Representatives split the original bill Senate-passed bill H.R. 1314 into two bills, one dealing with Trade Promotion Authority and one dealing with the TransPacific Partnership. As a result, when the legislation came back to the Senate for a final vote, the Senate had to attach the TPA language to another House-originated bill, H.R. 2146 and vote to pass that legislation). This legislation sets up fast-track procedures for the passage of trade deals negotiated by the president. Although Ambassador Froman, the U.S. Trade Representative, repeatedly assured Members of Congress that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will not include immigration provisions that require the United States to change its laws, the Living Agreement provision of TPP means by its very terms that President Obama, or his successor, can change the provisions of the agreement however he chooses with no input whatsoever from Congress and regardless of what TPA instructs‚ H.R. 2146 passed the House by a vote of 218-208.

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2019: Cosponsored H.R. 4695, the PACT Act, to increase asylum fraud Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4695, the PACT Act, introduced by Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.). The legislation would make Syrian Kurds a priority for refugee resettlement, encouraging them to commit asylum fraud.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, to encourage border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). The legislation would encourage border surges and child trafficking by limiting the amount of time children can be kept in detention and presuming familial relationship. The bill would also allow for taxpayer funded lawyers for illegal border crossers.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3524 to increase asylum claims Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3524, the Northern Triangle and Border Stabilization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), that would create 100,000 new green cards each year for five years for asylees from the Northern Triangle countries. The bill does provide funding for additional immigration judges on the border.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 2146 to establish a floor for refugee resettlement Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 2146, the GRACE Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), that would set a floor for refugee resettlement at 95,000 per year.

2020: Cosponsored H.R. 3874, the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act, to increase asylum claims Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3874, the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act, introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.). The legislation would eliminate the asylum filing deadline. The deadline requires individuals wishing to file for asylum to do so within 1 year of entering the country. By removing the deadline, it would allow aliens to file for asylum at any time.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 4928, the New Deal for New Americans Act of 2019, to increase refugee admissions Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4928, the New Deal for New Americans Act of 2019, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). The legislation would make it easier for greencard holders to become U.S. citizens, but most importantly, the bill would increase the number of refugees resettled in the United States to 110,000 per year.

2020: Cosponsored H.R. 3775, the Equal Justice for Immigrants Act, to increase the number asylum claims Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3775, the Equal Justice for Immigrants Act, introduced by Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.). The legislation would end the Migrant Protection Policy (Remain in Mexico) that effective ended the 2019 border surge. The legislation would also remove the prohibition on taxpayer funded counsel for detained aliens.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 6135, the Keep Families Together Act, to weaken enforcement and increase refugee fraud Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6135, the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by Rep. Jarrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). The legislation would: 1) severely limit the ability of Customs and Border Protection to detain family units who cross the border illegally, 2) prohibits the prosecution of asylum-seekers for illegal entry until after their asylum claims have been decided, and 3) increase instances of asylum fraud by limiting the feds ability to detain and remove asylum-seekers.

2017: Cosponsored legislation to increase refugee intake (Lofgren) Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 1503, the SOLVE Act 2.0. This legislation would nullify President Donald Trumps Executive Order 13780, which temporarily halted refugee intake from terrorist-producing countries. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal).

2017: Cosponsored legislation to increase refugee numbers (Lofgren) Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 724, the SOLVE Act of 2017. This legislation would nullify Executive Order 13769, thereby increasing the refugee cap by 35,000. The legislations main sponsor is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal.).

2020: Voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, to grant a temporary amnesty for illegal workers Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). The legislation would have granted deferred action and work authorization to approximately 2 million illegal aliens currently working in occupations that are considered to be critical infrastructure work.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, to reduce rewards for illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). The legislation would encourage border surges and child trafficking by limiting the amount of time children can be kept in detention and presuming familial relationship. The bill would also allow for taxpayer funded lawyers for illegal border crossers.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, to increase legal immigration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). The legislation would exempt certain family-preference immigrants from numerical limitations and increase annual caps on all adult family-preference categories. The bill would also repeal per-country caps, repeal the 3- and 10-year bars for admission, and increase the visa lottery by 25,000.

2019: Voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to grant amnesty to illegal farm workers Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). The legislation would have granted amnesty to approximately 1.5 million illegal farm workers and their families, while waiving many inadmissibility restrictions. It also would have expanded the H-2A guest worker program by setting aside 20,000 visas for year-round work traditionally held by American workers. Further, it would have created 40,000 new green cards for longtime H-2A workers and other low-skilled foreign workers.

2019: Voted for H.R. 6 mass amnesty on House floor Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 6 on the House floor that would have granted amnesty to approximately 4 million illegal aliens. The legislation included the Dream Act, which would have allowed 3.2 million illegal aliens who claim to have entered the country before their 18th birthday and meet certain other requirements to receive amnesty. The legislation also included an amnesty for at least 430,000 foreign citizens (mostly illegal aliens) from countries that have been given Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The bill passed the House by a vote on 237-to-187.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, to grant amnesty to illegal aliens and TPS recipients Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.). The legislation would grant amnesty to approximately 3.2 million illegal aliens who claim that they came to the United States prior to the age of 18 and meet certain requirements. The legislation would also issue green cards to approximately 430,000 foreign citizens who have received Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Most TPS recipients were in the United States illegally prior to receiving the designation.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 541, the Keep Families Together Act, to expand catch and release Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 541, the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). This legislation would severely limit the ability of Customs and Border Protection to separate children from parents or legal guardians except for the case of: 1) terminated legal rights, 2) child trauma agencies determine its best, or 3) trafficking/not parent/danger of abuse. $10,000 fine for violation. The legislation would also ban the prosecution of asylum seekers who cross the border illegally for improper entry until after their claim has been adjudicated. 180 BAD in Amnesty

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) to grant amnesty to illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act. This legislation would eliminate the 3- and 10-year bars and exempt illegal aliens under the age of 21 from deportation. The bill would also allow DHS to waive inadmissibility for family unity and would allow any immediate family member whos been removed to receive parole.

2017: Cosponsored the American Promise Act, introduced by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, to grant amnesty to TPS recipients Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4253, the American Promise Act. This legislation would grant amnesty to approximately 300,000 illegal aliens who have received Temporary Protected Status. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.).

2017: Cosponsored the Dream Act, introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard to grant amnesty to young illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3440, the Dream Act of 2017. This legislation would grant amnesty to an estimated 3.3 million young illegal aliens. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.).

2017: Cosponsoring legislation to reward certain illegal aliens with amnesty in exchange for military service in (Denham) Rep. Kennedy is a cosponsor of H.R. 60, the ENLIST Act. The ENLIST Act provides amnesty in the form of conditional legal permanent residence to aliens who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. Eligible aliens must have been unlawfully present in the U.S. prior to 2012, continuously present in the U.S. since that date, younger than 15 upon initial entry, and otherwise eligible for enlistment. That conditional status is rescinded if the alien separates from the Armed Forces prior to completing the term of enlistment for anything other than honorable conditions. The bill’s main sponsor is Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA).

2016: Voted against King amendment to FY17 defense spending bill to block amnesty for DACA recipients Rep. Kennedy voted against Rep. Steve Kings amendment to the FY17 Defense Appropriations bill. The King amendment would have prohibited funds from being used by the Department of Defense to enlist DACA recipients into the military. A vote against was a vote in favor of enlisting illegal aliens into the military. The amendment failed 207-214.

2016: Voted against Gosar amendment to FY17 defense spending bill to block amnesty for DACA recipients Rep. Kennedy voted against Rep. Paul Gosars amendment to the FY17 Defense Appropriations bill. The Gosar amendment would have prohibited funds from being used by the Department of Defense to enlist DACA recipients into the military through the MAVNI program. A vote against was a vote in favor of enlisting illegal aliens into the military. The amendment failed 210-211.

2015: Voted against Brooks amendment to remove military amnesty from National Defense Authorization Act Rep. Kennedy voted against an amendment by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) to strip an amnesty provision from the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735). The provision stripped by the Brooks Amendment would have encouraged the Secretary of Defense to waive military enlistment requirements for illegal aliens who received amnesty through Pres. Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Brooks Amendment passed 221-to-202.

2015: Voted in FAVOR OF funding Executive Amnesties by opposing clean DHS Appropriations bill, H.R. 240 Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of final passage of H.R. 240, the DHS funding bill passed by the Senate which did not include riders to stop President Obamas unconstitutional Executive Amnesties. Although the House had originally passed H.R. 240 with these riders, the Senate stripped them out, thus fully funding the Executive Amnesties through September 2015. When the House voted on the bill as returned from the Senate, Sen. Kennedy supported Executive Amnesty by voting in favor of final passage (and consequently for a temporary shut down of DHS). Funding the Presidents illegal amnesties not only made Congress complicit in the Presidents lawless behavior, it also undermined the lawsuit filed by 26 states to stop implementation of the amnesties. If Congress is unwilling to fight to protect its own legislative powers, why should the courts fight on Congresss behalf? The bill passed by a vote of 257-167.

2015: Voted against Aderholt Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obamas Nov. 2014 amnesty Rep. Kennedy voted against the Aderholt Amendment to H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015. The Aderholt Amendment would defund implementation of all Obama and DHS November 2014 memoranda; defund 4 of the 5 Morton Memos that deal with prosecutorial discretion and detail who ICE agents can and cant deport; and prohibit federal benefits from being given to any illegal alien covered by the November memoranda. The Aderholt Amendment passed by a vote of 237-190.

2015: Voted against Blackburn Amendment to H.R. 240 to defund Pres. Obamas DACA amnesty Rep. Kennedy voted against the Blackburn Amendment to H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015. The Blackburn Amendment would defund the processing of applications and renewals of President Obamas 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, thus making it impossible for DACA recipients to continue to receive legal status. The Blackburn Amendment passed by a vote of 218-209.

2013: Voted against King Amdt to DHS Appropriations bill to prevent amnesty by prosecutorial discretion Rep. Kennedy voted against the King amendment to the FY2014 DHS Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2217). This amendment would have prohibited the Department of Homeland Security from using funds appropriated by Congress to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos. The Morton Memos were a series of three memos issued in 2011 that authorized the use of prosecutorial discretion and/or deferred action to provide amnesty to certain illegal aliens, particularly those brought here as children by their illegal alien parents. The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), passed by a 224-201 vote (6 June 2013).

2020: Voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, to provide stimulus checks for illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). The legislation would have allowed illegal aliens to receive economic stimulus checks and required most illegal aliens in detention to be released unless their detention was required by law.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 4701, the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2019, to allow aliens to access taxpayer benefits Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4701, the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2019, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). The legislation would remove the 5-year ban on an immigrants access to Medicaid and CHIP and allow illegal aliens to purchase taxpayer subsidized healthcare plans.

2020: Voted against the Motion to Recommit H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, to protect stimulus checks for illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy voted against the motion to recommit H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act. The motion would remove a provision in the legislation that would allow illegal aliens to retroactively receive the $1,200 stimulus checks that were issued to citizens and legal permanent residents in the CARES Act during the Covid-19 national emergency.

2017: Cosponsored legislation to provide free legal counsel to all illegal aliens (Jayapal) Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 1006, legislation that would provide taxpayer-funded legal counsel to all illegal aliens. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Was.).

2014: Voted against the Gohmert amendment to prevent housing subsides for illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy voted against the Gohmert amendment to H.R. 4745, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, of 2015. The amendment would have reduced funding to HUD for an amount equal to what has been spent in the past on Section 8 housing for illegal aliens. The amendment failed 160-266.

2020: Voted in favor of H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act, to hamper border security Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). The legislation would require adequate time to access counsel for all aliens referred for secondary inspection at ports of entry. In doing so, it would slow down processing at ports of entry and redirect resources that could otherwise be used for border security.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 2415 to encourage border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 2415, the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, introduced by Rep. Primila Jayapal (D-Wash.), that would limit the time that illegal aliens can be detained and weakens the authority of ICE detainers. The bill would require ICE detainer warrants to by issued by immigration judges, prohibit the detention of certain individuals, including illegal aliens under the age of 18, expand the use of alternatives to detention, and prohibit the use of private prisons.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, to encourage border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). The legislation would encourage border surges and child trafficking by limiting the amount of time children can be kept in detention and presuming familial relationship. The bill would also allow for taxpayer funded lawyers for illegal border crossers.

2020: Cosponsored H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act, to hamper border security Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). The legislation would require adequate time to access counsel for all aliens referred for secondary inspection at ports of entry. In doing so, it would slow down processing at ports of entry and redirect resources that could otherwise be used for border security.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3524 to strengthen border security Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3524, the Northern Triangle and Border Stabilization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) that would fund additional immigration judges at the southern border.

2020: Cosponsored H.R. 3731, the Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act, to encourage border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3731, the Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act, introduced by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). This legislation would expand Alternatives to Detention, almost guaranteeing that most apprehended aliens would be released. The bill would also prevent the separation of family members, thereby encouraging more border surges of family members.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 5383, the New Way Forward Act, to eliminate most immigration enforcement Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 5383, the New Way Forward Act, introduced by Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.). The legislation would, in effect, eliminate enforcement by: 1) eliminating private prisons, 2) turning all UACs who cross the border illegally over to HHS and releasing most illegal aliens within 48 hours, 3) ending mandatory detention for criminal aliens, 4) reducing the removal period from 90 to 60 days, 5) eliminating several crimes from the list of deportable/inadmissible crimes, 6) eliminating expedited removal, and 7) decriminalizing crossing the border illegally.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 541, the Keep Families Together Act, to expand catch and release Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 541, the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). This legislation would severely limit the ability of Customs and Border Protection to separate children from parents or legal guardians except for the case of: 1) terminated legal rights, 2) child trauma agencies determine its best, or 3) trafficking/not parent/danger of abuse. $10,000 fine for violation. The legislation would also ban the prosecution of asylum seekers who cross the border illegally for improper entry until after their claim has been adjudicated. 180 BAD in Amnesty

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 6193, the Central America Family Protection and Reunification Act, to weaken border security Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6193, the Central America Family Protection and Reunification Act. The legislation would make it more difficult for the feds to detain and prosecute family units and unaccompanied minors who cross the border illegally.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 6326, the Reunite Separated Families Act, that weakens border security Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6326 that would restrict the deportation of separated parents and requires that all illegal-alien families be detained for no more than 20 days. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) is the lead sponsor of the legislation.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 6135, the Keep Families Together Act, to weaken enforcement and increase refugee fraud Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6135, the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by Rep. Jarrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). The legislation would: 1) severely limit the ability of Customs and Border Protection to detain family units who cross the border illegally, 2) prohibits the prosecution of asylum-seekers for illegal entry until after their asylum claims have been decided, and 3) increase instances of asylum fraud by limiting the feds ability to detain and remove asylum-seekers.

2017: Cosponsored legislation to nullify immigration enforcement executive order (Lofgren) Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 920, the Protecting Our Border Communities Act of 2017. This legislation would prevent the government from acting on President Trumps Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements executive order. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal.).

2020: Voted against H.R 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act on House floor Sen. Kennedy voted against H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, that would weaken interior enforcement and increase foreign worker visas. The bill reduced funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement by $431 million. Further, the bill authorized the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor to increase the number of H-2B visas issued during the 2021 fiscal year.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 2415 to encourage border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 2415, the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, introduced by Rep. Primila Jayapal (D-Wash.), that would limit the time that illegal aliens can be detained and weakens the authority of ICE detainers. The bill would require ICE detainer warrants to by issued by immigration judges, prohibit the detention of certain individuals, including illegal aliens under the age of 18, expand the use of alternatives to detention, and prohibit the use of private prisons.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, to reduce rewards for illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3918, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act, introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.). The legislation would encourage border surges and child trafficking by limiting the amount of time children can be kept in detention and presuming familial relationship. The bill would also allow for taxpayer funded lawyers for illegal border crossers.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, to increase legal immigration Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3799, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). The legislation would exempt certain family-preference immigrants from numerical limitations and increase annual caps on all adult family-preference categories. The bill would also repeal per-country caps, repeal the 3- and 10-year bars for admission, and increase the visa lottery by 25,000.

2020: Cosponsored H.R. 3731, the Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act, to reduce detention of illegal aliens Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 3731, the Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act, introduced by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). This legislation would expand Alternatives to Detention, almost guaranteeing that most apprehended aliens would be released. The bill would also prevent the separation of family members, thereby encouraging more border surges of family members.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 4155 to encourage future border surges Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4155, the Funding Attorneys for Indigent Removal (FAIR) Proceedings Act, introduced by Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), that would require taxpayer funded immigration attorneys for certain illegal aliens. Further, the bill would repeal the existing ban on providing public counsel for foreign nationals on immigration matters.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 5383, the New Way Forward Act, to eliminate most immigration enforcement Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 5383, the New Way Forward Act, introduced by Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.). The legislation would, in effect, eliminate enforcement by: 1) eliminating private prisons, 2) turning all UACs who cross the border illegally over to HHS and releasing most illegal aliens within 48 hours, 3) ending mandatory detention for criminal aliens, 4) reducing the removal period from 90 to 60 days, 5) eliminating several crimes from the list of deportable/inadmissible crimes, 6) eliminating expedited removal, and 7) decriminalizing crossing the border illegally.

2019: Voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to weaken interior enforcement Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). The legislation would have granted amnesty to approximately 1.5 million illegal farm workers and their families, while waiving many inadmissibility restrictions. It also would have expanded the H-2A guest worker program by setting aside 20,000 visas for year-round work traditionally held by American workers. Further, it would have created 40,000 new green cards for longtime H-2A workers and other low-skilled foreign workers.

2019: Voted against H.R. 1158, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, to prevent weakening interior enforcement Rep. Kennedy voted against H.R. 1158, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, that provides funding for the federal government for FY2020. H.R. 1158 effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).

2019: Voted in favor of H.R. 3401, the border crisis supplemental funding bill, to facilitate the continued trafficking of children along the Southern border Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 3401 on the House floor. The bill failed to include payroll funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who are dealing with the ongoing border crisis. The bill also lacked funding for additional detention space and failed to address the root causes of the border surge, guaranteeing the need for future spending bills.

2019: Voted for H.R. 6 to weaken enforcement on House floor Rep. Kennedy voted in favor of H.R. 6 on the House floor that would have granted amnesty to approximately 3.6 million illegal aliens. The legislation would grant amnesty to approximately to illegal aliens prima facia, meaning it suspends interior enforcement during the time the amnesty is being granted. The bill passed the House by a vote on 237-to-187.

2019: Cosponsored H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, to weaken interior enforcement Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.). The legislation would grant amnesty to approximately 3.6 million illegal aliens prima facia, meaning it suspends interior enforcement during the time the amnesty is being granted.

2019: Voted in favor of the omnibus spending bill, H.J. Res. 31, to weaken interior enforcement Sen. Kennedy voted in favor of H.J.Res. 31, the omnibus spending bill. The bill reduces the funding for detention beds used by ICE to detain criminal aliens and recent illegal border crossers. It also provides protection from enforcement and removal for the illegal-alien sponsors and their families of unaccompanied alien children who cross the border illegally. Further, it prevents the hiring of any new ICE agents for Enforcement and Removal Operations.

2018: Cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) to weaken interior enforcement Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 4944, the Reuniting Families Act. This legislation would eliminate the 3- and 10-year bars and exempt classes of illegal aliens from deportation.

2017: Cosponsored legislation weakening interior enforcement (Espaillat) Sen. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 845, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. This legislation would prevent federal immigration agents from detaining illegal aliens in certain public places. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY).

2017: Cosponsored H.R. 921, introduced by Rep. Lofgren (D-Calif.) to nullify Pres. Trumps sanctuary city executive order Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 921, the Community Trust Act of 2017. This legislation would nullify President Trumps Executive Order 13768, which called for immigration laws to be enforced and for sanctuary cities to be stripped of relevant federal funds. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal.).

2017: Cosponsored legislation to nullify immigration enforcement executive order (Lofgren) Rep. Kennedy cosponsored H.R. 920, the Protecting Our Border Communities Act of 2017. This legislation would prevent the government from acting on President Trumps Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements executive order. The bills main sponsor is Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal.).

2014: Voted against amendment to deprive sanctuary cities of funds Rep. Kennedy voted against the King amendment to H.R. 4460, the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill. This amendment would deprive sanctuary cities of funds due to them from enforcing federal immigration laws. Sanctuary cities are localities that do not notify federal authorities when illegal aliens are arrested, thereby acting as safe harbors for illegal aliens. The amendment passed 214-194.

2014: Voted Against Amendment to Investigate Release of Illegal Aliens Rep. Kennedy voted against the King amendment to H.R. 4660, the Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriations Bill. This amendment would appropriate $5 for the Justice Department to investigate the release of 36,007 illegal aliens with criminal convictions by DHS. The amendment passed 218-193.