BLUF:

• H.R. 9199, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act is advancing after internal GOP pressure, posing major risks to Flores, asylum access, and humanitarian parole.

• ORR extended RCA/RMA to 8 months, but the broader benefits landscape continues to worsen due to H.R. 1 SNAP/Medicaid cuts and a revived public charge rule.

• Senator Markey will seek unanimous consent on his Haiti TPS bill; passage is unlikely but the moment is strategically valuable.

• A federal judge ordered USCIS to resume paused immigration and asylum processing in Dorcas, rejecting the government’s attempt to delay compliance.

• Key Hill activity continues: Ukraine TPS and humanitarian parole briefing, CSWA reintroduction, stalled Labor‑HHS and Homeland Security appropriations, and a new reconciliation push with significant Senate resistance.

Permanent Trump Secure Border Act: Committee Movement Begins This Week

Why it matters:

• H.R. 9199, Rep. Chip Roy’s redraft of the 2023 Secure Border Act, is advancing after weeks of internal GOP pressure that contributed to shutting down the House floor for several weeks.

• The bill poses major threats to Flores protections, asylum access, and humanitarian parole authority, and Global Refuge has taken an early leadership role in analysis and proactive advocacy.

State of play:

• Roy tied his vote on June’s razor thin Reconciliation 2.0 passage to a promise from Speaker Johnson to bring H.R. 9199 to the floor.

• That leverage has now produced committee level movement.

• The bill has been noticed for markup in House Judiciary on Tuesday afternoon. Passage is not assured. Republicans on the committee remain divided, and Democrats are expected to hold a unified no line.

Global Refuge actions: Raised early alarms with peer organizations; Shared analysis and a pre- prepared vote recommendation; Conducted targeted outreach to key Judiciary members in both parties and Minority Committee staff in advance of next week's markup.

Bottom line: The bill is moving, but not on a stable path, and Global Refuge is positioned as a leading voice defending long standing child protection and humanitarian standards.

Refugee Post‑Arrival Benefits: ORR Moves, Congress Stalls, DHS Adds Pressure

State of play:

• ORR published a federal register notice this week extending Refugee Cash Assistance and Refugee Medical Assistance eligibility from 4 months to 8 months. The change is effective immediately, with states given 30 days to update systems.

• ORR reversed last year’s cut from 12 months to 4 months, citing arrival trends, appropriations, participation rates, and projected expenditures. States may also provide additional months of RCA and RMA to individuals who previously received fewer than 8 months, up to the new maximum.

• The extension comes as last year’s H.R. 1 eliminated SNAP eligibility for refugees and other humanitarian entrants without green cards and is set to cut off Medicaid access this fall.

Farm Bill outlook:

• The Farm Bill (which authorizes SNAP) has stalled again after brief signs of movement last month. The core impasse remains the H.R. 1 provision shifting SNAP costs to states. Senate Democrats are holding firm on a two‑year delay in implementation.

• While changes to current SNAP eligibility rules are unlikely given dynamics on the Ag Committee between parties, Farm Bill engagement remains critical as a mid‑ to long‑term strategy heading into the 120th Congress.

• Our advocacy push over the last several weeks has yielded a good foundation, and we’ll continue to press forward in coordination with partners.

Public Charge Rule:

• DHS is moving to re‑expand the public charge test, which considers use of benefits like SNAP and Medicaid in green card adjudications, despite significant pushback when first noticed in Fall of 2025.

• Starting September 18th, USCIS officers will consider a wider range of income‑based public benefits. USCIS has not yet provided a definitive list, but benefits could include Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, housing assistance, and others.

• Use of benefits will not automatically lead to denial. Officers will weigh the applicant’s overall financial situation, health, family circumstances, education, and skills. Historically, denials based on public charge have been extremely rare. Under the similar 2020 policy, USCIS identified only five cases; all later reopened or withdrawn.

• The rule is expected to have a chilling impact, potentially deterring immigrants from using benefits they legally qualify for.

• Refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and other exempt groups are not subject to public charge.

Bottom line: ORR’s RCA and RCM extension offers meaningful but limited relief. The broader benefits environment continues to deteriorate, and Global Refuge’s proactive advocacy on SNAP and Medicaid remains essential to protecting newcomer stability and long‑term integration.

Haiti TPS: Senate Unanimous Consent Attempt Expected

Driving the news:

• Senator Markey is expected to attempt a unanimous consent vote on his Haiti TPS bill this week. 

• This move signals support from Leader Schumer, since such a request cannot proceed without him, and is a good opportunity to get additional floor statements from supporters in the Congressional record.

State of play:

• A unanimous consent request bypasses committee consideration and places the bill directly on the Senate floor. The bill passes unless a Senator proactively objects.

• Several Senators remain opposed and are likely to place a hold on the bill, so passage is not expected or likely. Even so, the attempt creates a valuable moment to elevate the stakes for Haitian TPS holders and highlight community impacts.

Global Refuge actions:

• We continue to support and collaborate with peers to increase pressure on targeted Senators.

• This week is a good moment for amplifying the consequences of losing TPS status and driving engagement with our action alert.

• Any public‑facing messaging should avoid discussing the unanimous consent process itself or drawing attention in advance to the attempt by Markey’s team.

Bottom line: The vote is unlikely to succeed, but it offers a strategic window to reinforce bipartisan support for Haitian TPS and demonstrate strong advocacy momentum.

 

Dorcas: Judge Rejects Government Pause, Processing Must Resume

State of play:

• A federal judge has denied the government’s request to pause the June 5 ruling in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS. The decision keeps the ruling in full effect as the case moves to appeal.

• The court’s orders require USCIS to resume adjudicating immigration benefits, restart affirmative asylum processing, and end the freeze on asylum cases for nationals of the 39 travel ban countries.

• The judge reaffirmed that USCIS exceeded its authority when it halted these benefits and paused case processing. The rulings do not change the travel ban itself and do not affect the refugee admissions program.

• It is not yet clear whether USCIS has complied with the latest order and restarted processing of the previously frozen applications.

Bottom line: The court has again rejected the government’s attempt to delay compliance. Processing must continue during the appeal, and the ruling remains a significant check on USCIS’s use of travel ban‑related restrictions.

 

Other Key Updates: Ukraine, CSWA, Appropriations, Reconciliation

• Ukraine TPS:

  • Global Refuge hosted a private, staff‑level Hill briefing on Ukraine TPS and humanitarian parole on Monday afternoon.

  • While closed to the public and media, post‑briefing amplification on public channels is appropriate to reinforce our thought leadership and maintain pressure ahead of the October TPS expiration.

• Children’s Safe Welcome Act:

  • Senator Merkley will reintroduce the CSWA on July 22.

  • Global Refuge endorsed the bill last fall and signed onto the community support letter organized by NYCL and the Young Center, which will now be released with the bill’s introduction.

  • CSWA remains a strategic messaging bill on child‑welfare that helps anchor the field as attacks on Flores and UC protections escalate.

  • Public amplification of the introduction is encouraged and aligns with our positioning as a go‑to resource for Hill offices on UC protections.

• Appropriations:

  • The House passed the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs bill under a rule earlier this week.

  • The other two bills central to our work, Labor HHS and Homeland Security, have not advanced beyond committee.

  • Senate appropriations remain stalled and are likely to stay frozen until after the election.

  • The House is preparing a short Continuing Resolution to keep the government open through November. Although a shutdown is never off the table, it seems unlikely either party will allow one so close to the mid‑terms.

  • Fun Fact: Appropriations bills always start in the House due to the Constitution’s Origination Clause. House members’ two‑year cycles were seen as making them more responsive to constituent concerns.
     

• Reconciliation 3.0:

  • The House has begun moving yet another party‑line reconciliation package, this time focused on defense funding for the Iran war, targeted farmer aid to help with tariff and inflation impacts, and the Save America Act.

  • The framework does not attempt to offset new spending, creating immediate friction with fiscal conservatives.

  • Senate Majority Leader Thune continues to signal little to no path for another reconciliation bill in the Senate and warns that any attempt to pass the Save America Act through reconciliation would face an immediate Parliamentarian hurdle.

  • While Senate action remains unlikely, any vote‑a‑rama would present risks for harmful amendments on our priorities. We are monitoring.