S. 2619, the Children Returning on an Expedited and Safe Timeline Act, would attempt to address the surge at the Southwest border by redefining undocumented alien children (UAC). Unfortunately, in doing so, it actually expands the definition to include all children who cross the border without a parent or legal guardian. Under current law, a UAC must not have a parent or legal guardian inside the U.S. Therefore, such an expansion would place an enormous number of children who were otherwise ineligible through the UAC process.
H.R. 5143, the Protection of Children Act of 2014, would take excellent steps to resolve the surge of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) along the Southwest border. First, it removes the requirement that only UACs from contiguous countries receive expedited removal. In addition, children are no longer required to make their own independent decision to withdraw their applications for admission, and immigration officers who determine such children are inadmissible may withdraw their applications and return them to their home countries.
H.R. 5137, the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2014, represents one of the most thorough responses to the surge of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) at the Southwest border. Aside from repealing the requirements that resulted in UACs from contiguous countries receiving differing treatment than those from noncontiguous countries, this bill requires immigration officers to order all illegal entrants removed upon screening, absent an asylum claim. In order to encourage cooperation with return, foreign countries who resist repatriation will face cuts to foreign assistance.
H.R. 5163 would focus on addressing the increased influx of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) on the Southwest border. First and foremost, it removes the distinction between UACs from contiguous and noncontiguous countries, then requires those who are screened and do not qualify are returned within 72 hours. Various improvements are made to the system for processing UACs, including a new requirement that they are to remain in Border Patrol custody until voluntary departure, removal, or granting of legal status.
S. 2632 would address the increased influx of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) on the Southwest border. First and foremost, it removes the distinction between UACs from contiguous and noncontiguous countries, then requires those who are screened and do not qualify are returned within 72 hours. Various improvements are made to the system for processing UACs, including a new requirement that they are to remain in Border Patrol custody until voluntary departure, removal, or granting of legal status.
S. 2611, the Helping Unaccompanied Minors and Alleviating National Emergency (HUMANE) Act, would address the surge of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) on the Southwest border, but would actually make the situation much worse. Though the distinction between UACs from Mexico and other countries is removed, it exposes all of them to a complicated process which would further delay returning the children to their countries of origin.
H.R. 5114, the Helping Unaccompanied Minors and Alleviating National Emergency (HUMANE) Act, would address the surge of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) on the Southwest border, but would actually make the situation much worse. Though the distinction between UACs from Mexico and other countries is removed, it exposes all of them to a complicated process which would further delay returning the children to their countries of origin.
H.R. 4300 was a bill to radically increase annual immigration numbers by removing or increasing limits in most immigration categories. As well, H.R. 4300 created the diversity visa lottery. Traditional American immigration had averaged around 250,000 a year until the 1980s when it dramatically rose to around 500,000. Largely as a result of H.R. 4300, annual legal immigration has risen to around 1,000,000 (one million) a year.
S. 358 was a bill to radically increase annual immigration numbers by removing or increasing limits in most immigration categories. As well, S. 358 created the diversity visa lottery. Traditional American immigration had averaged around 250,000 a year until the 1980s when it dramatically rose to around 500,000. Largely as a result of S. 358, annual legal immigration has risen to around 1,000,000 (one million) a year.
A bill to impose a moratorium on immigration by aliens other than refugees, certain priority and skilled workers, and immediate relatives of United States citizens and permanent resident aliens.
S.1923, the Immigration Stabilization Act, was the first comprehensive immigration reduction bill to be introduced in the Senate since the 1920s. It would have cut legal immigration in all categories from around one million to about 425,000 a year.
H.R. 3862 would have cut legal immigration from around one million to below 300,000 a year -- near the traditional American level of immigration. It also would have eliminated one of the major incentives for illegal immigration by halting the granting of U.S. citizenship to babies born to illegal-alien mothers in the United States. The House leadership did not bring the bill to a vote.
H.R.3320 was the first comprehensive immigration reduction legislation to be introduced in the House since the 1920s. It would have cut legal immigration from around one million to just under 400,000 a year by reducing chain migration, cutting the number of employment-based green cards, reducing refugee and asylee admissions, eliminating the visa lottery, and boosting enforcement.
H.R. 4934, the Immigration Reduction Act, would cut legal immigration -- by reducing chain migration, ending the visa lottery, capping refugees and asylees, eliminating unnecessary worker visas, and ending birthright citizenship -- from around 1 million to around 320,000 a year, reducing U.S. population growth by about 5.8 million over a 10-year period.
H.R. 2202, the Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995, was a large omnibus bill designed to reform the entire immigration system. The legal immigration reforms it included were based on the bi-partisan Barbara Jordan Commission's recommendations for cutting the major links of family-chain migration and protecting American workers from further wage depression. The bill would have eliminated the categories for adult children and siblings and limited that for parents of adults.
H.R. 1915, the Immigration in the National Interest Act, would have shifted the primary focus of immigration policy to spouses and minor children from extended family and to skilled immigrants from less skilled ones. It would have set a ceiling of 330,000 on family-based immigration. In addition this bill would have increased the number of skilled workers, while eliminating the unskilled worker category and the lottery program. H.R. 1915 also contained provisions designed to reduce illegal immigration such as worker verification programs.
H.R. 347, the Immigration Moratorium Act, would have helped reduce chain migration significantly by eliminating several categories of extended-family migration such as parents and adult unmarried children of U.S. citizens. It would have also reduced the ceiling for skilled workers to 5,000 per year from its current ceiling of 120,060 per year, eliminated the category for unskilled workers, required that refugees and asylees reside legally in the United States for five years before they could apply for adjustment to permanent resident status, and would have ended the Visa Lottery.
H.R. 41, the Mass Immigration Reduction Act, called for deep reductions in all categories of immigration, including: ending the chain migration categories for parents of adult children and siblings of adults, reducing the category of skilled workers to 5,000 per year from its current ceiling of 120,060 per year, limiting refugee admissions and asylee adjustments to a total of 25,000 annually and requiring that refugees and asylees reside legally in the United States for five years before they could apply for adjustment to permanent resident status, and ending the visa lottery.
H.R. 2712, the Mass Immigration Reduction Act, called for deep reductions in all categories of immigration, including: ending chain migration categories such as parents of adult children and siblings of adults, reducing the category of skilled workers to 5,000 per year from its current ceiling of 120,060 per year, limiting refugee admissions and asylee adjustments to a total of 25,000 annually and require that refugees and asylees reside legally in the United States for five years before they could apply for adjustment to permanent resident status, and ending the visa lottery. H.R.
H.R. 3229, the Visa Entry Reform Act, would implement an entry-exit system an an integrated database of biometric identifiers for every visa holder. It also would have created a comprehensive alien tracking and identification system. This would have reduced illegal immigration by decreasing the ability of a visa holder in the U.S. to overstay their visa and become an illegal alien.
S. 1627, the Visa Entry Reform Act, would create a comprehensive alien tracking and identification system that would implement an entry-exit system to check every visa holder upon entering and exiting the U.S. It would also help reduce the number of applicants who are denied refugee status but then fail to leave the country.
H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act, would set federal standards for the issuance of driver's licenses and birth certificates. H.R. 10 would prohibit issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens and require that driver's licenses of temporary visa holders expire when their visa expires. As well, H.R. 10 contains provisions to prohibit the use of consular-issued ID cards. H.R. 10 would reduce asylum fraud by reaffirming that the burden of proof is on the asylum claimant, and that the adjudicator may require corroborating evidence in certain cases. H.R.
H.R. 946, the Mass Immigration Reduction Act, called for deep reductions in all categories of immigration, including: ending chain migration categories such as parents of adult children and siblings of adults, reducing the category of skilled workers to 5,000 per year from its current ceiling of 120,060 per year, limiting refugee admissions and asylee adjustments to a total of 25,000 annually and require that refugees and asylees reside legally in the United States for five years before they could apply for adjustment to permanent resident status, and ending the visa lottery. H.R.
S. 644, the Widows and Orphans Act, would increase asylum claims by creating a new special immigrant visa category for an unlimited number of women and children who are at risk of harm due to their gender and age. While it is difficult to estimate the numeric impact of this legislation, it is easy to imagine it would double the current 10,000 asylees who are allowed to become permanent residents each year.
H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act, would set federal standards for the the issuance of driver's licenses and a legal presence requirement that would make illegal aliens ineligible for driver's licenses. As well, H.R. 418 would tie the driver's license expiration date of a temporary visa holder to the expiration date of their visa so that those who enter the country legally as visa holders, but become illegal aliens by overstaying their visas, will not have a valid driver's license after the date of the expiration of their visa.
H.R. 1941, Liberian Refugee Immigration Protection Act of 2007, would grant permanent lawful resident status to Liberian national aliens (including those present in the United States who have been ordered excluded, deported, removed, or ordered to depart voluntarily) who were eligible for Temporary Protected Status
The bill would require the President to submit plans to Congress to accelerate the processing of Iraqi nationals’ petitions for refugee status, as well as the operation of the special immigrant visa program for Iraqi and Afghan translators; would require the President to submit to Congress legislative proposals to facilitate greater “acceptance by,” “relocation,” or “absorption into” the United States of Iraqis seeking admission into, or resettlement in, the United States due to a well-founded fear of persecution on account of employment by, or assistance to, the United States or other coal
S. 1258, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011, would allow Liberian refugees to transition from Temporary Protected Status to permanent resident status, even though the conflict in Liberia has long since ended.
H.R. 2185, the Refugee Protection Act, would eliminate the 1-year application deadline for asylum, thus allowing more opportunities to enter in the United States. In addition, it would waive the inadmissibility ban for certain terrorist activities and would require new detention facilities to be located within 50 miles of a major city. Furthermore, it would expedite and make the overall process for asylum seekers more comfortable by providing them with full medical care, housing, legal representation, toiletries, medication, long distance phone calls, and translators.
S. 1202, the Refugee Protection Act, would eliminate the 1-year application deadline for asylum, thus allowing more opportunities to enter in the United States. In addition, it would waive the inadmissibility ban for certain terrorist activities and would require new detention facilities to be located within 50 miles of a major city. Furthermore, it would expedite and make the overall process for asylum seekers more comfortable by providing them with full medical care, housing, legal representation, toiletries, medication, long distance phone calls, and translators.
H.R. 463 would improve the U-Visa program through various adjustments to the existing system. First, the program is limited so that only spouses and children of U-Visa holders may accompany to join the recipient of the U-Visa. In order to prevent abuse of the system, the list of crimes that create U-Visa eligibility is limited to actual completed crimes. In other words, attempt, conspiracy, and solicitation to commit one of the crimes listed have been removed.
S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, was a massive immigration reform bill, introduced by the 'Gang of 8' that would result in approximately 30 million new permanent work permits issued in the first 10 years if passed. The bill would grant legal status and worker permits to an estimated 11 million illegal aliens with an opportunity for green cards after 10 years and replace some family-based immigration categories with a merit-based points system.
H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, was a massive immigration reform bill, introduced by Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Fla.) and was the House companion to the Gang of 8's S. 744. H.R. 15 would result in approximately 30 million new permanent work permits issued in the first 10 years if passed. The bill would grant legal status and worker permits to an estimated 11 million illegal aliens with an opportunity for green cards after 10 years and replace some family-based immigration categories with a merit-based points system.
