US Immigration Legislation

Until January 2025 (See below), Congress had failed to pass any significant immigration legislation during past two decades.

Some of the bills passed by Congress have benefited or penalized many immigrants while private bills have been introduced to benefit one immigrant or one family of immigrants.

This page links to the text of some immigration bills introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It also links to videos and the text of witness testimony before Congressional Committees and Subcommittees regarding immigration.

We hope that the information contained on this page assists you in understanding how U.S. immigration laws and procedures affect you no matter whether you are a person seeking a visa, a green card or U.S. citizenship, or whether you are an employer sponsoring foreign-born professionals for immigration benefits.

You can stay up-to-date with the waiting times in the Visa Bulletin and other immigration news by subscribing to our Free E-Mail Newsletter.

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IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION 2025

• • Trump signs the Laken Riley Act into Law (1-29-25)
    • The Laken Riley Act Explained 

* The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025

The bill contains 3 routes to obtaining lawful status in the United States.

DACA recipients would be eligible for ‘streamlined’ processing of conditional permanent residence, including not having to pay an additional fee, or, if they already meet the qualifying criteria for removing the conditional status, would be eligible to apply for adjustment of status to full permanent residence immediately. In the latter case, the normal adjustment of status fee may be charged.

Any person meeting all of the following criteria would be eligible for conditional permanent residence.

• Continuously resident in the United States before January 1, 2021
• Were 18 years or younger on the date of their initial entry to the United States
• Pass security and law enforcement background checks and pay a reasonable fee
• Not have been convicted of any of the following. Note that crimes where immigration status is an essential element of the crime do not count:
  • A federal or state crime punishable by a term of more than 1 year
  • 3 or more crimes committed at different dates where the person was sentenced to an aggregate of 90 days or more
  • A crime of domestic violence (unless the person is themselves a victim of domestic violence)
• Graduate from high school or obtain a GED

After receiving conditional status, recipients would have 10 years to meet the requirements for full permanent residence. In order to be eligible they must still meet the criteria above, and fulfill one of these conditions:

• Have received at least 2 years worth of post-secondary academic credit; or
• Completed at 2 years of military service, and if discharged, have received an honorable discharge
• Have accumulated at least 3 years of employment, 75% of which was obtained while having lawful work authorization.

• 3. Temporary protected status

  Nationals of those countries that are considered unsafe to accept return who have received Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure would receive LPR status and have all removal proceedings cancelled if they meet the following criteria:

  • Have been in the United States for at least 3 years at the date the act is adopted
  • Were eligible for TPS on September 17, 2017, or had DED status on January 20, 2021.

* The Dignity Act of 2025

• The Dignity Act would establish the Dignity Program, which will provide legal immigration status for individuals who entered the country prior to Dec. 31, 2020 and who pass a criminal background check. Those who enter the program would receive work and travel authorization. The act will also provide pathways to citizenship for Dreamers, keep families together and open the door for those in the dignity program to enter the U.S. armed services.
• It seeks visa reforms, looking to decrease backlogs to a maximum of 10 years, raising visa caps, and exempt spousal and minor children visas from these caps. It would also reform the asylum system, opening three regional processing centers across Latin America, requiring credible fear interviews within 15 days of arrival in the U.S. and a decision in the asylum case within 45 days.
• The bill includes upgrades and improvements to border infrastructure, and increases training and minimum pay rates for U.S. Border Patrol agents. It also looks to codify the protection of sensitive locations from immigration enforcement operations, including schools, hospitals, places of worship, courthouses and places that provide disaster relief, among others. The bill also places additional ICE accountability measures, including requiring the agency to update detainee data within 24 hours and providing telephone calls to family members if they are relocated.
• The bill will provide $10 billion for the Department of Homeland Security to modernize ports of entry and provide additional funding to fund the Dignity Program.

• * The Dignity Act of 2025: Bill Summary
• Why the Dignity Act if Unlikely to Pass (7-29-25)

HOW TO FIND LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS, REPORTS, ETC.

• The Immigration and Nationality Act (USCIS)
• Public Laws Amending the INA (USCIS)

The following information may be useful in conducting your search:
8 C.F.R. Citizenship and Immigration Service

20 C.F.R. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration

22 C.F.R. Department of State

29 C.F.R. Department of Labor (Employment Standards Administration)

42 C.F.R. Public Health Service

• USCIS Interpretations
• The Federal Register (Daily listing of Federal Regulations)
• USCIS Federal Register Announcements
• Search the United States Code (Titles 1 – 50)
• List of United States Immigration Laws
• How A Bill Becomes A Law
• GAO Report: Action Needed to Address Risks and Strengthen Overstay Enforcement (12-7-11)

CONTACT CONGRESS

• Who is My Representative?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: US IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION

• The Alien Enemies Act, Explained (10-9-24)
  • The AEA grants broad powers to the President, who may invoke the statute when a
    “declared war” exists between the United States and a “foreign nation or government[,]” or when
    “any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory
    of the United States by any foreign nation or government.”
• The Fairness to Freedom Act Will Save Lives (4-19-23)
• House Republicans release sweeping Immigration Bill (4-17-23)
• Bill Summary: Border Safety and Security Act of 2023 (3-31-23)
• Bill Analysis: Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023 (3-30-23)
• Bill Summary: Regional Immigration and Diplomacy Enforcement (RIDE) Act (3-28-23)
• With Congress stuck, some immigrant advocates go local (3-23-23)
• Statement for the Record U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on “Living Up to America’s Promise: The Need to Bolster the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program” (3-22-23)
• Dream Act of 2023 Priority Bill Spotlight (3-7-23)
• Bill Analysis: The Secure and Protect Act of 2023 (2-17-23)
• Grassley Leads Colleagues In Reintroducing Bill To Rein In Executive Branch Abuse Of Immigration Parole (2-16-23)
• Durbin, Graham Unveil Immigration Legislation at an Urgent Time for Dreamers (2-10-23)
• Biden State of the Union 2023: Challenge Congress to Act on Immigration (2-3-23)
• U.S. Sen. John Cornyn eyes the Seemingly Impossible: a Bipartisan Deal on Immigration (1-18-23)