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
- 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.
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
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 AEA grants broad powers to the President, who may invoke the statute when a
- 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)
