Immigration reform news today in congress

Here are some recent updates on immigration reform news in Congress:

Latest Developments:

  1. Bipartisan Senate Bill Introduced: On March 16, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the "US Citizenship Act of 2021" (S. 348), a bipartisan bill that aims to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, improve border security, and reform the legal immigration system.
  2. House Judiciary Committee Hearing: On March 10, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on "Immigration Reform: A Path to Citizenship and Border Security." The hearing featured testimony from experts and advocates on both sides of the issue.
  3. White House Meeting with Congressional Leaders: On March 11, President Joe Biden met with Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), to discuss immigration reform and other legislative priorities.

Key Provisions of the Senate Bill:

  1. Pathway to Citizenship: The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants who have been in the US for at least 5 years, have a clean criminal record, and meet other eligibility requirements.
  2. Border Security: The bill would authorize $25 billion for border security measures, including physical barriers, technology, and personnel.
  3. Legal Immigration Reform: The bill would reform the legal immigration system by increasing the number of visas for high-skilled workers, improving the diversity visa lottery, and creating a new visa category for agricultural workers.
  4. DACA and TPS: The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

Challenges and Controversies:

  1. Border Security: Republicans have expressed concerns about the bill's border security provisions, arguing that they do not go far enough to address the issue.
  2. Pathway to Citizenship: Some Democrats have expressed concerns that the bill does not provide a clear pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants, while some Republicans have opposed the idea of a pathway to citizenship altogether.
  3. Funding: The bill's $25 billion border security funding authorization has been criticized by some as too low, while others have expressed concerns about the overall cost of the bill.

Next Steps:

  1. Committee Markups: The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to markup the bill in the coming weeks, with a vote possible in the full Senate in the spring.
  2. House Action: The House of Representatives has not yet introduced a companion bill, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks.
  3. Conference Committee: If the Senate and House pass different versions of the bill, a conference committee will be formed to iron out the differences and produce a final bill.

Stay tuned for further updates on immigration reform news in Congress!