H.R. 1645 (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy [STRIVE] Act of 2007)

Click here for summary of FOREIGN WORKER VISA provisions in this bill.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1758 - would authorize DHS to issue up to 65,000 additional H-1B “high skill worker” visas per year (exempt from the extant 65,000-per-year cap) – fiscal years 2008 through 2012 – to aliens who meet H-1B admission requirements and who possess post-graduate degrees; would require an employer petitioning for such an H-1B nonimmigrant worker to make “qualified scholarship payments” to a U.S. institution of higher education for each year that the H-1B’s status is held; and would require scholarship funds received under these provisions to be used only to provide scholarships to students enrolled full-time in undergraduate and postgraduate study, with priority given to U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens.  Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R.5060 - would remove the limitation on P-1 visa renewals for foreign-born professional or amateur athletes. The P-1 visa currently expires after 10 years (5 years for the initial visa and 5 years for the renewal); however, this legislation would make it possible for foreign athletes to stay in the United States permanently as long as they continue to renew their visas every 5 years. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1631 - would eliminate the April 30, 2001, deadline for an illegal alien who is married to a U.S. citizen and who is the parent of a U.S. citizen child to apply for a Section 245(i) amnesty, thus making this amnesty.  Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 190 (Social Security for Americans Only Act of 2007) - would prohibit an individual who is not a U.S. citizen or national, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she was not a citizen or national, effective December 31, 2007; would require any Social Security totalization agreement to take that prohibition into account; would apply that prohibition only to totalization agreements taking effect after enactment, but would require any such agreement in effect prior to enactment to terminate no later than December 31, 2007.  Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 279 (Social Security Totalization Agreement Reform [STAR] Act of 2007) - would require all Social Security totalization agreements to be treated as bilateral trade agreements, thus requiring both houses of Congress to pass a resolution approving such an agreement before it could take effect; and would shift the burden to the advocates of a totalization agreement to prove its merits, as opposed to gridlock resulting in an agreement becoming operative (i.e., current law states that agreements go into effect automatically within 60 days after the President submits the agreement to Congress unless either chamber passes a resolution disapproving the agreement).  Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors
Summary

H.R. 332 - would prohibit an illegal alien, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she is illegally present in the United States; and would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 416 (Fairness in Higher Education Act of 2007) - would prohibit institutions of higher education located in states that provide in-state tuition or other forms of financial aid (e.g., loans, work-study, etc.) to illegal aliens from receiving Federal assistance pursuant to the Higher Education Act of 1965. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 448 (Identification Integrity Act of 2007) - would prohibit a Federal agency from accepting a foreign identification document for any official purpose, unless the document is a passport that is accepted at the time of enactment.  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 480 - would amend the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit the issuance of residential mortgages to consumers without Social Security numbers (including illegal aliens) when a mortgage is to be used toward the consumer’s principal residence.  Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 709 (Total Overhaul of Totalization Agreements Law of 2007) – would prohibit an illegal alien, for purposes of Social Security benefits, from being credited for income earned while he/she is not authorized to work in the United States; would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected ; would require all Social Security totalization agreements to include provisions requiring the sending country of a naturalized citizen worker or lawful permanent resident worker to submit to the United States any social security taxes paid to that country by the worker or his/her employer if the worker qualifies for benefits undert the agreement, and vice versa for U.S. workers going abroad.  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 736 (No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2007) - would prohibit an illegal alien’s work from counting toward qualifying for Social Security; and would stipulate that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not be affected.  Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 849 (Stop the Misuse of ITINs Act of 2007)

Click here for summary of bill. 

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 850 (IRS Illegal Immigrant Information Act of 2007) - would require DHS to furnish the IRS annually with a list of people whose work authorizations or employment-based visas expired before December 31 of the previous calendar year; would require the IRS to check the list against its records; would require any tax refund or Earned Income Tax Credit with respect to any match on the list; would require the IRS to inform DHS and the employer, with an employer being required to terminate a matching employee within 30 days of receiving a notice; would establish a process by which the employee may contest the DHS action, and would require: (1) the employer to provide DHS with the employee’s substantiating materials within those 30 days; and (2) DHS to notify the IRS, the employer, and the employee within seven business days of receiving the employer’s submissions whether the employee may be employed in the United States; would establish a rebuttable presumption that an employer has violated unlawful employment statutes if the employer: (1) employs an individual with respect to whom a notice is received more than 30 days following receipt of the notice; (2) fails to notify the IRS and continues to employ the employee in question; or (3) refers the employee for employment after receiving a notice with respect to that employee; and would immunize an employer from civil and criminal liability if actions are taken in good faith with respect to any individual’s eligibility to work in the United States.  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1314 (Photo Identification Security Act) - would prohibit Federal agencies (for any official purpose) and financial institutions (for purposes of verifying the identity of an individual seeking to open an account) from accepting any form of identification of an individual other than: (1) either: (a) a social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal or a state government; or (b) a state driver's license or identification card, provided that the state is in compliance with the REAL ID Act ; (2) a U.S. or foreign passport; or (3) a photo identification card issued by DHS (through USCIS).  Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1427 (Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007) - as amended on the House floor, would: (1) prohibit all three mortgage lending government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks – from obtaining primary residential mortgages being granted to any person who does not have a valid Social Security number (amendment sponsored by Rep. John Doolittle [R-Calif.] ); and (2) prevent illegal immigrants from owning or renting Federally-funded “affordable housing” built by requiring the adult occupants of that housing to establish their legal residency through the use of secure forms of identification (amendment sponsored by Rep. Tom Price [R-Ga.] ).  Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is the sponsor of the underlying bill.
Cosponsors of the underlying bill

H.R. 1851 (Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007) - would require anyone receiving Section 8 Federal housing assistance to prove their legal residency through the use of secure forms of identification; that is: (1) a social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal government or a state government or a REAL ID -compliant driver's license or identification card; (2) a valid U.S. or foreign passport; or (3) a DHS-issued phot identification card).   Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the sponsor of the underlying bill, but Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) sponsored the relevant motion on the House floor.
Cosponsors of the underlying bill

H.R. 2764 - would allocate appropriations and determine federal spending priorities for the 2008 Fiscal Year. In an effort to crunch numbers, prioritize spending, and make the bill more acceptable to both chambers of Congress, a number of successful amendments were retained, removed, altered, and in some cases replaced by adverse immigration riders. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

Click here for a summary detailing the major immigration-related provisions of the FY2008 Omnibus spending package.

Status: Signed into law on 12/26/2007

H.R. 3496 (Border Control and Contractor Accountability Act of 2007) - would require DHS to establish the Small Business Administration (SBA) Liaison position within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which would be required to ensure that SBA does not make or guarantee a loan to an illegal alien.  Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R.4065 -would change the official census count to only include U.S. citizens, not those with “green cards” or here illegally. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is the bill’s main sponsor. Cosponsors

H.R. 4192 (Overdue Immigration Reform Act of 2007) - would require proof of citizenship in order to receive federal benefits, prohibit illegal aliens from claiming Social Security credit for time worked as an illegal alien, and prevent employers from claiming illegal aliens for tax purposes. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 4459 – would allow public institutions of higher education to use the employment eligibility confirmation system to verify immigration status and eligibility for in-State tuition. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) is the bills main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.Res. 18 - would express the House’s disapproval of the U.S-Mexico U.S-Mexico Social Security totalization agreement signed June 29, 2004. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
 Cosponsors

S. 43 (Social Security Totalization Agreement Reform [STAR] Act of 2007) - would require all Social Security totalization agreements to be treated as bilateral trade agreements, thus requiring both houses of Congress to pass a resolution approving such an agreement before it could take effect; and would shift the burden to the advocates of a totalization agreement to prove its merits, as opposed to gridlock resulting in an agreement becoming operative (i.e., current law states that agreements go into effect automatically within 60 days after the President submits the agreement to Congress unless either chamber passes a resolution disapproving the agreement).  Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 1269 (Engaging the Nation to Fight for Our Right to Control Entry [ENFORCE] Act) - would establish a private right of action for U.S. citizens charged out-of-state tuition by a college or university that grants illegal aliens in-state tuition in violation of Federal law; would prohibit illegal aliens from being eligible for employment services; would prohibit an individual who submits to the IRS an income tax return that relies on an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number in lieu of a social security number (SSN) from being eligible for any tax credit, including the earned income tax credit, or refund; and would prohibit the Social Security Administration from: (1) crediting any individual with concurrent earnings from more than one employer before notifying the individual that earnings from two or more employers are being reported under the individual's SSN; and (2) counting work performed while unlawfully present in the United States toward the 40 quarters of work necessary to qualify for social security benefits. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 1543 (Visa Waiver Modernization Act) - would grant DHS the authority to waive the Visa Waiver Program’s (VWP) “low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate” requirements with respect to a country’s participation in the VWP (i.e., have a low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate for two years [averaging no more than two percent over both years, not exceeding 2.5 percent in any one year] or no more than a three percent refusal rate for the most recent fiscal year) if: (1) DHS determines that the country has mitigated security risks to the point that participation in the VWP would not compromise U.S. law enforcement, security interests, or immigration enforcement; (2) there has been a sustained reduction in visa refusal rates for aliens from the country and reductions are likely to continue; (3) the country cooperated with the United States on security and counterterrorism matters before participation in the VWP; and (4) the country meets all security requirements, including some new prerequisites (e.g., improved reporting of lost or stolen passports, information sharing regarding prospective visitors, prompt repatriation of aliens ordered removed from the United States, etc.), for participation in the VWP; would require DHS to develop and implement a fully-automated electronic travel authorization system to collect basic biographical information to determine, in advance of travel, the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States under the VWP; would require DHS to establish an exit system to record flight departures leaving the United States of every alien participating in the VWP. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1645 (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy [STRIVE] Act of 2007)

Click here for summary of BORDER CONTROL provisions in this bill.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2006 (Secure Visa Waiver and Preventing Terrorist Travel Partnership Act/Secure Visa Waiver Travel Act) - would grant DHS the authority to waive the Visa Waiver Program’s (VWP) “low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate” requirements with respect to a country’s participation in the VWP (i.e., have a low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate for two years [averaging no more than two percent over both years, not exceeding 2.5 percent in any one year] or no more than a three percent refusal rate for the most recent fiscal year) if: (1) DHS (in consultation with the State and Justice Departments) determines that the country has mitigated security risks to the point that participation in the VWP would not compromise U.S. homeland security, law enforcement, security interests, or immigration enforcement; (2) there has been a sustained reduction in visa refusal rates for aliens from the country and reductions are likely to continue; (3) the country actively cooperated with the United States to prevent terrorist travel and enhance U.S. border security , including sharing counterrorism and law enforcement information before participation in the VWP; (4) the country meets all security requirements, including some new prerequisites (e.g., improved reporting of lost or stolen passports, information sharing regarding prospective visitors, prompt repatriation of aliens ordered removed from the United States, etc.), for participation in the VWP; and (5)(a) the average number of refusals of tourist/business visas for nationals of that country during the previous fiscal year was less than six percent; or (b) the total number of nationals of that country who were denied admission or who withdrew their application for admission to the United States, combined with the total number of nationals of that country who were admitted as nonimmigrant visitors but who violated the terms of such admission, thereby presenting a potential security risk, was less than two percent of the total number of nationals of that country who applied for admission to the United States as nonimmigrant visitors during the previous fiscal year; would require DHS to develop and implement a fully-automated electronic travel authorization system to collect basic biographical information to determine, in advance of travel, the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States under the VWP; and would require DHS to establish an exit system to record flight departures leaving the United States of every alien participating in the VWP. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 2526 - would designate Greece as a program country under the visa waiver program (which now allows citizens of 27 countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, and, because there is little scrutiny of VWP “travelers,” has provided easy entry for terrorists and created a black market for stolen or forged passports from such countries). Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2593 (Borderlands Conservation and Security Act of 2007) - would eliminate the statutory requirement, established by the Secure Fence Act of 2006 , that DHS construct at least two layers of reinforced fencing at certain places along the southern border; would require DHS to consult with the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior (DOI), other Federal agencies (as appropriate), and state, local, and tribal officials regarding any border fencing, barriers, "virtual fencing," etc.; would prohibit construction of any fencing from beginning on USDA or DOI lands until DHS, USDA, and DOI jointly develop and submit to Congress a "border protection strategy," as defined and required by this bill; would postpone the deadline for installation of an interlocking surveillance camera system along the fenced areas by one year (i.e., until May 30, 2008); would require that "low impact border enforcement techniques" be utilized on Federal lands whenever practiable; and would repeal a statutory waiver of provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to ensure expeditious construction of border barriers. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3270 (Visitors Interested in Strengthening America [VISA] Act of 2007) - would authorize DHS officials to waive entry documentary requirements for a nonimmigrant alien child (unmarried and under the age of 16) who is a Mexican national and his accompanying parent or adult chaperone in instances of: (1) medical visits; (2) student groups; or (3) special community events.  Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

S. 4 (Improving America's Security Act of 2007 ) - would grant DHS the authority to waive the Visa Waiver Program’s (VWP) “low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate” requirements with respect to a country’s participation in the VWP (i.e., have a low nonimmigrant visa refusal rate for two years [averaging no more than two percent over both years, not exceeding 2.5 percent in any one year] or no more than a three percent refusal rate for the most recent fiscal year) if: (1) there has been a sustained reduction in visa refusal rates for nonimmigrant visitor visa for nationals of the country and reductions are likely to continue; (2) the country cooperated with the United States on security and counterterrorism matters before participation in the VWP; (3) the country meets all security requirements, including some new prerequisites (e.g., improved reporting of lost or stolen passports, information sharing regarding prospective visitors, prompt repatriation of aliens ordered removed from the United States, etc.), for participation in the VWP; and (4) either: (a) the refusal rate for nonimmigrant visitor visas during the previous full fiscal year was not more than 10 percent; or (b) if the visa overstay rate for the country for the previous fiscal year does not exceed the maximum visa overstay rate (as established by DHS pursuant to this bill following DHS’ certification that an air exit system is in place [as directed by this bill]); and would require DHS to notify Congress 30 days before waiving any criteria for participation in the VWP.  Sen. Harry Reid (D-N.V. ) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsor s

H.R. 939 - would authorize DHS to request that the Defense Department (DOD) assign regular or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines to assist Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in certain border protection functions, including preventing the entry of illegal aliens into the country; would require DHS and DOD to establish a training program to ensure that members of the military receive general instruction regarding law enforcement in border areas and would prohibit Armed Forces personnel from being deployed at a border location until they have successfully completed the training program; would require a civilian law enforcement officer to accompany a member of the military at all times during such assignments; would clarify that these provisions would not: (1) authorize Armed Forces personnel to conduct a search, seizure, or other similar law enforcement activity or to make an arrest; or (2) alter the prohibition on the use of any part of the Army or Air Force as a “posse comitatus”;  would authorize DHS to establish ongoing joint task forces if their establishment is necessary to respond to a threat to national security posed by, among other things, entry into the United States of illegal aliens; would require DHS to notify the governor of the state in which Armed Forces personnel will be deployed pursuant to this bill – as well as nearby local governments – and to include in that notification a description of the types of tasks the Armed Forces personnel will be performing; and requires DHS to reimburse DOD for the support the latter provides, with certain exceptions. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1811 (Maritime Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2007) - would create a new criminal offense for transporting or facilitating the transportation, harboring, or concealment of an alien (or attempting or conspiring to transport, harbor, or conceal) on board a “covered vessel” (i.e., a U.S. vessel [or vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction] that is less than 300 gross tons) knowing or having reason to believe that the alien is attempting to unlawfully enter the United States; would subject offenders to between three and 20 years of imprisonment and up to a $100,000 fine, with greater penalties possible in cases of serious bodily injury to, or death of, any person related to the commission of the offense; and would establish the following affirmative defenses: (1) the alien was on board pursuant to a rescue at sea, or was a stowaway or the entry into the United States was a necessary response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the alien; (2) the defendant, as soon as reasonably practicable, informed the Coast Guard of the alien’s presence on the vessel and the circumstances of the rescue; and (3) the defendant complied with all orders given by U.S. law enforcement officials. Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1342 (Secure Entry Act) - would suspend the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) (which now allows citizens of 27 countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, and, because there is little scrutiny of VWP “travelers,” has provided easy entry for terrorists and created a black market for stolen or forged passports from such countries) until DHS certifies to Congress that: (1) the US-VISIT entry-exit system is fully implemented; (2) all U.S. ports of entry are equipped with functional biometric machine readers; and (3) all nonimmigrants are processed through US-VISIT. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2399 (Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007) - would require DHS to check against all available terrorist watch lists those alien smugglers and smuggled individuals who are stopped at U.S. land, air, and sea borders; would make alien smuggling a felony (currently, a misdemeanor) and would establish mandatory minimum sentences for alien smuggling convictions, with terms of imprisonment lengthening if a smuggler exposes individuals to high risk of injury or death (e.g., kidnapping, raping, or concealing the aliens smuggled); would limit a defense of necessity in the case of knowingly bringing an illegal alien into the United States that occurs on the high seas; and would increase criminal penalties (i.e., prison time) for specified maritime violations, including alien smuggling, but would limit a defense of necessity in such instances. Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2413 (Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007) - would require, in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 and subject to appropriation, the hiring of an additional 3,000 full-time Border Patrol agents. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 2490 - would require DHS to conduct a pilot program to determine the feasibility of a full-scale program for mobile biometric identification of aliens unlawfully trying to enter the United States by sea.  Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2542 (Border Law Enforcement Enhancement Act) - would establish a DHS grant program ($150 million annual appropriation authorized), beginning with fiscal 2008) to aid local law enforcement agencies serving communities within 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in: (1) conducting law enforcement operations in order to enforce criminal laws, prevent and punish criminal activity, and protect the lives, property, and security of the people within the jurisdiction; (2) transferring detained illegal aliens to appropriate Federal law enforcement officials; and (3) enforcing state and Federal laws relating to controlled substance trafficking and enforce other state and Federal criminal laws; and would allow grant funds to be used for: (1) hiring, equipping, training, and otherwise controlling the operations and deployment of, law enforcement officials engaged in the aforementioned activities; (2) detaining, housing, and transporting illegal aliens until they are transferred to appropriate Federal law enforcement officials; and (3) construction, maintenance, and operation of detention facilities to detain illegal aliens, but would prohibit more than 20 percent of funds from being used for the construction or renovation of detention or similar facilities. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2954 (Secure Borders FIRST [For Integrity, Reform, Safety, and anti-Terrorism] Act of 2007) - would require DHS, among other things, to: (1) achieve operational control over U.S. borders by December 31, 2013; (2) ensure, no later than December 31, 2008, that the Border Patrol has at least 18,000 agents, as well as sufficient support staff; (3) hire an additional 2,000 Border Patrol agents per year in fiscal years 2009 and 2010; (4) increase, between fiscal years 2008 and 2011, the number of Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry (POEs) by 1,000; (5) fully implement the exit component of the US-VISIT biometric exit and entry system for air, sea, and land POEs by December 31, 2008; (6) detain aliens attempting to unlawfully enter the United States and who are apprehended at a POE or along an international border until removal or a final decision regarding admission is made (with exceptions for aliens who depart immediately after withdrawing an application for admission; who are paroled into the United States for "urgent humanitarian reasons" or for "significant public benefit"; or who are Cuban nationals); and (7) apply expedited removal procedures to illegal aliens apprehended within 100 miles of a land border and within 14 days of entry.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3064 (Emergency Immigration Workload Reduction and Homeland Security Enhancement Act of 2007) - would suspend the Visa Waiver Program (with waivers available from DHS [with State Department concurrence] on a case-by-case basis, provided an alien is not inadmissible or deportable) until one week after DHS certifies to Congress that specified enforcement and administrative conditions are satisfied, including (among others): (1) full implementation of US-VISIT; (2) DHS has the operational capability to take into custody and remove any alien brought to its attention by a state or local law enforcement agency; (3) random audits of backlogged applications for changes in immigration status are fully implemented and these audits indicate that the incidence of fraud or falsification is no more than three percent of all approved applications; (4) the statutorily-mandated foreign student monitoring system is is fully operational and no educational institutions register or admit illegal aliens; and (5) the number of removals, during each of the four months preceding certification, was at least 25 percent higher than in comparable months of the previous year.

Would require DHS to establish and maintain a list of every alien subject to a final order of removal and with respect to whom DHS or any Federal court has determined that there is no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future due to the refusal, or unreasonable delay, of all countries designated by the alien to receive him; would require DHS to notify the State Department when 24 or more citizens from a country appear on that list and would require consular officers in the foreign country to discontinue the issuance of nonimmigrant visas to that country's citizens, with case-by-case waivers available; and would authorize DHS, with regard to the waiving of repatriation and subsequent visa issuance restrictions, to delegate waiver authority to the State Department.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 3638 (Border Security and Elimination of Sanctuary for Illegal Aliens Act of 2007) - would require DHS to: (1) increase incentives to recruit Border Patrol agents by offering individuals repayment of higher education loans, and develop incentives to retain experienced agents through the establishment of a retention program; and (2) make a priority of, and report on progress in, completing statutorily-mandated border fencing (i.e., in or near San Diego per the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996); and would authorize DHS to deploy newly-developed and cutting-edge technologies to secure U.S. borders. Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 3851 (Non-Citizen Enforcement Act of 2007) - would require DHS to recruit at least 2,000 full-time Border Patrol agents per year after fiscal year 2010 until DHS certifies to Congress that "effective control of the border" has been achieved.  Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R.4065 -would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to gain “operational control” over the international borders of the United States. Among many provisions, this legislation would: enhance identification capabilities, link biometric data programs, authorize an additional 250 Customs and Border Patrol agents at our ports of entry, set deadlines for completion of the US-VISIT program, increase smuggling penalties, set mandatory minimum sentences for illegal reentry, increase penalties against armed smugglers, allow for self-deportation, help strengthen prosecution against passport and immigration fraud, expedite alien removal, and increase detention and bed space. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 4088, the SAVE (Secure America through Verification and Enforcement) Act - would address the flow of illegal aliens to the United States by investing in new technology and additional manpower. Provisions specifically relating to border control include: (1) increasing the number of full-time border patrol agents by 8,000 through 2012, including an immediate 2,500 agents for FY2008 and 2,000 for FY2009. At least 350 hires each year would be specifically assigned to investigate the smuggling of illegal aliens; (2) more funding available for the Tunnel Task Force [an investigative team assigned with tracking, identifying, and closing border tunnels used for smuggling drugs, human traffic, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)]; (3) a student loan repayment program and other incentives to help recruit former members of the Armed Services, National Guard, and other Reserve Components; (4) new and updated border security, surveillance, communication, and apprehension technology; (5) an equipment sharing initiative between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, with progress reports made available to Members of Congress; (6) an official national strategy to secure all U.S. borders and ports of entry. Specifically, the Secretary of Homeland Security is required to improve border security infrastructure including: new office facilities, SUVs, better roads along the border, additional fencing, vehicle barriers, better alien detention facilities, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), drones, cameras, poles, sensors, satellites, radar, and other technologies; (7) and, empowering governors in border states to declare a border emergency and request temporary redeployment of up to 1000 additional Border Patrol Agents. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors
Section-by-section analysis

H.R. 4192 (Overdue Immigration Reform Act of 2007) – would promote coordination between the Department of Defense and the Border Patrol, allow the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the Armed Services to assist the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, require a border security training program for members of the Armed Services assigned to the border, suspend the Visa Waiver program, and would require completion of the Secure Fence Act. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R.4987 (Fence by Date Certain Act) - reinstates certain language in the Secure Fence Act stripped out by the FY2008 Omnibus spending package including border fence location and completion deadlines. Requires the border fence to be completed and fully funded by June 30, 2009. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 5124 (Reinstatement of the Secure Fence Act) - would reinforce language in the Secure Fence Act by mandating two layers of reinforced, 14-foot high fencing along 700 miles of the southwest border. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R.5552 (Border Security Accountability Act of 2008) - would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to make a progress report to Congress about border security. Specifically, the report should include: presidential directives and programs; goals and objectives; projected timelines; current expenditures; apprehension, detention, and deportation rates; assessment of terrorist activity; assessment of staffing needs; and a progress report on agent training. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Con.Res. 40 - would express the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should not engage in the construction of a NAFTA Superhighway System; (2) the United States should not allow the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) to implement additional regulations to create a North American Union with Canada and Mexico; and (3) the President should strongly oppose these or any other proposals that threaten U.S. sovereignty.  (The SPP – entered into by the heads of state of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 2005 – seeks to “streamline” movement across our borders and, as such, would eliminate the notion of “illegal immigration” and, consequently, would increase the inflow at our borders.)  Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Con.Res. 218 - would provide a sense of Congress that: (1) Congress should ensure that current immigration and border security laws are enforced; (2) DHS should ensure expedited construction of the border fence and should use existing authority provided in the REAL ID Act to waive legal requirements needed for construction of that fencing; (3) DHS' report on progress made toward achieving operational control of the border should include recommendations enhancing U.S. national security on the northern border and emphasize the Bush administration's commitment to protecting both the southern and northern borders; and (4) Congress should fully fund the hiring of 18,000 new Border Patrol agents as mandated by Federal law. Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Res. 440 - would provide a sense of the House that, to deter further illegal immigration and strengthen the U.S. economy, increased resources for Federal and state resources to strengthen border enforcement efforts must be part of any immigration reform bill considered by this Congress.   Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.Res. 499 - would provide a sense of the House that the Bush administration should implement statutorily-mandated immigration and border controls and enforce existing Federal immigration law, including, notably: (1) implementation of the entry and exit portions of US-VISIT; (2) enforcement of existing provisions requiring the sanctioning of employers who do not comply with "unlawful employment" laws; (3) compliance with the Secure Fence Act of 2006 through completion of the fencing called for along the U.S.-Mexico border; and (4) increasing the use of expedited removal procedures for all illegal aliens eligible for such removal under Federal law; and also would provide a sense of the House that taking these steps would: (1) result in a considerable decrease in illegal immigration into the United States; and (2) vastly improve U.S. border security. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 575 (Border Infrastructure and Technology Modernization Act of 2007) – would increase, between fiscal years 2008 and 2012, the numbers of: (1) full-time agents Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and associated support staff by 500; and (2) full-time Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors and associated support staff by 1,000; would require DHS to provide appropriate and ongoing training to this new personnel to utilize new technologies and ensure that proficiency with those technologies are acceptable to protect U.S. borders; would require DHS to: (1) prepare and annually update a National Land Border Security Plan; and (2) carry out port of entry and Border Patrol technology demonstration programs; and would require CBP to: (1) expand trade security programs; and (2) establish demonstration programs: (a) along the southern border for the purpose of implementing at least one Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program along that border; and (b) to develop a cooperative trade security system with maquiladoras (i.e, entities located in Mexico that assemble and produce goods from imported parts for export to the United States) to improve supply chain security.  Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 1269 (Engaging the Nation to Fight for Our Right to Control Entry [ENFORCE] Act) - would establish, within Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the National Border Neighborhood Watch (NBNW), which would authorize retired law enforcement officers to assist Border Patrol agents by reporting illegal border crossings, and would allow civilian volunteers to participate in the NBNW, provided CBP-defined criteria are met; would provide for fencing and security improvements along the southern U.S. border from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, including creation and control of a specified border zone; and would require a study and report on the use of technology at the borders and in the interior to prevent unlawful immigration. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors  

S.1984 (Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act) - Among many provisions, this legislation would authorize an additional: 500 Customs and Border Patrol officers a year with 200 agents assigned to assist security at 20 international airports, 50 U.S. Marshals to specifically assist immigration matters, and 2,400 border patrol agents a year to patrol the Northern and Southern borders. In addition, this legislation would provide clear and secure border enforcement communications; enhance identification capabilities; link biometric data programs; list immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center Database; require operation of the US-VISIT program at our ports of entry; require deadlines to complete a “reinforced” border fence including 300 miles of vehicle barriers, 700 miles of fence, 105 ground radar and camera towers, and 4 unmanned aerial vehicles; encourage cooperation between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security; construct additional ports of entry; increase penalties for misconduct at ports of entry; expedite alien removal; seek advice and cooperation from border state governors; provide grants to assist law enforcement agencies within 100 miles of the border; and reimburse landowners for damage to property caused by illegal aliens. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 2463 - would help efforts to combat alien smuggling and related activities. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 2474 (Emergency Port of Entry Personnel and Infrastructure Funding Act of 2007) -would provide additional resources and funding to address inspection delays at ports of entry on the Southern border including additional inspection lanes and more customs inspectors. In addition, this legislation would provide recruitment and retention incentives for United States Customs and Border Protection officers. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

S. 844 (Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2007) - would ease the path to permanent residence for unaccompanied alien children (UACs) by opening up access to special immigrant juvenile status for any UAC who cannot make a persuasive case for asylum who is deemed to be a dependent of the state as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment; would entitle all UACs to legal counsel (likely through a government contractor’s search for competent, pro bono attorneys) and an independent child advocate to coordinate his/her sponsorship and legal needs.  (In recent years, approximately 8,000 UACs have been apprehended by immigration officials each year and then they are transferred into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement [ORR], which is under the aegis of the Department of Health and Human Services, not DHS; herein lies a primary concern with this process: for some illegal entrants under 18, DHS is not responsible for enforcing immigration law.  ORR officials admit that the Notices to Appear they give to a UAC’s sponsor when they leave with the minor carry little weight and are seldom enforced, resulting in, perhaps, as much as a 65 percent no-show rate in immigration court [official numbers are unavailable as UACs are not currently categorized separately for tracking and reporting].  Subsequently, a good number of those who do not show up in court just ebb back into the waves of illegal immigrants flooding our country during protracted removal proceedings.) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 1348 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007)

Click here for summary of INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT provisions in this bill.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 2074 (Families First Immigration Enforcement Act) - would establish procedures DHS must follow when carrying out an immigration workplace enforcement operation "reasonably calculated to apprehend, or results in the apprehension of," at least 50 aliens, including: (1) advance notification of state officials so that state law enforcement may notify state social service agencies (SSSAs); (2) notification of appropriate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); (3) giving appropriate SSSAs access to aliens detained in the enforcement action to determine whether the arrest will place the detainee's dependents at risk; (4) medical screenings to identity and report any medical issues that may necessitate humanitarian release or additional care; (5) immediate consideration of recommendations made by SSSAs and the Division of Immigration Health Services about detainees who should be released on humanitarian grounds (e.g., pregnant women, nursing mothers, sole caretakers of minor children or elderly relatives, those will ill spouses or who are younger than 18 years old); and (6) provision of, and advertisement of in the mainstream and foreign language media, a toll-free telephone number through which detainees' family members may report their relationships to operators for more information about the related detainee's status.

Would require the release from DHS custody within 72 hours of a detained alien if he: (1) is not subject to mandatory detention; (2) does not pose an immediate flight risk; or (3) falls under any of the categories noted in (5) above (i.e., pregnant women, etc.); would allow such release: (1) on the alien's own recognizance or on parole; (2) posting of at least a $1,500 bond; or (3) through the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program or a similar program; and would grant aliens apprehended in such an enforcement action access to legal orientation presentations provided by independent NGOs through the Legal Orientation Program administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 19 - would phase in mandatory employer participation in the Basic Pilot program over seven years, rename the program the Employment Eligibility Verification System, and authorize appropriations for the System’s full implementation.  Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 26 (Criminal Alien Accountability Act) - would establish mandatory minimum sentences for aliens who reenter the United States after being removed and for persons who assist aliens in reentering the United States. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 98 (Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2007) - would establish a mandatory employment eligibility verification system in which employers would be required to verify new hires’ eligibility to work in the United States; and would upgrade Social Security cards’ security features by including: (1) a digitized photograph of the rightful bearer; (2) an encrypted machine-readable electronic identification strip unique to the rightful bearer; and (3) additional anti-tampering, -counterfeiting, and -fraud security features.  Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors
Summary

H.R. 131 - would make it a felony – with a mandatory minimum prison term of one year – for illegal aliens to: (1) ignore a notice to appear in court; or (2) violate a deportation order.  (Although the Bush administration has often declared that the era of “catch-and-release” is over, too many illegal aliens apprehended in the interior are still simply given a notice to appear in court – which, in many instances, acts more like a “get out of jail free” card – and then fail to show up for their court date.)  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 132 - would impose a term of imprisonment and a criminal fine upon an alien who either: (1) fails to leave the United States after securing permission to depart voluntarily; or (2) returns, or attempts to return, to the United States illegally following voluntary departure (current law imposes only civil penalties). Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 134 - would close a loophole in current immigration law by making inadmissible an illegal alien who has been here unlawfully for between six months and one year unless he/she has remained outside the United States for at least three years.  (Current law only applies this three-year bar on admissibility to illegal aliens who have already left the United States.)  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 136 (Identity Theft Notification Act of 2007) - would combat identity theft and unlawful employment of illegal aliens by requiring the Social Security Administration (SSA) to investigate if it receives W-2 forms with the same Social Security number (SSN) but different addresses; and would require the SSA, if it finds evidence of fraudulent activity (i.e., eight or more instances within a calendar year in which the SSA receives a W-2 under the same SSN and at at least four different addresses are provided in those W-2s in connection with that same SSN), to notify DHS, the Attorney General, the Treasury Department, and the SSN’s rightful bearer.   Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 138 (Employment Eligibility Verification and Anti-Identity Theft Act) - would require workers to resolve discrepancies if their names and Social Security numbers do not match; would require employers to terminate workers who do not resolve such discrepancies; and would require the Social Security Administration to notify DHS so it can investigate whether a crime has been committed. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 842 (Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal [CLEAR] Act of 2007) - Click here for summary of bill. Former Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.) was the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 1227 (Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007) - as amended in the House Financial Services Committee, would require any entity receiving Federal funds for public housing reconstruction following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to verify that all of its workers are authorized to work in the United States and have a valid form of identification or documentation to prove their immigration status.  Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the sponsor of the underlying bill, but Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) sponsored the relevant amendment in committee.
Cosponsors of the underlying bill

H.R. 1355 (Scott Gardner Act) - would require DHS to share immigration information with the Justice Department (DOJ); would require DHS and DOJ to submit a joint report to Congress on improving the performance of Federal immigration databases to ensure the prompt entry of immigration information; would require the head of each state and local law enforcement agency to collect and report to DHS all immigration and DWI-related information collected in the course of normal duties and would condition receipt of State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (a program that provides assistance to states for the incarceration of illegal aliens who commit crimes) funding upon compliance with this reporting requirement; would require immigration and DWI-related information to appear as a flag on the wants/warrants page of the National Crime Information Center database; would require DHS to reimburse the costs of training state and local law enforcement employees on Federal immigration laws; would authorize the apprehension and detention of an alien for DWI or a similar violation, provided the alien is deportable on any other grounds or is an illegal alien; would require each state motor vehicle administrator to share with DHS all information concerning aliens with records of DWI convictions or refusals to take sobriety tests; and would require DHS to submit to Congress a formula for the allocation of Federal detention facilities for aliens.  Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 1512 - would revise provisions governing the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (a program that provides assistance to states for the incarceration of illegal aliens who commit crimes) so that states and localities may be reimbursed for the cost of incarcerating illegal aliens who are either charged with or convicted of a felony or two misdemeanors (rather than only those who are convicted of such offenses as provided by current law). (This bill only has a positive impact if states and localities are allowed to actively participate in the enforcement of Federal immigration laws and if their respective jurisdictions do not provide “sanctuary” to illegal aliens, thus inhibiting the ability of state and local law enforcement from even discerning who is or is not an illegal alien. If they cannot determine whether or not they are holding illegal aliens, federal reimbursement for illegal alien incarceration becomes irrelevant.)  Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2086 - would authorize appropriations as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008 to DHS so that the agency may reimburse a state or local government for specified training-related expenses (e.g., travel, lodging, temporary replacement personnel, etc.) incurred pursuant to the state or local government’s participation in the 287(g) program.  Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2109 (Empowering Our Local Communities Act of 2007) - would authorize a $40 million appropriation for fiscal year 2008 to DHS so that the agency may reimburse a state or local government for specified training-related expenses (e.g., travel, lodging, temporary replacement personnel, etc.) incurred pursuant to the state or local government’s participation in the 287(g) program.

Would require DHS to continue the Institutional Removal Program (IRP), which guarantees that dangerous or criminal aliens who have been incarcerated at the Federal or state level are removed and not released into the community, to be extended to all states, and would require all available technology to be used as to make the IRP and related resources accessible in the most remote of locations; would require any state receiving Federal funding for incarceration of criminal aliens to: (1) cooperate with IRP officials; (2) expeditiously and systematically identify criminal aliens in its prison and jail populations; and (3) promptly convey that information to IRP officials as a condition for receiving funding; would authorize state and local law enforcement officers to: (1) detain an illegal alien for up to 14 days after completion of the alien’s state prison sentence for purposes of expedient transfer to federal custody; or (2) issue a detainer that would allow an alien who has served a state prison term to be detained by the state prison until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can take the alien into custody; and would authorize appropriations of $650 million – spread out in fiscal years 2008 through 2012 – to carry out this IRP expansion.

Would make it a criminal misdemeanor for one to be illegally present in the United States (currently, being an illegal alien is only a civil violation); and would require that illegal aliens convicted of vehicular manslaughter resulting from driving while intoxicated be sentenced to at least five years, but no more than 40 years, in prison.  Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2271 (Unlawful Employers Accountability and Illegal Alien State Reimbursement Act of 2007) - would increase base civil fines imposed upon employers for unlawful employment of illegal aliens and would establish a graduated schedule of civil fines depending on how many illegal aliens are employed (e.g., if the employer hires/employs between 26 and 50 illegal aliens, the fine is $25,000 per illegal alien, while if there are more than 75 illegal aliens employed, the fine is $50,000 per alien); would require an offending employer to cover any costs Federal, state, or local governments incur in removing any illegal alien the employer unlawfully employed; would eliminate provisions authorizing DHS to require that an offending employer participate in the Basic Pilot program for up to three years; would prohibit agricultural employers who violate unlawful employment provisions from being granted specified Federal conservation assistance for up to five years; would prohibit offending employers from being eligible for Federal contracts (or subcontracts entered into) for five years; would eliminate the availability of “good faith defenses” for unlawful employment violations; and would require DHS to maintain a publicly-accessible website containing a list of offending employers from the preceding five years.

Would require DHS, when a fine is received from an offending employer, to credit the account of the state in which the violation occurred within the newly-established Illegal Alien State Reimbursement Fund and would require states to use amounts received from DHS under this bill solely for payments to local educational agencies, public health care providers, and law enforcement agencies for the purpose of assisting state and local governments with meeting the costs associated with serving illegal aliens; and would require a state to redistribute two-thirds of its DHS payment, within 60 days of receipt by the state, to appropriate counties and units of local government in accordance with a system that the state must develop that provides for opportunities for input from all counties and units of local government in the state and that targets the areas of greatest need. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 2308 - would repeal an existing statutory exemption from alien harboring provisions that allows U.S. religious organizations to call an alien to serve as a volunteer minister or missionary in the United States, provided the alien has been a member of the denomination for at least one year. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 2413 (Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007) - would require DHS, in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 and subject to appropriation, to hire an additional 500 personnel directly related to workplace enforcement; and would phase in mandatory electronic employment eligibility through a system mirroring the current, but voluntary, Basic Pilot program as follows: (1) within two years of enactment, all employers must verify the work eligibility of new hires; (2) within three years, all Federal, state, and local government agencies, employers in Federal, state, or local facilities, and critical infrastructure facilities must verify the work eligibility of all employees; and (3) within six years, but beginning on a voluntary basis two years after enactment, all employers must verify the work eligibility of all employees. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 2508 - would require Federal contractors and subcontractors to participate in the Basic Pilot program, effective for contracts entered into on or after 60 days following enactment.  Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 2764 - would allocate appropriations and determine federal spending priorities for the 2008 Fiscal Year. In an effort to crunch numbers, prioritize spending, and make the bill more acceptable to both chambers of Congress, a number of successful amendments were retained, removed, altered, and in some cases replaced by adverse immigration riders. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

Click here for a summary detailing the major immigration-related provisions of the FY2008 Omnibus spending package.

Status: Signed into law on 12/26/2007

H.R. 2940 - would authorize DHS to revoke a waiver of inadmissibility stemming from involvement in a terrorist organization at any time without notice; and would prohibit judicial review of such revocations.  Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3064 (Emergency Immigration Workload Reduction and Homeland Security Enhancement Act of 2007) - would suspend specified immigrant and nonimmigrant programs (e.g., Visa Waiver Program, visa lottery, specified nonimmigrant visas) until one week after DHS certifies to Congress that specified enforcement and administrative conditions are satisfied, including (among others): (1) DHS has the operational capability to take into custody and remove any alien brought to its attention by a state or local law enforcement agency; (2) random audits of backlogged applications for changes in immigration status are fully implemented and these audits indicate that the incidence of fraud or falsification is no more than three percent of all approved applications; (3) the statutorily-mandated foreign student monitoring system is is fully operational and no educational institutions register or admit illegal aliens; and (4) the number of removals, during each of the four months preceding certification, was at least 25 percent higher than in comparable months of the previous year.

Would require DHS to reimburse verifiable claims submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies incurred for emergency medical care, housing, and care in a secure facility, and the transportation into Federal custody of any inadmissible or deportable alien if: (1) transfer to Federal custody has occurred; (2) the court has determined the alien to be removable or a determination is made that the alien has permanently departed the United States; (3) reimbursement for all costs excepting transportation costs is made according to a per diem rate established by DHS; and (4) the first day of detention is not later than the date on which the DHS certification described above is made.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 3145 (Prohibition Against Criminal Alien Reentry Act of 2007) - would authorize increased prison sentences for aliens who have re-entered the United States following removal and for whom removal: (1) resulted from conviction for commission of two or more (reduced from three by this bill) misdemeanors involving drugs, crimes against the person, or both, or a felony (other than an aggravated felony); (2) resulted from conviction for commission of an aggravated felony; (3) resulted from exclusion based on involvement in terrorist activities; or (4) occurred following a determination that removal during incarceration for a nonviolent offense would be in the best interest of the United States or the state in which the alien is incarcerated.  Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3494 (Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal [CLEAR] Act of 2007/Charlie Norwood CLEAR Act of 2007) - Click here for summary of bill.   Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3496 (Border Control and Contractor Accountability Act of 2007) - would require a Federal agency, when it determines that a contractor directly employed (or had knowledge of a subcontractor's employment of) an illegal alien, to: (1) debar or suspend the contractor for three years; and (2) terminate the contract, unless the contractor/subcontractor agrees to terminate the illegal alien; would require Federal government contractors to participate in the Basic Pilot program ; and would authorize DHS to enter into contracts with private entities to provide "secure domestic transport" of aliens apprehended at or along U.S. international borders from Border Patrol custody to detention facilities.  Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3531 (Accountability in Enforcing Immigration Laws Act of 2007) - Click here for summary of bill.

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3612 (Local Law Enforcement Restoration Act) - would prohibit Federal statutes relative to unlawful employment of illegal aliens from preempting state or local laws that impose: (1) employment eligibility verification requirements imposed upon employers or employees consistent with or in addition to Federal employment eligibility verification requirements; (2) civil or criminal penalties for violation of those state or local laws, or for acts prohibited by Federal "unlawful employment" statutes; (3) licensing sanctions for violation of state or local employment eligibility verification requirements, or for acts prohibited by Federal law; or (4) limitations on the right of a private party to sue for up to treble damages; and would make this prohibition on preemption effective upon enactment and applicable to state or local laws enacted before, on, or after January 1, 2005.
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3638 (Border Security and Elimination of Sanctuary for Illegal Aliens Act of 2007) - would require state and local law enforcement agencies to immediately notify ICE upon the arrest of any illegal alien for any offense; would require immediate removal of any illegal alien so arrested and would mandate that such aliens be permanently ineligible for subsequent admission into the United States (violation of this provision would result in five years' of Federal imprisonment). Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) is the measure's main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R. 3836 - would revise provisions governing the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (a program that provides assistance to states for the incarceration of illegal aliens who commit crimes) so that states and municipalities must be reimbursed for their expenses within 120 days after the application period for reimbursement for any given fiscal year has come to an end. (This bill only has a positive impact if states and localities are allowed to actively participate in the enforcement of Federal immigration laws and if their respective jurisdictions do not provide "sanctuary" to illegal aliens , thus inhibiting the ability of state and local law enforcement from even discerning who is or is not an illegal alien. If they cannot determine whether or not they are holding illegal aliens, federal reimbursement for illegal alien incarceration becomes irrelevant.)  Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3851 (Non-Citizen Enforcement Act of 2007) - would authorize state and local law enforcement agencies to apprehend illegal aliens in conjunction with DHS; would require the names of illegal aliens "removed in absentia" to be listed in the National Criminal Information Center database; would make technical corrections to expedite prosecution, authorize an additional $550 million for transportation costs under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (a program that provides assistance to states for the incarceration of illegal aliens who commit crimes); and would increase criminal penalties for: (1) illegal alien possession of a firearm; (2) illegal alien distribution of controlled substances; and (3) smuggling previously-deported aliens back into the United States.  Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 3950 - would state Congress' approval of of a DHS rule: (1) providing that employers receiving "no-match" letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA) also must receive an accompanying notice explaining that employers risk civil and criminal liability if they do not respond to the problems raised in the SSA letter; and (2) that includes a safe-harbor provision protecting employers who take steps to resolve the discrepancy between the SSA database and information supplied by the employee. (This rule was supposed to take effect September 14, 2007, but implementation has been put on hold pending the outcome of litigation.)  Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R.4073 (the Non-Citizen Identification Act) - would provide for security enhanced Social Security cards, prohibit wages paid to illegal aliens, and make it illegal for any alien not to possess an advanced Social Security card. Security features on the card would include: (1) tamper proof and wear resistant material; (2) a design to resist tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication; (3) a digitized photograph of the rightful card bearer; and (4) an encrypted machine-readable electronic identification strip with a digitized facial image of the rightful holder. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is the bill’s main sponsors.
Cosponsors

H.R.4065 -would make the Basic Pilot (E-Verify) program mandatory for all employers within two years of enactment, permit employers to verify existing employees, and study the cost of issuing secure Social Security cards. Among other interior enforcement measures, this legislation would: make illegal presence in the U.S. a federal crime, reaffirm the ability of state and local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws, authorize $300 million in grants for states and localities to enforce immigration laws, remove law enforcement grants to sanctuary cities, incorporate the National Crime Information Center database, expedite removal of aliens apprehend while driving drunk, authorize border sheriffs to transfer illegal aliens over to federal authorities, and expedite deportation of alien gang members. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.R. 4088, the SAVE (Secure America through Verification and Enforcement) Act - would address the "jobs magnet" by strengthening the Federal government's employment verification program (E-Verify) to close security gaps, address loopholes, and make it mandatory for employers. E-Verify provides employers with an inexpensive, quick, and accurate way to verify employee eligibility. In addition, it would strengthen interior enforcement by increasing the number of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents and empowering local law enforcement to safely detain and remove illegal aliens by enforcing conventional laws. Provisions specifically relating to interior enforcement include: (1) a requirement that Federal agencies, Federal contractors, and employers with more than 250 employees in the U.S. verify the eligibility of new employees within 1 year of enactment. At the same time, employers with between 100 and 250 employees have 2 years to verify eligibility and employers with 30 to 100 employees have 3 years. All employers must verify new and current employees within 4 years of the bill’s enactment; (2) sanctions on an employer for each employee not verified eligible for employment; (3) a "National Birth and Death Registration System" to reduce identification fraud and stolen identities; (4) 1,150 additional Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agents (ICE); (5) 140 additional Criminal Alien Program (CAP) officers to identify and remove criminal aliens detained in federal, state and local facilities; (6) training at least 250 State and local law enforcement officers on how to perform federal immigration enforcement procedures; (7) hardware capabilities for local law enforcement to access ICE and other apprehension databases; (8) a rewards program to help identify and eliminate the production and sale of fraudulent documents used by individual illegal aliens or overall smuggling operations; (9) 8,000 additional beds for illegal aliens detained by immigration officials; (10) 13 additional federal district judges in border states to increase the flow of deportations, including 4 for the District of Arizona and 5 for the Southern District of California; (11) a marketing campaign to notify employers of changes to the employment verification process and guest worker program. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors
Section-by-section analysis

H.R. 4192 (Overdue Immigration Reform Act of 2007) – would provide 2,000 additional ICE agents including 500 to investigate benefits fraud, provide 300 additional ICE attorneys, make unlawful presence a felony, list immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center Database, increase penalties against individuals who manufacture fraudulent documents, prohibit sanctuary cities, and would allow state and local law enforcement to turn illegal aliens over to federal authorities.

In addition, this legislation would address the jobs magnet by mandating a national Social Security birth/death registration system, notifying employers about Social Security mismatches, increasing sanctions against employers that hire illegal aliens, enabling states to impose employment verification requirements, and making employment verification mandatory:

1. One year for federal contractors, federal agencies, and employers with 50 or more employees in certain industries such as agriculture,
2. Two years for employers with 20 or more employees,
3. Three years for all other employers,
4. All existing employees must be verified within four years.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.R.4201 (Justice for the Newark College Students Act) - would remove sanctuary protections for certain illegal aliens. Specifically, this legislation would require local and state authorities to verify with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whether or not an individual arrested for a felony is lawfully present in the United States. If the individual in question is an illegal alien, the court with jurisdiction over case is required to make a report to DHS for processing. Rep. Charles Dent (R-Pa.) is the bills main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Con.Res. 83 - would provide a sense of Congress that: (1) state and local agencies should be supported for actively discouraging illegal immigration; (2) current immigration law should be enforced to the highest extent of the law; and (3) enhanced border security and enforcement measures should be passed quickly to ease the burden on state and local governments.  Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Con.Res. 204 - would provide a sense of Congress that state and local governments are not preempted from enacting and enforcing immigration-related laws and ordinances not directly conflicting with Federal law. Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Res. 246 - would provide a sense of the House that states and local governments should enact legislation prohibiting the issuance of business, professional, or occupational licenses to illegal aliens. Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

H.Con.Res. 218 - would provide a sense of Congress that: (1) Congress should ensure that current immigration and border security laws are enforced; (2) Congress and the administration should expand the 287(g) program , including through provision of appropriate funding and flexibility for state and local governments to use; and (3) state and law enforcement should be provided the necessary resources to prosecute immigration violators. Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Res. 351 - would provide a sense of the House that: (1) Federal authorities should use all available tools to strengthen and vigorously enforce all existing immigration laws as a means of ensuring the integrity of our immigration system and U.S. sovereignty; (2) sanctuary policies encourage illegal immigration to the United States and, in fact, the Federal government should support state and local enforcement of immigration laws; and (3) state and local law enforcement agencies should report all immigration violations to DHS. Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

H.Res. 440 - would provide a sense of the House that, to deter further illegal immigration and strengthen the U.S. economy, a prohibition on the hiring of illegal aliens (with “vigorous” enforcement thereof) and the establishment of an “instant employment eligibility verification system” must be part of any immigration reform bill considered by this Congress.   Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

S. 389 - would require the appointment of additional Federal judges and, subsequently, require that they be assigned to district courts in which criminal immigration filings represented more than 50 percent of all criminal filings for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2004.  Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 475 - would increase, in fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the number of Deputy U.S. Marshals investigating criminal matters related to immigration.  Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 699 (Social Security Number Fraud and Identity Theft Prevention Act) - would authorize DHS, the Labor Department, and the Attorney General to require individuals to provide their Social Security numbers (SSNs) for inclusion in records or on forms required by immigration laws; would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to notify DHS if earnings are reported on a SSN issued to an illegal alien; would require SSA to report information to DHS concerning the names, address, etc., of the alien (or aliens if the SSN was used in relation to multiple names); and would prohibit DHS from using this information for purposes other than enforcement of immigration laws. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 850 (Scott Gardner Act) - would require DHS to share immigration information with the Justice Department (DOJ); would require DHS and DOJ to submit a joint report to Congress on improving the performance of Federal immigration databases to ensure the prompt entry of immigration information; would require the head of each state and local law enforcement agency to collect and report to DHS all immigration and DWI-related information collected in the course of normal duties and would require that information to appear as a flag in the Wanted Person File of the National Crime Information Center database; would require DHS to reimburse the costs of training state and local law enforcement employees on Federal immigration laws; would authorize the apprehension and detention of an alien for DWI or a similar violation, provided the alien is deportable on any other grounds or is an illegal alien; would require each state motor vehicle administrator to share with DHS all information concerning aliens with records of DWI convictions or refusals to take sobriety tests; and would require DHS to submit to Congress a formula for the allocation of Federal detention facilities for aliens. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 913 - would prohibit judicial review of visa or immigration document revocation in all cases (currently, if revocation provides the sole ground for removal, it may be reviewed); and would apply this prohibition to all visas issued as of or after enactment.  Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is the measure’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 1269 (Engaging the Nation to Fight for Our Right to Control Entry [ENFORCE] Act) - Click here for summary of bill.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is the measure’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

S. 1849 (Lawful Worker Tax Deduction Act) - would prohibit employers (beginning in the 2008 taxable year) from taking a tax deduction for wages paid to illegal aliens – and would authorize assessment or proceeding to collect taxes for back taxes for six years following the filing of a return – but would establish an exception in the case of an illegal alien being verified erroneously by the Basic Pilot program; and would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share with the IRS any information related to investigation and enforcement of the above prohibition, including any "no-match" letters and any information in the earnings suspense file (the repository for all employers’ annual wage reports for which employee names and social security numbers don’t match SSA’s records).  Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S.1984 (Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act) - would make the E-Verify program mandatory for an employer or industry determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be “part of the critical infrastructure, a federal contractor, or directly related to national security” and make it illegal for an employer to hire or continue employing an illegal alien. Among other interior enforcement measures, this legislation would: authorize the Social Security Administration to issue secure Social Security cards; make illegal presence in the U.S. a federal crime; reaffirm the ability of state and local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws; authorize $4.15 billion in State Criminal Alien Assistance Program grants over 6 years for states and localities to enforce immigration laws; authorize additional resources to train state and local law enforcement officers on how to uphold federal immigration enforcement procedures; incorporate the National Crime Information Center database; authorize at least 200 more immigration attorneys, 100 immigration adjudicators, and 25 forensics personnel at DHS; authorize 2,000 additional ICE agents, 20 full time immigration judges, and 31 District Court judges in border states; clarify and strengthen penalties for criminal offenses made by illegal aliens; expedite deportation and strengthen penalties against alien gang members; strengthen penalties for firearm offenses committed by illegal aliens; increase penalties for smuggling; increase penalties for alien reentry; increase penalties for document fraud; increase penalties for marriage fraud; and prevent aliens convicted of criminal offenses (including domestic violence, stalking, child abuse) from being admitted to the United States. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S.2587 (SCAAP Reimbursement Protection Act) - would help reimburse local and state law enforcement for expenses relating to the incarceration of any illegal alien charged with or convicted of two or more misdemeanors or a felony. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S. 2588 (Ensure Timely SCAAP Reimbursement Act) - would require the Department of Justice to distribute State Criminal Alien Assistance (SCAAP) funding within 120 days of application. SCAAP is the funding source used to reimburse state and local law enforcement for costs associated with the incarceration of illegal aliens. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) is the bill’s main sponsor.
Cosponsors

S.2722 (Safe Roads Enhancement Act of 2008) - would prohibit aliens from obtaining legal status or benefits if they have repeat drunk driving convictions. Specifically, this legislation would make a DUI misdemeanor or felony sentence of 1 year or more an inadmissible and deportable offense for any legal or illegal alien. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) is the bill’s main sponsor.
No cosponsors

S.Res. 239 - would provide a sense of the Senate that the Bush administration should implement statutorily-mandated immigration and border controls and enforce existing Federal immigration law, including, notably: (1) implementation of the entry and exit portions of US-VISIT; (2) enforcement of existing provisions requiring the sanctioning of employers who do not comply with "unlawful employment" laws; (3) compliance with the Secure Fence Act of 2006 through completion of the fencing called for along the U.S.-Mexico border; (4) increasing the use of expedited removal procedures for all illegal aliens eligible for such removal under Federal law; and (5) expansion of the Immigration Violators File in the NCIC database to include information regarding absconders and other illegal aliens; and also would provide a sense of the House that taking these steps would: (1) result in a considerable decrease in illegal immigration into the United States; and (2) vastly improve U.S. border security. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is the measure's main sponsor.
Cosponsors