U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform (Jordan Commission)
The U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform was mandated by the Immigration Act of 1990 in order to examine and evaluate U.S. immigration policy, and to provide recommendations for its improvement.
The Commission’s initial recommendations were released in 1995, and were endorsed by President Clinton. The final report was presented to Congress in 1997.
President Clinton said the proposals “reflect a balanced immigration policy that makes the most of our diversity while protecting the American work force so that we can better compete in the emerging global economy. (“Clinton Embraces a Proposal to Cut Immigration by a Third,” The New York Times, June 8, 1995).
The Commission is now commonly referred to as the “Jordan Commission” after its most well-known chair, the esteemed Barbara Jordan.
We are a nation of immigrants, dedicated to the rule of law. That is our history – and it is our challenge to ourselves.…It is literally a matter of who we are as a nation and who we become as a people. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. One people. The American people.”
–Barbara Jordan, 1995
Click here to learn more about about Barbara Jordan’s life and her work on immigration reform.
Following the above principles, the Commission recommended the creation of a “credible, coherent immigrant and immigration policy” and a “credible, efficient naturalization process” which included the following:
CATEGORY OF IMMIGRANT ADMISSIONS | COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDED ANNUAL ADMISSIONS | ANNUAL AVERAGE ADMISSIONS 2012-2021 |
---|---|---|
Family-Based* | 400,000 | 650,786 |
Adult unmarried sons/ daughters of U.S. citizens and their children | 0 | 21,350 |
Adult married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens and their children | 0 | 20,910 |
Brothers/Sisters of U.S. citizens (21+ years) and their spouses and children | 0 | 57,283 |
Employment-based | 100,000 | 149,643 |
Refugees/Asylees | 50,000 | 127,300 |
Diversity Lottery | 0 | 41,781 |
Other | 0 | 28,105 |
TOTAL | 550,000 | 997,615 |
YEAR | U.S. TOTAL POPULATION | U.S. FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION | U.S. ILLEGAL ALIEN POPULATION |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | 266.5 million | 24.6 million | 8.7 million |
2023 | 334.2 million | 49.5 million | 12.9 million |