Illegal Immigration

The issue of illegal immigration has become one of the most important debates in Congress and throughout the United States as the American people have begun to understand how the federal government’s failure to address illegal immigration has negatively impacted our communities. The IRC is an organization dedicated towards identifying legislative solutions to address the issue of illegal immigration. As Chairman of the IRC, it is important to me and our members that the American people are able to follow how Congress is moving ahead to address illegal immigration. Hopefully, this website will become a resource for you to get the latest updates and news on our activities and efforts to address illegal immigration.

The Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC) was established in May 1999 to review current immigration policy, to initiate new immigration policy and to create a much-needed forum in Congress to address both the positive and negative consequences of immigration. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) was the first Chairman of the caucus and served until February of 2007 when Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) became the new Chairman of the IRC.

The focus of the IRC has changed over the years as the immigration issue itself has evolved. In the 106th Congress, the caucus focused primarily on H1-B visa legislation and potential amnesty provisions.

During the first session of the 107th Congress, the caucus focused on three primary issues: addressing the explosive growth in illegal immigration, reversing the growth in legal immigration and stopping a further extension of Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act – a "mini-amnesty." With the events of September 11th, in the second session of the 107th Congress, the caucus continued to establish and emphasize the link between open borders, unregulated immigration and the potential for terrorism. In addition, the caucus has pushed legislative proposals which would help secure America’s borders and reform the outdated U.S. immigration system.

During a time when a forum to actively discuss the immigration issue, the IRC provided members with an opportunity to address the strong concerns about immigration that constituents have relayed to them. It also became an essential outlet for members and staff to discuss how current laws and regulation pose a threat to the security of America.

During the first session of the 110th Congress, the caucus was able to stop multiple attempts to pass amnesty legislation.  Under the leadership of Congressman Bilbray, the caucus will continue to be active in shaping immigration policy and keeping the issue at the forefront of public policy discussions in Washington and throughout the country.

Immigration

• H.R. 98: Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2009. This bill cracks down on the hiring of illegal immigrants and ensures the integrity of the Social Security number and card by including a digitized photo of the cardholder on the card, as well as an encrypted electronic signature strip which will be used by employers to instantaneously verify a prospective employee's work authorization.
•  H.R.878: Nuclear Family Priority Act. Eliminates extended family categories far beyond the original immigrant (adult brothers and sisters, unmarried adult children, married adult children) and ends chain migration. It prioritizes nuclear families (spouses, minor children) of both naturalized citizens and lawful permanent residents, thereby reduciong overall legal immigration levels by 33 to 50% – helping the U.S. return to traditional levels of legal immigration.
• H.R.1148: This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists, to enhance border security.
• H.R.1199: Scott Gardner Act. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to share immigration information with the Attorney General. Requires a joint report from such officials to Congress on improving the performance of federal immigration databases to ensure the prompt entry of immigration information.
• H.R.1314: Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow states to be compensated for incarcerating undocumented aliens who are charged with, or convicted of, a felony or two or more misdemeanors.
• H.R.1448: Border Reinforcement and Violence Reduction Act of 2009. Authorizes and directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand resources, make grants, and take other actions to protect U.S. citizens and property and to identify, investigate, and prosecute firearms trafficking and other unlawful activities along the U.S.-Mexican border.
• H.R.1668: Border Control and Contractor Accountability Act of 2009. Requires a federal contractor who employs directly or through a subcontractor an illegal alien to be debarred or suspended from federal contracting for three years; and have the contract terminated unless the contractor or subcontractor agrees to terminate the employment of any such alien. This bill also bars the Small Business Administration from making loans to those that are illegally in the country.