Because our current immigration system is clearly broken on the legal side, as well as the illegal side, Rep. Eshoo favors comprehensive reform legislation that will provide a timely pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in our country; modernize our visa programs for both high-skilled and agricultural workers; build on recent successes in securing our borders; and hold employers accountable for employing undocumented workers. She also supports efforts to improve technology at immigration service centers, decrease immigration application backlogs, and expedite visa processing at U.S. consulates around the world.

In the 113th Congress, the Senate passed S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that would address many of the problems in our immigration system. Among other things, S. 744 provides a 13-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, provided they pass background checks and do not become a burden on the public. Immigrants on the pathway to citizenship will not be eligible for any means-tested benefits, such as Medicaid or food stamps. S.744 also expands and reforms high-skilled visas and green cards, allowing the world’s best and the brightest innovators to start their businesses in the United States, rather than being forced to return home to compete against us. On the enforcement side, S. 744 doubles federal funding for border security ($30 billion) and would require employment verification systems (E-Verify) within five years, with protections for workers who are wrongfully flagged by the verification system.

As of August, 2013, the House has yet to introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill, but work continues to do so.