A group of House Democrats is reviving an effort to give millions of illegal immigrants already in the US a path to citizenship by updating a nearly 100-year-old registry to change their status.
Six Democrats this week reintroduced the revised immigration provisions of the 1929 Immigration Act. The bill would update a status adjustment process — commonly known as the registry — allowing those illegally in the country before a certain date to have their status regularized.
The registry was last updated in 1986, during which time illegal immigrants who had been in the country continuously since 1972 could have their status modified and obtain a green card, which in turn allowed them to apply for U.S. citizenship.
The Democrats introducing the bill — Representatives Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., Norma Torres, D-Calif., Lou Correa, D-Calif., Grace Meng, D-NY, Adriano Espaillat, D-NY, and Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, D-Ill. — said it would affect about eight million immigrants, a population larger than the state of Arizona. In a press release, the Democrats say that 148 local, regional and national organizations support the measure.
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Migrants depart for a shelter from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York on September 27, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Lofgren, the lead sponsor on the bill, fired on Republicans for “political stunts” on immigration and the border.
“While the extreme MAGA Republicans make dozens of trips to the border and perform other political stunts, my colleagues and I are refocusing on immigration action by reintroducing this common sense registration law, which is simply an update of the law that was first introduced in 1929,” she said.
“As our predecessors in the 70th Congress understood, it is good for America to provide stability to those who are of good character and who have lived here for a long time. Updating this historically bipartisan provision to grant legal permanent residency to vetted immigrants who have been part of our communities for years will make our country stronger,” she said. “Updating this historically bipartisan provision to grant legal permanent residency to vetted immigrants who have been part of our communities for years will make our country Making stronger.”
“It’s not secret immigrants who built our nation — and those who came to the United States years ago in search of a better life and put down roots here deserve a chance at permanent residency,” said Rep. Espaillat. “There are currently millions of immigrants who live in legal limbo and face an uncertain future regarding their residency status. Our bill will provide them with a pathway to citizenship, giving approximately eight million immigrants who have been in the U.S. for at least seven years a chance to obtain their green cards through registry.”
Democrats have previously made a number of attempts to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, including an attempt to update the registry, but so far have been thwarted.
The Biden administration and Congressional Democrats introduced a sweeping immigration bill in early 2021, which included a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the country.
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When that bill failed to gain Republican support, Democrats tried to pass some amnesties through the budget reconciliation process later in the year. One of those attempts included an update of the registry. All options were rejected by the Senate legislator as inappropriate for a budget bill. The effort eventually fell apart after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-Va., withdrew his support.
But the push for legalization of illegal immigrants continues, including calls from Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden — who made a call during last month’s State of the Union address.
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“America’s border problems won’t be resolved until Congress does something. If we don’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least we’ll pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a path to citizenship for Dreamers , those on temporary status, farm workers and essential workers,” Biden said.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
He can be reached at [email protected] or at Twitter.
