Congressman Luis Gutierrez Hopes to Set the 2010 Agenda With Year-End Introduction of a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill

As the year comes to a close we want to shift our focus to what is likely to be a significant, though only partial, blueprint of the battles to come in 2010 over immigration reform. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) was introduced on December 15 in the House by Rep. Gutierrez (D-IL) and 91 co-sponsors, especially the members of the Progressive, Hispanic and Black Caucuses.  Below is a summary of H.R. 4321. The 644-page bill may be read in its entirety here.  At least one Christmas Eve editorial suggests that CIR ASAP may be laying the ground for a 2010 "dress rehearsal" with viable legislation only likely to pick up the necessary support in 2011, i.e. after mid-term elections.

Border Security, Detention, and Enforcement

-create a southern border security task force composed of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that would develop and study comprehensive uses of advanced technology for border security;

-the program would emphasize improvement of the conditions of detention and protect families from being separated unnecessarily;

-the program would also repeal the 287(g) program which currently delegates some federal immigration enforcement to certain state and local agencies;

Employment Verification

-creates significant civil and criminal penalties for knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens

-allows individuals to register with the Social Security Administration to receive PINs

Visa Reforms

-provisions would exempt immediate relatives from the annual cap on immigrant visas as well as highly skilled workers from employment-based immigrant visa cap

-children of citizens would be protected from aging out of eligibility to apply for Legal Permanent Residency;

Earned Legalization Program for the Undocumented

-creates a program for undocumented workers (and their spouses and children) to receive 6-year conditional visas and path to Legal Permanent Residency;

Strengthening America’s Workforce

-reforms the badly-flawed H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visa programs;

-establish studies to analyze employment-based immigration and recommend appropriate methods for determining the numerical levels for future flows of workers;

-create an internet-based program that would post job opportunities in fields that have traditionally relied on unauthorized labor;

Integration of New Americans

-provides more scrutiny on rising immigration fees in order to make citizenship more affordable;

-creates grant programs to fund non-profit community organizations that assist eligible applicants for naturalization;