An Immigration Reform Agenda for the 112th Congress

Illegal immigration and mass immigration are detrimental to quality of life in the United States. The American family is increasingly bearing the costs of traffic congestion, urban sprawl, environmental degradation, increased crime, overburdened health care, overwhelmed public schools, and debt-ridden state and municipal governments — all results of uncontrolled immigration. The fiscal costs of immigration, legal and illegal, have always been substantial, but with the recent economic downturn, these costs have become even more burdensome. In our report, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration to United States Taxpayers, FAIR estimates that the annual cost of illegal immigration to the American taxpayer — after accounting for tax revenue received from illegal aliens — is $100 billion. Congress and the federal government must restore legitimacy to the U.S. immigration system by ensuring that existing immigration laws are enforced and passing new legislation that will curtail legal immigration and improve the quality of life for all Americans.

The 111th Congress began in the midst of one of the most serious recessions since the Great Depression.  However, instead of promoting immigration policies that help American workers, amnesty advocates repeatedly attempted to pass amnesty legislation. In December 2009, Representatives Solomon Ortiz (D-Tex.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) introduced H.R.4321, an expansive amnesty bill in the House. In April 2010, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) outlined an amnesty proposal they hoped would serve as the framework for "comprehensive" immigration reform legislation in the Senate.  Then in September 2010, Senator Menendez introduced S.3932, the "Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2010".  None of these proposals, however, traveled far.  There was simply no political appetite in the House or Senate — or among the American people — for amnesty legislation, especially with nearly ten percent of Americans out of work.

FAIR presents this Immigration Reform Agenda for the 112th Congress as a guide for ending illegal immigration, reducing legal immigration to a more sustainable level, and improving/enhancing national security — thereby lifting the burden on the American taxpayer, and improving our quality of life. 

We look forward to working with you through the 112th Congress.