For several years, some members of Congress have favored "comprehensive immigration reform" (CIR), a label that commonly refers to omnibus legislation that includes increased border security and immigration enforcement, expanded employment eligibility verification, revision of nonimmigrant visas and legal permanent immigration, and legalization for some unauthorized aliens residing in the country.
Leaders in both chambers have identified immigration reform as a legislative priority in the 113th Congress. While Members of the House reportedly have considered several different approaches to immigration reform during the spring of 2013, debate in the Senate has focused mainly on a single CIR bill: the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). This report summarizes major provisions of S. 744, as reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. It also discusses H.R. 1417, as reported by the House Homeland Security Committee, a bill that focuses more narrowly on border security strategies and metrics.
CRS's analysis focuses on eight major policy areas that encompass the U.S. immigration debate: comprehensive reform "triggers" and funding; border security; interior enforcement; employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement; legalization of unauthorized aliens; immigrant visas; nonimmigrant visas; and humanitarian provisions.
This report provides a concise summary of major legislation related to each of these issues. An accompanying report, CRS Report R43097, Comprehensive Immigration Reform in the 113th Congress: Major Legislative Proposals, by Marc R. Rosenblum and Ruth Ellen Wasem, discusses these bills and policy areas in greater detail.