Illegal Immigration
Legal Immigration
Voter Reform
Our History

According to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted in January 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 28.4 million immigrants living in the United States. This is the largest number of immigrants ever recorded in the nation’s history. It represents an increase of 43 percent just since 1990. Immigrants now account for 10.4 percent of all residents —the highest percentage in 70 years. Of greater concern, is the documented estimate that more than 1.2 million legal and illegal immigrants combined now settle in the United States each year.

The Immigration Reform Caucus was established to review current immigration policy, propose new immigration policies and provide a forum in Congress for addressing the positive and negative consequences of our immigration policies.

During the 108^th Congress, the Caucus hopes to focus on three primary areas, illegal immigration, legal immigration and voter reform.

Illegal Immigration

The Caucus will highlight the continuing growth in illegal immigration through an aggressive press and member education operation.The Caucus seeks to:

• Improve interior enforcement and border control,
• Enforce the new Department of Homeland Defense division of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) into two separate agencies, one for improved immigration enforcement and one for improved services,
• Investigate allegations that the INS is not electronically connected to all of its U.S. field offices.

The Caucus will seek to ensure that any proposed guest worker program addresses the following:

1. incentives for workers to stay home upon completion of their contract,
2. the wisdom of granting further amnesties,
3. the program’s effect on the U.S. economy, and
4. enforcement of employer sanctions.

The caucus will also push for legislation to deny American citizenship to the American-born children of illegal aliens.

Legal Immigration

The Caucus will focus on the explosive growth of legal immigration.

The Caucus will promote legislation to reduce the overall number of immigrants allowed into the country each year by limiting some of the admission categories. The Caucus will revisit recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform (the Jordan Commission) and review reforms included in Title V (Reform of Legal Immigration Section) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 as reported by the House Judiciary Committee in 1996.

Voter Reform

Following the announcement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the establishment of a special task force to examine voter reforms around the country, the caucus will work to address the widespread problem of voting by illegal aliens.

The Caucus will study proposals to require the Immigration and the Naturalization Service and state, local and county officials to share information on illegal aliens.

Our History

 The Immigration Reform Caucus was established in May 1999 to review current immigration policy, to initiate new immigration policy and to create a much-needed forum in Congress to address both the positive and negative consequences of immigration.

• In the 106^th Congress, the caucus focused primarily on H1-B visa legislation and potential amnesty provisions.
   
• During the first session of the 107^th Congress, the caucus focused on three primary issues: addressing the explosive growth in illegal immigration, reversing the growth in legal immigration and stopping a further extension of Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act —a "mini-amnesty."
   
• With the events of September 11^th, in the second session of the 107^th Congress, the caucus continued to establish and emphasize the link between open borders, unregulated immigration and the potential for terrorism. In addition, the caucus has pushed legislative proposals which would help secure America’s borders and reform the outdated U.S. immigration system.
   
• The caucus gives members an opportunity to address the strong concerns about immigration that constituents have relayed to them. It also exists as an outlet for members and staff to discuss how current laws and regulation pose a threat to the security of America.
   
• The caucus will continue to be active in immigration policy before Congress, including being involved in meetings, sending letters to leadership, drafting floor amendments to bills relating to immigration, as well as conducting forums and evaluating legislation.
  _____
  Representative Tom Tancredo, Chairman (Colorado)
  See original at < http://www.house.gov/tancredo/Immigration/about.html >.