There is wide consensus that more illegal immigration exists than is appropriate, safe, or fair for anyone. On the other hand, there is a shared concern that our economy depends on undocumented workers, who represent 4.8% of the US workforce at a time when the country already faces worker shortages. Estimates conclude that there are approximately 11 million undocumented individuals in the US.

While there is general bipartisan agreement on each of the proposals below, this issue sits lower in congressional ratings of promising bipartisan issues because disagreements remain over important details. For example, some support only fairly limited spending on border security and won’t agree to an immigration package if it doesn’t include fair treatment for those who entered the country illegally as children or who have been here paying taxes and obeying the law for decades. Others insist on more border security spending with more restrictive treatment of those who entered the country illegally as children or who have been here for decades paying taxes and obeying the law.

Those challenges notwithstanding, immigration reform still made the list of promising issues because lawmakers recognize how meaningful this issue is and that it remains fluid. While the congressional offices we met with believe it would be very difficult to reach the level of consensus necessary to pass immigration reform at the moment, they can imagine that changing during the year. 

Proposals include: 

• Add Limits on Overall Immigration Levels—Allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to activate Border Emergency Authority if border encounters reach a daily average of 4,000 over a period of 7 days and mandate action if they reach over 5,000 over a period of 7 days or 8,500 over a single day
• Reform the Visa System—Make it more efficient and allow more workers to enter the country who are needed for particular high-skilled roles and to fill positions Americans do not want. H-1B reform addresses dependents who no longer qualify after turning 21 (known as aging out of status) and increases employment-based visa flexibility while ensuring fair treatment of those workers. H-2B reform tackles labor shortages by making additional visas available when workforce needs cannot be met with domestic workers
• Increase Border Security—Build a more extensive and effective fence and other barriers on the southern border and provide more enforcement resources to secure the border, particularly in areas where the flow of illegal immigration is highest
• Address Immigrants’ Status—Resolve legal status of undocumented immigrants who have been here paying taxes and obeying the law for decades or those who came into the country as minors with undocumented parents. Additionally, address those who are here legally on a temporary basis because current conditions make it unsafe for them to return to their home country (e.g. Afghanistan and Ukraine) 
• Invest in Capacity to Process Asylum Claims—Hire more judges and staff as well as build more facilities to more quickly process the claims of those who show up at the border fleeing dire circumstances in their own country to help address the current backlog of cases
• Streamline System Efficiency—Simplify the system to make it more efficient and navigable for immigrants and government agencies