Immigration reform implies changes in a country's immigration policy and although in general immigration reform can include expanding or reducing immigration, in actuality it deals with aspect of reducing or eliminating immigration for the sake of national security (social-economic, socio-ethnical, socio-political).
After ages of massive influx, the Americans today are highly alert on the possible consequences of the immigration into their land. Many quarters are skeptical about the ongoing immigration and there are voices to introduce stringent immigration reform. Mass immigration, whether legal or illegal, has posed serious challenge to America's homeland security, jobs, education, healthcare, environment, and social values.
The Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has recommended some possible measures for the US Congress on various issues related to immigration:
Legal immigration policy. Such as:
To impose a national moratorium on all permanent immigration exempting wives and minor children of the US citizens.
To adopt national population objectives and set immigration levels consistent with them.
To end family chain migration (exempting wives and minor children).
To terminate the system of “visa lottery”.
Refugee and Asylum policy. Such as:
To facilitate return resettlement of the escapist refugees in foreseeable future
To Limit annual refugee movements to the US
To limit the grounds for refuge and asylum to persecution of individuals on grounds of race, ethnicity, or religion
To repeal or reform Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Illegal Aliens policy. Such as:
To stop granting amnesty for illegal immigrants
Not to grant "guest worker" status for illegal aliens
To institute a tamper-resistant, electronically verifiable Social Security card
Make deportation a meaningful deterrent and impose criminal penalties against illegal aliens
National Security policy. Such as:
To increase manpower and technology of the Border Patrol to make the border safe, and to deploy military forces to ensure that the land borders of the US are not transgressed by terrorists and others
To increase resources for combating human smuggling operations and co-ordinate a regional co-operation to tackle the disruptive infiltrators
To detain illegal entrants who refuse repatriation to their home country, or whose home countries are unknown
Legal Admission Security. Such as:
To conduct in-person interviews before a trained U.S. consular official for all people applying for a visa to the US
To prevent all individuals who are involved with terrorist organizations
Besides these major recommendations for reforming immigration policies, the FAIR has also suggested precautionary measures in matters of port of entry security, interior security, document security, and others. These recommendations have also been emphasized upon by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also called the 9/11 Commission) in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
