Senate Immigration Bill Passage: Meaningful Victory for Free Market Reform

Washington, D.C., June 27, 2013 – Today, the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) by a substantial margin. The bill will improve border security, increase legal immigration, and legalize the status of immigrants here illegally.

David Bier, Immigration Policy Analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, praised the Senate for its efforts to fix the immigration system, but said that the House must improve on the Upper Chamber’s work. “This bill represents a major step forward in America’s attempt to modernize its immigration system,” Bier said. “But the work is not done-improvements must be made before this bill becomes law.”

Bier singled out the work visas programs as needing the most reform. “The work visas in this bill will fall woefully short of what is needed to prevent future waves of illegal immigration,” Bier said. “Rather than making the process easier for U.S. businesses and allowing immigrants to contribute to the economy, this bill creates an immensely complex process for future immigrants.”

“This bill expands bureaucracy, increases taxes, and wastes a lot of money,” Bier said. “No one can deny this bill needs improvement. America should welcome immigrants who wish to work legally in the United States. But the Senate bill misses that target.”