9/11 Commission: Current Legislative Proposals for U.S. Immigration Law and Policy

Publication Date: October 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Population and demographics

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Abstract:

Reforming the enforcement of immigration law is a core component of the recommendations made by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission). The 19 hijackers responsible for the 9/11 attacks were foreign nationals, many of whom were able to obtain visas to enter the United States through the use of forged documents. Incomplete intelligence and screening enabled many of the hijackers to enter the United States despite flaws in their entry documents or suspicions regarding their past associations. According to the Commission, up to 15 of the hijackers could have been intercepted or deported through more diligent enforcement of immigration laws.

The 9/11 Commission's immigration-related recommendations focused primarily on targeting terrorist travel through an intelligence and security strategy based on reliable identification systems and effective, integrated information-sharing. As Congress has considered these recommendations, however, possible legislative responses have broadened to include significant and possibly far-reaching changes in the substantive law governing immigration and how that law is enforced, both at the border and in the interior of the United States.

There are several major bills that seek to implement recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, and some propose significant revisions to U.S. immigration law and policy. The two notable bills that would revise immigration laws are H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act, as amended, introduced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert, and passed by the House as S. 2845 on October 8, 2004, and S. 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, as amended, introduced by Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman and passed by the Senate on October 8, 2004.

This report briefly discusses some of the major immigration areas under consideration in comprehensive reform proposals, including asylum, biometric tracking systems, border security, document security, exclusion, immigration enforcement, and visa issuances. It refers to other CRS reports that discuss these issues in depth and will be updated as needed.