9/11 Commission: Legislative Action Concerning U.S. Immigration Law and Policy in the 108th Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Dec. 21, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RL32616 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Michael John Garcia, American Law Division; and Ruth Ellen Wasem, Domestic Social Policy Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
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.
In response to the Commission's recommendations, several major bills were introduced
proposing significant revisions to U.S. immigration law and policy. The two notable bills that would
revise immigration laws were 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. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 ( P.L. 108-458 ), a compromise version of these bills that included some --
but not all -- of the immigration provisions under consideration, was signed on December 17, 2004.
This report briefly discusses some of the major immigration areas that were under consideration
in the above-mentioned 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.
