As in the past several years, security concerns have figured prominently in the development of and debate on immigration legislation in the 109 th Congress. In May 2005, the REAL ID Act became law as Division B of the FY2005 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief ( P.L. It contains a number of immigration and identification document-related provisions intended to improve homeland security. The security-related issue of immigration enforcement continues to be on the congressional agenda. Various bills have been introduced that address enforcement-related issues, including border security; the roles of the U.S. military, civilian patrols, and state and local law enforcement agencies in immigration enforcement; smuggling; detention; and the enforcement of prohibitions on employing unauthorized workers. Fencing provisions similar to those in H.R. The FY2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act ( P.L. 109-295 ) contains several security-related provisions, including border tunnel provisions like those in S. 2611 . In addition, the House has passed a number of other enforcement-related measures, among them H.R. 6094 , H.R. 6095 , H.R. This bill contained provisions on border enforcement, interior enforcement, and unlawful employment of aliens, as well as on guest workers, legal permanent immigration reform, unauthorized aliens in the United States, and other issues. While major immigration reform proposals remain pending, Congress has enacted limited provisions on temporary and permanent employment-based immigration as part of P.L. 109-13 and P.L. It also has enacted legislation concerning alien victims of domestic violence, trafficking in persons, and refugees. Changes to Laws on Asylum and Other Forms of Relief from Removal

The REAL ID Act makes a number of changes to Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provisions concerning asylum and other forms of relief from removal. It requires states to adopt certain practices and procedures regarding the verification of documents used to obtain drivers' licenses and ID cards, and establishes minimum issuance standards for state-issued drivers' licenses and personal identification cards, if such documents are to be accepted for official federal purposes. Some border security provisions in H.R. 109-367 ). 4830 , H.R. Another border-security related provision in P.L. 6162 . 109-364 , does not include this provision. Immigration reform bills containing guest worker and worksite enforcement-related provisions have been introduced in the 109 th Congress. 4437 . 4437 , as passed by the House, and S. 2611 , as passed by the Senate, would variously build on past legislative efforts, most recently the REAL ID Act, to tighten current law in the areas of illegal presence and illegal entry; alien voluntary departure and removal from the United States; alien exclusion from, or inadmissibility to, the United States; and judicial review. Expedited Removal

H.R. 4437 and S. 2611 would expand expedited removal. 4437 . Among the other pending bills to establish new temporary workers visas are S. 1033 / H.R. In addition, P.L. P.L. 109-13 (H.R. P.L. 109-102 (H.R. 109-149 (H.R. 109-162 (H.R. P.L. 109-164 (H.R. P.L. 109-271 (S. 3693)

Makes technical corrections to P.L.
Security concerns have figured prominently in the development of and debate on immigration legislation in the 109th Congress. In May 2005, the REAL ID Act became law as Division B of P.L. 109-13. It contains a number of immigration and identification document-related provisions intended to improve homeland security. Among these are provisions: to make changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) with respect to asylum and other forms of relief from removal; to expand the terrorism-related grounds for alien inadmissibility and deportation; and to set standards for state-issued drivers' licenses and personal identification cards, if such documents are to be accepted for federal purposes.
The security-related issue of immigration enforcement remains on Congress's agenda. H.R. 4437, as passed by the House, contains provisions on border security, the role of state and local law enforcement, employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement, smuggling, detention, and other enforcement-related issues. In addition to these provisions, H.R. 4437 contains significant and, in some cases, highly controversial provisions on unlawful presence, voluntary departure and removal, expedited removal, and denying U.S. entry to nationals from uncooperative countries. Despite efforts by some House Members to amend H.R. 4437 to establish new guest worker programs, the bill does not contain any such provisions. S. 2611, as passed by the Senate, combines provisions on enforcement and on unlawful presence, voluntary departure and removal, expedited removal, and denying U.S. entry to nationals from uncooperative countries with provisions on legal temporary admissions, including guest workers, and legal permanent admissions. S. 2611 also would establish legalization programs to enable certain groups of unauthorized aliens in the United States to obtain legal permanent resident (LPR) status.
The 109th Congress has enacted some border security-related provisions. P.L. 109-295, the FY2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, includes border tunnel provisions like those in S. 2611, as well as other enforcement-related provisions. P.L. 109-367 includes border fencing provisions similar to those in H.R. 4437. In addition, the House has passed other bills with border security and enforcement-related provisions (H.R. 4830, H.R. 6094, H.R. 6095, H.R. 6160, H.R. 6162).
The 109th Congress also has enacted limited provisions on temporary and permanent employment-based immigration as part of P.L. 109-13 and P.L. 109-364.
Among the other immigration bills that have received action are measures on alien victims of domestic violence (P.L. 109-162, P.L. 109-271, and S. 1197), trafficking in persons (P.L. 109-162, P.L. 109-164, and S. 1197), and refugees (P.L. 109-102 and P.L. 109-149).
This report will not be updated.