	Introduction

The July 2004 report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States(also known as the 9/11 Commission) concluded that the key officials responsible for determiningalien admissions (consular officers abroad and immigration inspectors in the United States) were notconsidered full partners in counterterrorism efforts prior to September 11, 2001, and as a result,opportunities to intercept the September 11 terrorists were missed. (3)
These recommendations have broad implications for immigration law and policy. Also, as Congress has moved on the Commission's recommendations, immigration-related reforms have beena key component of major legislative proposals. 9/11 Implementation Legislation

Of the several bills that sought to implement recommendations of the 9/11 Commission in the108th Congress, two passed their respective Houses, and both of these proposed revisions toimmigration law: H.R. 10 , the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act, asamended, introduced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert and passed bythe House as S. 2845 on October 8, 2004 (House-passed S. 2845 ); and S. 2845 , the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, as amended, introduced bySenators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman and passed by the Senate on October 8, 2004(Senate-passed S. 2845 ). (4) The Intelligence Reform andTerrorism Prevention Act of 2004 ( P.L.108-458 ), a compromise bill signed on December 17, 2004 includes some - but not all - of theimmigration provisions that were originally under consideration. The major areas that were under consideration in these comprehensive reform proposals are briefly discussed below. References to CRS reports that analyze these issues in depth are listed foreach major area. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress further expanded the terrorism grounds for inadmissibility, removal, andmandatory detention in the USA PATRIOT Act in response to concerns that loopholes andinadequacies in the immigration laws were contributing to the ability of terrorists and theiraccomplices to travel to and remain in the United States. Allocation of Additional Resources to Improve Enforcement

DHS is the primary federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws and securing the border. Monitoring of Persons Entering and Leaving the United States. Security of Personal Identification Documents.
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 the9/11 Commission). The 19 hijackers responsible for the 9/11 attacks were foreign nationals, manyof 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 Statesdespite flaws in their entry documents or suspicions regarding their past associations. According tothe Commission, up to 15 of the hijackers could have been intercepted or deported through morediligent 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 systemsand effective, integrated information-sharing. As Congress has considered these recommendations,however, possible legislative responses have broadened to include significant and possiblyfar-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 wouldrevise 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 passedby the House as S. 2845 on October 8, 2004, and S. 2845 , the NationalIntelligence Reform Act of 2004, as amended, introduced by Senators Susan Collins and JosephLieberman and passed by the Senate on October 8, 2004. The Intelligence Reform and TerrorismPrevention Act of 2004 ( P.L. 108-458 ), a compromise version of these bills that included some - butnot 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 trackingsystems, 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.