GOP Sen. John Curtis Unveils State-Run Visa Scheme Offering Amnesty to Illegals

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Curtis rolled out the legislation Monday alongside Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, according to the Deseret News. The measure would let state legislatures build voluntary visa programs sized to local labor demand, a reworking of federal immigration law that, according to the outlet, mirrors a 2011 Utah guest-worker proposal Washington never signed off on.

The bill contains language the Deseret News described as a possible pathway to legal residency for illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since Dec. 31, 2016. Those individuals would submit to a background check and pay a $1,000 penalty to qualify, the outlet reported.

Under the framework, the Immigration and Nationality Act would gain a new nonimmigrant category covering workers and investors, plus their spouses and any children under 18, for terms lasting up to three years, according to the Deseret News. States would write their own rules on employment and residence with sign-off from the Department of Homeland Security, and visa holders would be barred from federal means-tested benefits.

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