Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act
Sponsored By: Senator Moreno, Bernie [R-OH]
Introduced
Summary
Cut legal immigration and tighten asylum and enforcement rules. This bill would sharply reduce many family and diversity visa paths, cap refugee admissions, narrow asylum eligibility, expand deportable offenses, and create new ID and work‑verification systems to enforce those limits.
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- Families and immigrants: Sets a worldwide family‑sponsored level at about 300,000 (adjusted for prior refugees and certain visas), limits employment‑based visas to 40,000, and zeroes out the diversity program. It also narrows immediate relatives to spouses and children and removes the married‑preference category.
- Refugees and asylum seekers: Caps refugee admissions at 50,000 per year and raises the credible‑fear and asylum standard to “more likely than not” that the applicant faces arrest, incarceration, or life‑threatening persecution. It imposes strict filing deadlines (30 and 45 days), fees, and penalties for frivolous or missed asylum proceedings.
- Employers, IDs, and the border: Requires new tamper‑resistant Social Security and alien ID cards with photo and fingerprint, a Telephone Verification System for employers by 2028, raises Border Patrol staffing from 22,900 toward 26,900 by FY2031, and creates tiered carrier penalties up to $20,000 per undocumented arrival and possible loss of landing rights.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 2 mixed.
New felony ban on noncitizen voting
If enacted, it would be a felony for any noncitizen to vote in U.S. federal or state elections. Each unlawful vote could carry a fine up to $10,000 and/or up to one year in jail, and any such vote would be null and not counted.
Tighter asylum rules and deadlines
If enacted, asylum applicants would face strict filing and hearing deadlines: a notice within 30 days of entry and a full application within 45 days. Hearings must start within 45 days and asylum officers must decide within 30 days after the hearing. The bill raises the asylum standard to a "more likely than not" showing of arrest, incarceration, or life‑threatening persecution, allows dismissal for no‑shows, and permanently bars frivolous or fraudulent asylum filings. People granted asylum would generally need to wait three years after the grant before applying for a green card.
States must check immigration for benefits
If enacted, states and local agencies would have to verify an applicant's immigration status using the automated SAVE system to receive federal funds for AFDC/TANF, Medicaid, unemployment compensation, the Food Stamp Program, and certain HUD housing assistance. This would likely delay or deny federal‑funded benefits for noncitizen applicants when SAVE verification fails.
Sharp cuts to family and work visas
If enacted, employment‑based immigrant visas would be capped at 40,000 per year for fiscal years after FY2026. Family‑sponsored visas would be limited to 300,000 minus certain prior‑year counts, and the Diversity Visa lottery would be ended after FY2026. The immediate‑relative class would be narrowed to spouses and children; parents would move into a new "parents of adult citizens" preference. The Attorney General would be limited in approving many petitions after September 30, 2026, and the bill narrows birthright citizenship for some children born after enactment.
Stronger criminal penalties and deportations
If enacted, the bill would add many crimes to the "aggravated felony" list and broaden deportation triggers. Courts could order deportation at sentencing and the Attorney General could issue final deportation orders in aggravated‑felony cases with only a short review window. The bill also expands RICO predicates, wiretap authority, and forfeiture tied to smuggling or labor violations, and directs tougher sentencing rules for serious smuggling conspiracies.
New secure IDs and employer checks
If enacted, the Social Security Administration would start issuing tamper‑resistant SSN cards with photo and fingerprint by June 30, 2027, for a fee up to $50. The Attorney General would issue tamper‑resistant alien ID cards for new green card holders and for work‑authorized aliens (work cards would expire within three years). SSA must update NUMIDENT by September 30, 2027 and run a telephone verification system by January 1, 2028 that employers can call for up to $2 plus line charges. Employers hiring after January 1, 2028 would need to attest they checked the required ID and use the phone system; unauthorized use of that system could cost up to $1,000 per occurrence.
Higher border fees and enforcement
If enacted, land and sea entries after December 31, 2026 would carry user fees: $3 per person for non‑private‑vehicle entries and $5 per private vehicle. The fees would go into a new Border Control Trust Fund that must spend at least 80% of deposits and earnings quickly. Border Patrol staffing would rise on a set schedule to 26,900 by FY2031. The Coast Guard would have broader authority to stop, board, inspect, and return vessels where arrangements exist, and carriers that deliver high averages of undocumented passengers would face tiered penalties up to $20,000 per person or loss of landing rights.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moreno, Bernie [R-OH]
OH • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]
IN • R
Sponsored 8/5/2026
Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]
AL • R
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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