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

Republican Utah Sen. John Curtis introduced a bill this week that would let states run their own migrant worker visa programs, with a legal-status pathway for some illegal immigrants tucked inside.

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. (RELATED: Conservative Leaders Call GOP-Led Amnesty Bill ‘Betrayal’ To Voters)

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.

Utah employers tell me time and again how difficult it's become to find enough workers to meet growing demands. Our bill allows states to sponsor visas tailored to their unique workforce needs, while ensuring rigorous federal vetting and accountability. https://t.co/9JpEfpVn4s

The Deseret News reported the program caps visas at 5,000 per state each fiscal year, with additional slots drawn from a 245,000-visa pool. States that let more than three percent of visa holders overstay would face a mandatory $4,000 bond and lose half their allotment.

“Utah employers tell me time and again how difficult it’s become to find enough workers to meet growing demands,” Curtis wrote on X. “Our bill allows states to sponsor visas tailored to their unique workforce needs, while ensuring rigorous federal vetting and accountability.”

Records on Congress.gov show Curtis filed the measure as S.5197 on July 30, with the Senate Judiciary Committee now holding it.

The Cato Institute traced it to a 2017 bill from Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, a version Curtis later carried in the House. Curtis reintroduced that effort as H.R. 5174 in 2019, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Curtis joins a lineup of Republicans already drawing fire for being soft on immigration.