Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee announced on Monday his proposed legislation would fundamentally reshape U.S. immigration policy by prioritizing assimilation and national security while restricting entry from several adversarial nations and ending what he called abuses in the current system.
The bill, dubbed the Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and represent one of the most sweeping immigration reforms in decades. Ogles stated it would repeal the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, which ended national-origin quotas.
Ogles explained that the current system encourages “chain migration,” allowing immigrants to sponsor extended family members: “You have the chain migration where one person comes in, and suddenly, their entire family gets to follow.” He added the bill would eliminate the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire certain foreign workers.
Ogles framed the legislation as a national security response following what he described as recent terror attacks carried out by naturalized citizens from the Middle East and Africa. He stated: “Every day that this immigration system stays in place, we have literal terrorists coming into this country.” He further noted: “And oh, by the way, under Joe Biden, because the border was so porous, we have literal terror cells that are operating in our country, on our soil, and we don’t know where they are.”
Ogles emphasized stricter vetting and assimilation: “Let’s get back to the basics and thoroughly vet people who are coming into this country and make sure they belong here.” The proposal has already drawn backlash from Democrats. Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan introduced a resolution seeking to censure Ogles after reports that the legislation could restrict entry from several countries with predominantly Muslim populations.
Ogles defended his plan: “My Assimilation Act will fix this, and it will protect Americans.”
