Padilla to propose bill easing immigrant residency rules
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U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) poses for a portrait in his office at the Hart Senate Office Building on June 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is introducing a bill that would amend decades-old requirements for immigrants seeking permanent status — another long-shot proposal amid the Trump administration's immigration raids.
The big picture: Congress has not passed a major immigration overhaul since 1986, resulting in residency requirements that are now over 50 years old.
Zoom in: Under a bill that Padilla will announce Friday, the Immigration Act of 1929 would be amended so some immigrants may qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least seven years.
- The current registry cutoff date is January 1, 1972 — more than 50 years ago.
- The change would provide a pathway to a green card for DACA recipients and those who had temporary protective status (TPS)
State of play: The proposal comes as the Trump administration is letting TPS deals expire and going after what could be hundreds of thousands more immigrants who were given humanitarian "parole" under former President Biden.
- Many of those immigrants are being detained at immigration court hearings and are being placed in removal proceedings.
What they're saying: "Roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States today, yet most have no way to earn permanent legal status," Padilla's office said in a statement.
- "The overwhelming majority of these undocumented immigrants have established roots in the U.S. They work in essential jobs and pay taxes."
- His office said Padilla will formally introduce his bill on Monday.
Reality check: Republicans control both chambers in Congress and such immigration proposals are hardly getting heard.
- Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) have introduced the DIGNITY Act of 2025, a bill that is lingering in the House, which focuses on border security, mandatory E-Verify, asylum reform and legal immigration reform.
Zoom out: Padilla's latest bill comes after he and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a bill that would ban federal immigration agents from wearing most face coverings but require them to wear visible ID during public enforcement operations.
- That long-shot proposal comes following images of masked, heavily armed immigration agents snatching people off the streets and taking them away in unmarked cars have shocked many Americans.
What we're watching: The pressure to rein in some of ICE's enforcement tactics does have support among some conservatives worried over policing.
- However, it's unclear whether such a proposal would garner any support from Republicans concerned about upsetting President Trump.
