Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines, along with several Republican colleagues, has introduced the "Visa Integrity Preservation Act" in response to the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies. The proposed legislation aims to halt what they describe as a violation of the "Immigration and Nationality Act" by stopping the policy that allows immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally or overstayed their visas to regularize their status through temporary work visas.

Senator Daines expressed concerns about the current administration's handling of border security, stating, “Joe Biden and ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris have failed to secure the southern border, and Montanans are bearing the burden.” He added that this bill is intended to prevent misuse of nonimmigrant visa programs and hold President Biden and Vice President Harris accountable for what he perceives as a crisis at the border.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

This legislative move follows an initiative announced by the Biden-Harris administration in June 2024, which sought to grant amnesty to over half a million illegal immigrants. This initiative included waiving consular interview requirements for nonimmigrant visas, thus allowing those who entered illegally or overstayed their visas to obtain temporary work permits. The "Visa Integrity Preservation Act" seeks to end this practice by requiring illegal immigrants to leave the U.S. for an interview before receiving a nonimmigrant visa.