Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act

Bill: 109-s-1033
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2005-05-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative remedies
Admission of nonimmigrants
Alien labor
Authorization
Border patrols
Citizenship
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counterfeiting
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal aliens
Data banks
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Labor
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Employee rights
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to law enforcement
Fines (Penalties)
Foundations
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Health
Health insurance
Hospital care
Identification devices
Illegal aliens
Immigrant health
Immigrants
Imprisonment
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
International Affairs
International cooperation
Labor and Employment
Labor mobility
Law
Medicaid
Medicare
North America
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Temporary employment
Unskilled labor
Victims of crimes
Visas
Widows
Witnesses
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: 
Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a National Strategy for Border Security and other specified border security programs.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a Border Security Advisory Committee.
 
Requires the Secretary of State to provide a framework for security coordination between the governments of North America.
 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to: (1) authorize appropriations through FY2011 for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program; and (2) reimburse states for pre-conviction costs.
 
Amends the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to authorize additional funding through FY2011 to reimburse states for indirect costs of incarcerating undocumented aliens. 
 
Establishes: (1) an H-5A essential worker visa program for low-skilled workers; (2) a mechanism for subsequent adjustment of status; and (3) an Essential Worker Visa Program Task Force. 
 
Addresses document security. Requires the Commissioner of Social Security to create a new Employment Eligibility Confirmation System.
 
Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to address the collection of arrival and departure information.
 
Broadens the Department of Labor's investigative authority under INA.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of State to enter into an agreement with foreign governments whose citizens participate in the H-5A program to establish a labor migration facilitation program.
 
Exempts immediate relatives of U.S. citizens from the annual cap on family-sponsored immigrant visas. Increases numerical limits for specified visas.
 
Authorizes H-5B nonimmigrant status for undocumented aliens present in the United States on the date of this Act's introduction who meet specified requirements and pay a fine. Provides a mechanism for subsequent adjustment of status.
 
Defines &quot;authorized representative&quot; for immigration purposes. Makes alien victims of fraud perpetrated by unauthorized representatives eligible for U (victims of certain crimes) nonimmigrant status.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to establish the U.S. Citizenship Foundation. Requires the Secretary to establish a competitive grant program to address civic integration.
 
Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend authorization of Federal reimbursement for hospitals that provide emergency care to undocumented immigrants.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5169)
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Introduced in Senate