March 23, 2007
H.1645, the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act of 2007 was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday by Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ). The STRIVE Act is a nearly 700-page comprehensive immigration bill that addresses many aspects of the immigration issue, including border security, visa backlogs, treatment of the undocumented. It represents the beginning of the immigration debate in the new Congress and, due to the upcoming presidential election, probably represents the best hope for immigration reform in the near future. In a conference call this morning, Rep. Gutierrez indicated that he felt there was a 90 day window in which to get his bill passed. Details about the bill will follow, but the short time window means that advocates of immigration reform must immediately begin to take action in support of the bill. Stay tuned for more information.
