April 16, 2026: It’s a clear day on Capitol Hill. Hundreds of immigration attorneys and advocates from around the country flock to represent the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (AILA) and constituent clients to meet with members of Congress about the need for structural immigration reform, accountability, and pathways to permanent status.
By the end of the day, dubbed National Day of Action by AILA organizers, the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1689 – the Haiti Temporary Protected Status Extension Act, which, if signed into law, would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians for 3 years, protect roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals in the U.S. from sudden deportation, and continue work authorization and lawful presence during the TPS period.
But the victory is dampened by serious hurdles that face this bill—and every other immigration bill that cuts against this Presidential Administration’s aggressive deportation and border enforcement agenda—because even if the bill passes in the Senate, a President veto means that a two-thirds vote in both chambers will be necessary to pass it into law.
The political climate is hostile, with many obstacles to true progress and reform. But the way immigration process and enforcement is being executed is disrupting communities and destabilizing our economy—and this does not serve Americans. Now, more than ever, representatives in D.C. need to hear what needs change in the immigration sphere.
AILA’s conversations with congress members focused on three areas:
1. Accountable, Fair and Lawful Immigration Enforcement
Immigration enforcement should not be reduced to numbers, quotas, or optics. It must be targeted, transparent, and focused on genuine threats to public safety—not indiscriminate arrests that entangle individuals with deep community ties, minor violations, or no criminal history.
There have been 47 documented deaths in detention during this administration, with 2025 being the deadliest year for immigrant detention in more than two decades. Congress has a critical role to play in demanding accountability, strengthening oversight of detention facilities and enforcement practices, stewarding taxpayer resources in productive and humane ways, and ensuring that due process is not treated as an afterthought. That includes addressing troubling practices in immigration courts, safeguarding sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, and ensuring that immigration enforcement does not deter victims of crime or vulnerable individuals from seeking help and protection.
2. Strengthening the Economy and Modernize the Legal Immigration System
Immigrants are a driving force in the U.S. economy—contributing hundreds of billions in taxes, founding a significant share of major companies, and sustaining essential industries from healthcare and agriculture to advanced manufacturing. Yet the legal immigration system that supports this contribution is increasingly strained. Long delays, outdated visa caps, and administrative barriers—including bans on visas and processing applications from all nationals from dozens of countries—are keeping families apart, leaving employers without the workers they need, and pushing global talent and investment toward other countries. These inefficiencies weaken economic growth and undermine America’s long-term competitiveness and security.
Congress has a clear opportunity to modernize and strengthen the system. That means increasing and recapturing visa numbers, expanding employment-based pathways, and updating seasonal worker programs to reflect real labor market needs while maintaining strong protections for U.S. and immigrant workers. It also requires restoring efficient, lawful adjudication at USCIS, reversing policies that add unnecessary delays or restrict work authorization, and reestablishing independent oversight to ensure the agency fulfills its core mission. With targeted reforms and stronger accountability, the U.S. can better align its immigration system with economic realities and remain a global leader in innovation and growth.
3. Strengthen Communities Through a Pathway to Permanent Status for People Who Are Undocumented or In Limbo Status
Millions of undocumented immigrants—many of whom have lived in the United States for over a decade— remain without a viable path to permanent status under current law. They are essential workers, caregivers, first responders, and spouses and parents of U.S. citizens.
At the same time, recent policy shifts that end or restrict programs such as TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and humanitarian parole have expanded uncertainty for many families, pushing more people into legal limbo and undermining community stability. This legal limbo—including for those known as Dreamers who were brought to the United States as children—limits full economic participation and integration, despite broad public support for reform. Meaningful legislation is needed to provide access to lawful immigration pathways, create a clear and orderly route to citizenship for long-term residents, protect family unity and access to counsel, and preserve TPS protections for nationals from countries where such protections remain warranted—ensuring immigration policy addresses reality and reflects American values.
A Call to Action
Congressional representatives need and want to know how their constituents are being impacted. They are, after all, public servants, here to serve YOU. The best thing you can do is contact your representatives office directly to emphasize how our communities are being impacted. For those who are citizens and eligible to vote, consider how you may exercise your voice at the ballot box to support representatives who will help rather than hinder much-needed immigration reform.
And, if you have been a Lawful Permanent Resident and are on the fence about whether or not to naturalize, remember that voting is a right and privilege only accorded to U.S. citizens. Consider consulting with the immigration specialists at Joseph & Hall about whether and when you may be eligible to naturalize, and exercise your voice with your vote!
