What is CIR?

Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) is the name given to a legislative proposal to fix America’s broken immigration system

What does CIR consist of?

CIR consists of three key actions:

• Improve and enhance enforcement on the border and in the workplace
• Develop a practical system to better manage the future flow of legal immigrants
• Develop a process to provide legal status and a path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants currently in the country

Is CIR achievable?

A Clear and Consistent Majority of Americans Support the Strategy Behind CIR

Fixing the broken immigration system is a concern for a majority of Americans. In polls, a clear majority of Americans consistently support CIR.  Few blame the immigrants for the problems with our immigration system.  Offering a path to citizenship is preferred to offering just legal status to the undocumented immigrants. Only about 15 percent of the country is opposed to any solution other than expulsion of the undocumented immigrants.

Recent Polling Shows Overwhelming Majority Support for CIR

59% of voters support the idea that Congress can handle multiple issues at the same time and should tackle immigration reform. Only 39% favor the notion that Congress has too much on its plate and should wait to tackle immigration reform.

When pollsters explain that CIR entails securing the border, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and requiring undocumented immigrants to register for legal status, pay back taxes, and learn English to be eligible for U.S. citizenship, 86% support comprehensive reform, with 58% strongly supporting it. Even without this explanation, 68% support the idea of “comprehensive immigration reform.” Only 7% strongly oppose this plan.

CIR Has Broad Support

CIR has been supported by a large and diverse bi-partisan coalition, including immigrant rights groups, the Chamber of Commerce, labor unions, high-tech firms, agricultural groups, the faith community, and governors, mayors, sheriffs and Chiefs of Police across the country.

CIR was one of the most bi-partisan bills of the Bush era, attracting 62 votes and passing the Senate in 2006.  It had the support of President Bush, John McCain, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. Recently, President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have expressed support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

With a majority of Americans supporting CIR, and a deep, broad, bi-partisan coalition behind it, Comprehensive Immigration Reform is a mainstream, common-sense, pragmatic effort to solve a vexing national problem.