H-1B, US citizenship in focus as Texas Republican Chip Roy backs sweeping immigration changes

Texas Republican Congressman Chip Roy is pushing for comprehensive immigration reforms, urging Congress to halt all immigration until key changes are addressed. In a recent post on X, Roy's office outlined six areas he believes need immediate attention.

Firstly, Roy calls for a complete pause on immigration until lawmakers tackle the issue of chain migration and the Diversity Visa Program. He also wants to prevent individuals who adhere to Sharia law and those belonging to the Chinese Communist Party from entering the country.

Roy has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the H-1B visa program, which permits US employers to temporarily hire skilled foreign workers. He argues that the program has been misused and needs reform to better protect American workers. Roy has already introduced legislation to change the selection process for H-1B workers and impose stricter restrictions on employers.

Another significant demand from Roy is to end birthright citizenship, known as automatic citizenship. His PAUSE Act proposes limiting citizenship to children whose parent or mother holds US citizenship or a lawful permanent resident status. This would deviate from the current constitutional framework governing citizenship at birth, should the bill be passed.

Roy also seeks to reverse the 1982 Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe, which ruled that states cannot deny public education to children residing in the US unlawfully. He argues against the current system of chain migration and wants to eliminate the Diversity Visa program, making changes to family-based immigration and narrowing some categories of family sponsorship.