Congress moves to slash legal immigration, tighten deportation rules

What it does

S.4546 (ASSIMILATION Act) fundamentally restructures U.S. immigration law by replacing family-based and diversity-lottery admissions with a merit-based system centered on economic self-sufficiency and 'national interest' determinations. It eliminates most family-sponsored categories (keeping only spouses and minor children of citizens and permanent residents), ends the diversity visa lottery, caps employment-based immigration at 140,000 annually with strict wage and English-proficiency requirements, restricts H-1B visas to 50,000 per year with a 3-year maximum stay, eliminates Optional Practical Training for foreign students, dramatically tightens public-charge rules (presuming deportability after 12 months of benefits in 36 months), requires $20,000 sponsor bonds, restricts parole authority to 90 days, eliminates categorical deferred action, and raises naturalization standards including English proficiency to B2 level and expanded bars to good moral character.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is systematic restriction: it narrows legal pathways (family, diversity, employment, student work), tightens admissibility standards (public charge, English, good moral character), shortens visa validity (H-1B 3-year max, parole 90-day max), and eliminates categorical relief (deferred action). The title 'ASSIMILATION Act' frames these restrictions as promoting integration, but the bill's actual function is reduction of legal immigration and acceleration of deportat

What the text implies

• Public-charge presumption (12 months of benefits in 36 months) will likely trigger deportation of immigrants who use Medicaid, SNAP, or housing assistance during economic downturns or medical crises, even if they were self-sufficient at admission.
• $20,000 sponsor bond requirement creates a financial barrier to family sponsorship independent of income, effectively pricing out lower-income U.S. citizens from sponsoring relatives.
• Elimination of Optional Practical Training removes a primary pathway for foreign STEM graduates to remain in the U.S., likely shifting talent and innovation to competing nations.
• H-1B cap of 50,000 (down from current ~85,000) combined with 200% median-wage floor will reduce hiring of skilled workers in tech, healthcare, and research, raising labor costs for employers and consumers.
• B2 English proficiency requirement for naturalization (reading, writing, speaking, comprehension) is substantially higher than current law and will bar naturalization for many long-term residents with limited formal education.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens face higher labor costs (H-1B restrictions reduce skilled-worker supply), reduced family reunification rights (immediate relatives of citizens now excluded unless under 18), and increased deportation of long-term residents (public-charge presumption after 12 months of benefits). Immigrant families and workers bear concentrated costs; broader public gains (if any) from reduced immigration are speculative and not quantified.

Who stands to gain

• U.S. workers in high-wage occupations (reduced H-1B competition)
• Domestic labor in skilled trades (reduced employment-based immigration)
• Employers in sectors with labor surpluses (lower wage pressure)

Named in the bill

Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of Labor, Immigration and Nationality Act, Hart-Celler Act (1965), H-1B visa program, Optional Practical Training (OPT), Diversity Immigrant Visa, Public charge doctrine, Affidavit of Support (Form I-864)

Where it stands

• May 14, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• May 14, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.