Federal legislation to correct an immigration system that has undermined building industry competition, skewed construction hiring practices and compromised worker safety will be front and center for House and Senate members—and lobbyists—over the next few weeks. The bill, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21 after four days of hearings by a 13-5 bipartisan vote, now moves to the floor for consideration by the full Senate.
Since mid-April, when the Senate's bipartisan "Gang of Eight" unveiled an immigration bill stuffed with compromises and trade-offs, the construction sector has focused on the "W" visa, a proposed guest-worker designation that would limit to 15,000 the number of immigrants allowed to work in construction each year.