Sen. Padilla Proposes Registry Update for Long-Term Immigrants

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) has introduced legislation that would modify the Registry statute in the Immigration and Nationality Act, potentially affecting approximately 8 million immigrants. The proposed bill would update Section 249, creating a rolling eligibility period that would allow immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least seven years without a criminal record to apply for permanent resident status. The current cutoff date for eligibility has remained unchanged since 1986.