Nationwide, immigrants comprise one out of every ten U.S. residents. In California, immigrants are one out of every four U.S. residents.   Senator Feinstein has worked to help curb illegal immigration while at the same time fighting to preserve benefits for legal immigrants that were removed under the Welfare Reform Bill of 1996.   In addition, she is currently working to reduce the INS citizenship backlog and increasing immunizations for immigrant children.  Her record on immigration includes:

Efforts to Reform the INS

Backlog Reduction - In April 2000, Senator Feinstein introduced the Immigration Services and Infrastructure Improvement Act, to improve the naturalization process so that the backlog is reduced and legal immigrants do not have to wait years to become U.S. citizens. The bill creates a separate account funded by Congressional appropriations in order to enable the INS to make the necessary improvements, including additional staff, computer records management, fingerprinting, and nationwide computer integration.

INS Reorganization - Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of a bill that would reorganize the INS as an Immigration Affairs Agency at the Department of Justice and create two bureaus: one for immigration services and the other for enforcement.  An Associate  Attorney General would oversee the operations of both bureaus.

Opposition to Anti-Immigrant Measures

1996 Welfare Reform - Senator Feinstein opposed the 1996 welfare reform bill, in part because it took SSI, Medicaid and food stamps from legal immigrants that were in the country before the law was passed. Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of a bill to restore SSI, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to legal immigrants who are elderly, disabled, pregnant, children and victims of domestic violence.

Proposition 187 - Senator Feinstein opposed  Proposition 187, which would have eliminated programs that provide social services to legal immigrants.

Support for Cost Reimbursement

SCAAP - Senator Feinstein is a supporter of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), which reimburses state and local governments for direct costs associated with illegal aliens.  In 1999, Senator Feinstein helped secure over $240 million in SCAAP funds for California.  In addition, Senator Feinstein sponsored legislation in 1995 to make localities eligible for reimbursement under SCAAP.   This legislation was signed into law.

SCAAP II - Senator Feinstein is also an original cosponsor of SCAAP II, which is designed to reimburse counties along the U.S.-Mexico border for indirect costs associated with illegal immigration, including the costs of prosecuting federal drug cases and medical expenses.

Protecting the Border

Alien Smuggling - Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of legislation to increase penalties for alien smugglers.

Border Patrol Agents - Senator Feinstein has consistently supported increasing the number of border patrol agents.

For additonal information, click here to view Senator Feinstein's brochure on immigration reform.