Practice Advisory: Pursuing Private Immigration Relief Legislation in Congress

As Congress continuously fails to pass humane immigration legislation, many noncitizens remain vulnerable to removal from the United States. While this legislative failure affects all noncitizens negatively, Congress’s failure to enact meaningful immigration reform is particularly damaging to noncitizens who are unable to obtain legal status through normal immigration channels—particularly those noncitizens who may present unique cases that involve particularly sympathetic factors. These noncitizens may wonder if it is possible to ask Congress to pass an individual immigration bill to provide them relief. This practice advisory explores private bills as a potential solution for certain noncitizens.