House GOP Pushes Sweeping Immigration Shutdown to Protect Americans and Restore Sovereignty

House Republicans are stepping forward with a bold plan to put Americans first and restore sanity to a collapsing immigration system. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) has introduced the PAUSE Act — Pause on Admissions Until Security Ensured, a measure that would temporarily halt nearly all immigration to the United States until the federal government dismantles what he denounced as a dangerously “broken and exploited” system.

The legislation targets not just the border chaos of recent years, but the structural failures of legal immigration that have overwhelmed public services, displaced American workers, and eroded national security. According to Roy, the era of loophole-driven, lottery-based, and chain-migration policies must end in favor of a system that works for American citizens — not foreign interests.

“The problem isn’t just illegal immigration; it’s also legal immigration,” Roy told the Daily Caller News Foundation, which first obtained the bill. “While the Biden administration opened our borders and allowed millions to flood into our country, they also rubber-stamped millions more arriving through convoluted legal schemes, completely overwhelming the system. The American people are done being taken advantage of by the rest of the world.”

A longtime ally of current President Donald Trump and one of the most vocal border hawks in Congress, Roy said the legislation will “pump the brakes” on immigration until the country can reverse the policies that have “invited abuse” for decades. The proposal aligns with President Trump’s immigration doctrine, calling for a merit-based model that prioritizes applicants who contribute economically rather than winning entry through family ties or random selection.

What the PAUSE Act Would Do

The legislation would bring nearly all new immigration to a standstill until the Department of Homeland Security certifies that the U.S.-Mexico border is secure and that a full overhaul of the visa system has been completed. The bill includes major structural reforms, including:

• Eliminating the Diversity Visa lottery
• Ending “chain migration” beyond spouses and minor children
• Restricting birthright citizenship to children with at least one American or lawful permanent resident parent
• Blocking non-citizens from accessing federal welfare programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and public housing
• Allowing states to limit public school enrollment to U.S. citizens and green card holders

National security measures go even further by barring entry to members of the Chinese Communist Party, adherents of extremist ideologies including Sharia law, and anyone affiliated with a terrorist organization. The bill would also eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program — often used by large corporations to replace American graduates with cheaper imported labor — and would prevent temporary visa holders from transitioning to permanent status.

“Our immigration system is supposed to benefit Americans,” Roy said. “We must put a pause on immigration until we fundamentally fix our broken system.”

Conservative Leaders Rally Behind the Legislation

The PAUSE Act immediately won praise from prominent immigration enforcement advocates.

Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, said the bill is “exactly the ‘pause’ in immigration that is necessary for America to get our house in order.”

“A national conversation about an immigration policy that actually serves Americans’ interests is long overdue,” Jenks added. “The PAUSE Act’s moratorium will give us the space to have it.”

RJ Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement, echoed the urgency. “Entry is a privilege linked to allegiance to our constitutional order,” Hauman said. “Once again, Rep. Chip Roy sets the standard.”

Several House Republicans — including Reps. Keith Self and Brandon Gill of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Andy Ogles of Tennessee — co-sponsored the legislation.

A Policy Shift With National Momentum

Roy’s bill comes after years of spiraling immigration crises under the Biden administration, which saw record-breaking migrant crossings before President Trump’s return to office in 2025 brought border abuses down sharply. Although conditions have improved, Roy says deep structural flaws remain — particularly with visa overstays and asylum loopholes — that drain city budgets and stretch law enforcement to its limits.

Roy, now running for Texas attorney general, has made immigration reform the centerpiece of his campaign and says the PAUSE Act is the model he intends to carry from Washington to Austin and beyond.