GOP Sen. John Curtis Unveils State-Run Visa Scheme Offering Amnesty To Illegals

August 03, 2026 8:59 PM ET Republican Utah Sen. John Curtis introduced a bill this week that would let states run their own migrant worker visa programs, with a legal-status pathway for some illegal immigrants tucked inside.Curtis rolled out the legislation Monday alongside Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, according to the Deseret News. The measure would let state legislatures build voluntary visa programs sized to local labor demand, a reworking of federal immigration law that, according to the outlet, mirrors a 2011 Utah guest-worker proposal Washington never signed off on.The bill contains language the Deseret News described as a possible pathway to legal residency for illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since Dec. 31, 2016. Those individuals would submit to a backg