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FIRST ON FOX: A member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus is proposing legislation that would usher in the most significant legal immigration overhaul the U.S. has seen in decades.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is leading a new bill that would shift the American immigration system from a family-based focus, largely ending chain migration and prioritizing immigrants who serve the “national interest” of the U.S.
“All immigration to the United States shall serve the economic, cultural, and security interests of the United States as determined by Congress,” a draft version of the legislative text obtained by Fox News Digital said.
It would also eliminate the diversity visa lottery, an annual quota allowing for 55,000 immigrant visas for people from countries with otherwise low migration rates to the U.S.
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Rep. Andy Ogles walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3, 2026. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
People seeking to immigrate to the U.S. would have to qualify under an expanded set of “good moral character requirements” as well. Prospective immigrants accused of gang affiliation and who have prior arrest records for domestic violence or driving under the influence — even without convictions — could risk being ineligible.
Other circumstances that could hinder eligibility under that standard include misuse of public benefits, any immigration violation like visa overstays, and tax delinquency.
Mandatory vetting to confirm “good moral character” would include “enhanced background checks, including social media review and in-person interviews.”
Candidates for U.S. citizenship sit before receiving their certificates of naturalization during a formal ceremony in New York City, June 4, 2025. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
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Republicans have long taken a hard line on illegal immigration, but a growing contingent of conservatives has expressed public skepticism about the legal immigration process as well.
Ogles’ bill would reverse key portions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, colloquially known as the “Hart-Celler Act” after its two main backers in Congress.
The U.S. Capitol Building is seen at sunset on Jan. 30, 2025. (Emma Woodhead/Fox News Digital)
The landmark bill reversed longstanding immigration quotas that overwhelmingly favored people from Northern and Western Europe, leading to more migration pathways for people from Asia, Latin America, Africa, as well as places like Eastern Europe.
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It established a system that favored family reunification, refugees, and people with specific skills deemed beneficial to the U.S. economy.
Ogles himself previously called for repealing Hart-Celler, posting on X in December 2025, “The Hart-Celler Act scrapped the highly effective national-origins quota system and replaced it with an immigration regime built to favor third-world migration.”
