This week, Representative Paul Gosar announced the reintroduction of H.R. 6374, a bill that would impose a 10-year moratorium on all immigration into the United States. Gosar first introduced this legislation over four years ago, citing concerns about border security and what he describes as failures in immigration policy during the Biden administration.
Gosar referenced a recent incident involving the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House by an Afghan national as evidence of ongoing issues with the current immigration system. He attributed these problems to “fraudulent asylum claims, illicit trafficking, visa overstays, and insufficient vetting,” which he says have been exacerbated by previous policies.
“The consequences have been devastating: adversaries are exploiting these failures and Americans are being murdered. Meanwhile, schools, hospitals, law enforcement, and local governments—especially in border states like Arizona—are stretched to their limits,” Gosar stated.
He emphasized that his proposed legislation aims to restore order to the immigration system before allowing new arrivals. “Immigration must be legal, orderly, and in the national interest. Every nation has the right and responsibility to secure its borders and protect its people. My commonsense legislation imposes a 10-year moratorium on all immigration until our system is restored, our borders are secured, and future immigration can occur safely and in a way that strengthens our country,” Gosar said.
In addition to his work on immigration reform, Gosar led a letter signed by several colleagues urging the Trump Administration to end the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for foreign students. He criticized OPT as an incentive for employers to hire foreign workers instead of Americans due to payroll tax savings and lack of wage protections.
According to Gosar: “The OPT program is a little-known America Last immigration program administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service that incentivizes greedy employers to fire American workers and replace them with inexpensive foreign labor because they avoid having to pay FICA and Medicare payroll taxes and other employee benefits.” He further explained that Congress never voted on OPT; it was created through executive action during previous administrations.
Gosar highlighted data showing growth in use of OPT between 2008 and 2016, with over 500,000 foreign students authorized under the program in 2023. He argued that this disadvantages young Americans seeking jobs after college: “The OPT program completely abandons young Americans… Our government should not be incentivizing foreign employees over Americans.”
On border security developments, Gosar noted recent Customs and Border Protection statistics indicating approximately 7,350 illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border in November. For seven consecutive months no apprehended individuals were released after being caught at the southern border; all were processed according to law. Across all U.S. borders there were just over 30,000 encounters with illegal entrants last month—a significant decrease compared with monthly averages during President Biden’s term.
Gosar commented: “For further perspective, since January 21, 2025… there have been 117,105 total enforcement encounters along the southwest border which is 37% less than the monthly average of 185,625 during the Biden Administration. Ten months under President Trump records fewer apprehensions than one month under Biden.”
Constituent correspondence featured in his newsletter included support for his proposed immigration moratorium as well as concerns about political figures advocating ideologies perceived as threats to American governance.
Paul Gosar continues to represent Arizona’s congressional district following electoral victories in both 2022 against Richard Grayson (winning nearly 98% of votes) and again in 2024 against Quacy Smith (securing more than 65% of votes).
