Texas Pushes a Proposal That Would Pause the Entire U.S. Immigration System

Project HR 6225 freezes federal immigration

Limits birthright citizenship

Cuts current family reunification pathways

A Republican congressman from Texas has introduced a bill in Washington, DC, that would nearly completely pause the US immigration system until birthright citizenship, the visa lottery, and chain migration are eliminated.

Chip Roy, who represents a Texas district and is seeking to become the state’s next attorney general in next year’s elections, filed the bill titled Pause Admissions Until Security Ensured (PAUSE), known under code HR 6225.

Structural Changes to the Immigration System

The PAUSE Act is simple and follows historical precedent: get our House in order. Pause legal immigration programs that have been abused, eliminate the magnets/loopholes. Biden shattered the system. We’re restoring order and putting American citizens at the front of the line. pic.twitter.com/5e1B3monVA

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) November 24, 2025

The text proposes a temporary suspension of all visa issuance in the country — except for tourist visas — while the initiative’s objectives are met, marking a significant shift in the HR 6225 immigration pause framework.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: The Process of Obtaining and Maintaining a Green Card in the United States

According to Roy, in an interview on The Benny Show podcast, the measure seeks to:

“Freeze all immigration until we meet certain objectives, reform chain migration, reform birthright citizenship, repeal the law requiring states to provide free education to undocumented immigrant children.”

The bill was introduced on November 21 and proposes structural changes that would affect multiple existing immigration pathways.

What the HR 6225 Bill Proposes

«Congressman Chip Roy, R-Texas, also announced this week that he would soon file legislation called the Pause Act, which would freeze all immigration in order for the government to achieve “certain objectives” on immigration, including ending H-1B.»https://t.co/jJazO2mJmS

— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) November 17, 2025

The HR 6225 proposal introduces a $100,000 fee for companies wishing to sponsor foreign workers — an unprecedented cost for employment-based immigration processes, according to Telemundo.

It also eliminates the OPT (Optional Practical Training) program, which currently allows international students to work temporarily in fields related to their studies.

Another major change is the prohibition for nonimmigrants to adjust their status to permanent residency within the United States.

Instead, they would be required to complete the entire process from their home countries, even if they already meet eligibility requirements.

The HR 6225 bill also redefines the conditions for obtaining birthright citizenship.

Under the proposal, this right would only apply to a child born in the United States if the mother or father is a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident.

In terms of family reunification, the bill narrows current eligibility exclusively to US citizens’ spouses and minor children.

This would eliminate existing immigration benefits for parents and siblings of US citizens.

Why It Matters

The HR 6225 initiative eliminates all federal social benefit programs for anyone who is not a US citizen.

This means that noncitizens would be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, tax credits, the WIC nutrition program, student loans, housing loans, and small business loans.

The proposal also states that if the immigration system is frozen, any person with a pending application before the law is signed would have their case revoked and receive a refund of the fees paid.

This provision makes the PAUSE project one of the most extensive legislative attempts to restrict and redefine the modern US immigration system, with consequences affecting families, students, workers, and entire communities — central concerns in the HR 6225 proposal.