The "kiss of death": Some immigration lawyers and election law experts say Democrats' voting rights bill could inadvertently harm immigrants.

If a band of Republican centrists can pull it off, the House could vote this year on four dueling immigration bills over the objections of party leaders.

A bill that does recognize that reality is the Immigration Innovation Act of 2018, introduced by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on January 25, 2018. If enacted, the bill, known as “I-Squared,” would make significant changes to the U.S. employment-based immigration system to facilitate high-skilled immigration. Among the many positive reforms offered by I-Squared are:An adjustable cap on H-1Bs that rises and falls according to market demands;H-1B cap exemptions and prioritization of H-1Bs in high-demand years for certain individuals with U.S. graduate degrees;Changes to the immigrant visa system to provide relief to those caught in the backlog and to accelerate the time when green card applications can be filed;Added flexibility for H-1B workers and those seeking green cards to change employers;The creation of a “Conditional Immigrant Visa” process for high-skilled workers whose employers wish to immediately sponsor them for a green card;Limitations on situations where an employer would be required to file an amended H-1B petition; andRequiring DHS and DOS to give deference to a prior nonimmigrant petition or visa approval involving the same employer and employee.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) are at work on passing Kates Law, a priority of President Donald Trump. However, McCaul and Cornyn have placed language for Kates Law in a border security bill that has drawn criticism, according to a Wednesday report in The Hill.

Immigration policy will be affected by any congressional action (or inaction) on spending bills including...