Immigration Bill Would Spark Surge of Legal Arrivals The immigration debate often focuses on people in the U.S. illegally, but a reform bill's biggest initial effect could be a sharp rise in legal immigration. By Brian Bennett and Lisa Mascaro April 13, 2013 WASHINGTON — While much of the debate over immigration has focused on the fate of the estimated 11 million people in the U.S. without legal authorization, one of the biggest immediate impacts of the reform bill being prepared in the Senate would be a sudden, large surge in legal migration. The U.S. admits about 1 million legal...