united-states constitutional-law immigration congress
Does Congress have the authority to grant citizenship to an individual?
<p>The US House Committee on Appropriations just passed a resolution to grant citizenship to Charlie Gard, a British infant. Of course, the resolution is only part of a much larger bill that would need to be passed into law by Congress/the President.</p>

<p>However, recently there has been a lot of noise from the executive branch of the US Government proclaiming that <em>it</em> has power over immigration granted by the US Constitution, with regard to the various immigration bans the White House has attempted to enact.</p>

<p>Considering this, and understanding that immigration policies in a broad sense probably came from Congress in some form (as there is a lot of existing 'immigration law' on the books), does Congress have the authority to grant citizenship to an individual? Can Congress pass a law that applies to a single, specific individual (rather than an office or position held by an individual, such as the Office of the President of the United States)? Is there any precedent for either of these things?</p>

<p>A law which punishes a specific person – a "bill of attainder" – is unconstitutional. Private laws, which benefit an individual, are legal. An example is <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/285/text" rel="noreferrer">Private Law 112-1</a>, which says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law, for  the  purposes 
  of  the  Immigration  and  Nationality  Act  (8  U.S.C. 1101  et 
  seq.),  Sopuruchi  Chukwueke  shall  be  deemed  to  have  been 
  lawfully  admitted  to,  and  remained  in,  the  United  States,  and
  shall be eligible for adjustment of status to that of an alien
  lawfully admitted for permanent residence under section 245 of the
  Immigration  and  Nationality  Act  (8  U.S.C.  1255)  upon  filing 
  an  application  for such adjustment of status.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Nothing prevents such a bill from being made law, where the benefit is a grant of citizenship. Of course, it has to be signed by the president, or else congress must override his veto.</p>
