President Obama’s State of the Union Address
Because so many of you have asked, here is what President Obama said about immigration in his January 24, 2012 State of the Union address:
Let's also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren't yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new
jobs somewhere else.
That doesn't make sense.
I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That's why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That's why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.
The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to
staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.
You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who's willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.
For the President’s full remarks, please go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/us/politics/state-of-the-union-2012-transcript.html?pagewanted=all
It’s refreshing to see these issues back in the national spotlight.
Obama’s Plan to Encourage Tourism
Since 9/11, we have tightened our borders and amended our immigration laws in an effort to exclude potentially dangerous individuals from infiltrating our country. While we may now be safer than we were 10 years ago, this increased security has come at a cost. The number of international visitors to the US has severely decreased because obtaining even a simple tourist visa has become a difficult and lengthy process.
On Thursday, January 19 in front of Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle in Orlando, Florida, President Obama presented a new plan to make visiting the US easier, especially for Brazilian and Chinese nationals. By significantly decreasing the wait time for the majority of non-immigrant visa interviews, President Obama hopes to boost tourism and, as a result, the economy. A greater influx of tourists would inevitably result in billions of dollars of increased revenue and, according to White House estimates, the potential for more than 1 million new jobs in the next ten years. In addition to decreasing visa wait times, President Obama also plans to increase the number of countries whose citizens can enter the US without a visa. The following ABC News article provides a wealth of information about President Obama’s plan and the positive impact of tourism on our economy:
Immigrant Entrepreneurs and the American Workforce
Unemployment and immigration are at the forefront of this year’s election discussions. While immigrants are often accused of taking jobs from US workers, a recent study by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and the Partnership for a New American Economy suggests that the immigrant community is actually largely responsible for creating American jobs. The study, entitled “Immigration and American Jobs,” found that “from 2000 to 2007, an additional 100 foreign-born workers in STEM fields with advanced degrees from US universities is associated with an additional 262 jobs among US natives.” The study further states that there is “no evidence that foreign-born workers, taken in the aggregate, hurt US employment.” The entire study can be found on the Partnership for A New American Economy’s website:
http://www.renewoureconomy.org/sites/all/themes/pnae/img/NAE_Im-AmerJobs.pdf
In his Business Week article, “Fix U.S. Immigration Policy, Create Jobs,” Vivek Wadhwa, Director of Research at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, highlights the results of the aforementioned study and provides research of his own. He “found that in a quarter of the U.S. engineering and technology companies founded from 1995 to 2005, the chief executive or lead technologist was foreign-born. In Silicon Valley, the percentage of immigrant-founded startups was much higher – 52 percent.” The article also examines proposed legislation regarding immigrant employment and explores the length that other countries go to in order to recruit foreign-born entrepreneurs:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/fix-us-immigration-policy-create-jobs-01032012.html
The bottom line is that if we want job creators, we need immigration policies that enable us to recruit and support more of these risk-taking immigrants who work around the clock to build their American Dream.
The Immigration Fairness Bill
On January 11, 2012, the Washington Post featured a story on how complicated even the simplest – at least at first blush – immigration fixes can be. The article examines the real life repercussions of HR 3012, The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. I commend the story to your reading:
Bottom line, what’s fair to some groups is completely unfair to others and vice versa. This bill was marketed by its proponents as being all win and no loss. Unfortunately, in immigration, like in life, one never sees something where there are only winners and no losers.
Obama Administration Showing Humanitarian Side
In recent weeks, the Obama Administration has announced two major initiatives designed to assist individuals and families while at the same time stopping short of an immigrant amnesty.
The first, prosecutorial discretion, reflects a common-sense decision to target US Government resources to go after those considered truly bad actors – namely criminal offenders, individuals who defy court orders, etc. Those individuals whose only transgression was coming to the US to achieve the American Dream may see their cases deferred, delayed, or administratively closed in the coming months. There are many questions to be answered on this new policy, and DHS, DOJ, and immigrant experts are meeting to find answers to them.
The second initiative involves waivers of inadmissibility for the spouses of US citizens and permanent residents. Under current law, foreign born spouses barred from the US are eligible for a Green Card if the marriage is genuine AND the US citizen or permanent resident can show that he or she would suffer extreme hardship if the foreign spouse could not immigrate to the US. The waiver application can now be filed in the US before the person must leave the country for their Consulate interview. Since there is a two year wait for DHS to complete work on the waiver application, this means that families no longer have to spend years away from one another while a foreign spouse awaits an answer on the waiver.
It is good to see the Obama Administration taking positive measures to help our immigrant communities.
Our Broken Immigration System
MI Blog
November 11, 2010
The election has been over for a week, and the last contests have finally been decided. What the election holds for immigration law and policy is anyone’s guess at this point.
On this Veteran’s Day 2010, we give thanks to those who have served around the world to make our country and planet a better place. As we do so, we also pause to analyze where our country stands with those who have sacrificed by leaving their own countries to immigrate to the US in search of the American dream.
Here is several elements of our current broken immigration system:
a. Green Card lines for Master’s and Bachelor’s degreed professionals are measured in years, with the current wait for many of the most talented people six to ten years. This is on top of the approximately ten years they have already spent in the US studying and working. These are smart, talented people that no country can have enough of. Frustrated with the long lines, many have given up and returned home or immigrated to Europe or Canada where they will begin to help the economies in these areas grow and prosper.
b. Only 5,000 Green Cards are issued each year to the people who occupy unskilled positions. Since their family members count against this number, this means that only approximately 1,250 workers are let in each year to perform (legally) ALL of the unskilled work across America. With just over 3,300 counties in the US, this means that there is only one worker to fill every unfilled unskilled position for three counties.
Think about it – in the Washington Metropolitan area alone this means that all of the unskilled work of Fairfax County, Washington, DC and Montgomery County should be left to one person. Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties would also have to share one legal worker among them. In New York/New Jersey, one worker would have to do all the jobs located in Westchester County, New York City and Union County.
Three workers to fill all the jobs in nine of the most populated jurisdictions in the world. Our system is indeed broken.
c. Family members (sons, daughters and spouses) of permanent residents are separated by months and years of waiting in lines caused by insufficient quota numbers.
d. States are feeling even more empowered to pass anti-immigration legislation. Throughout the US, we are already witnessing a sharp increase in the number of “Arizona”-type legislation filed in State Legislatures. We can expect to see tighter restrictions and increased local enforcement of Federal law. The responsibility of “good Americans” to fear foreigners will be the rallying cry of the anti-immigrant forces set to take over many State capitals in December and January.
The anti-immigrant groups' goal of “attrition” continues through the combination of a bad economy and record deportations from increased enforcement under the Obama Administration. As the Obama Administration concludes 2010 with a second record year of deportations, the number of foreign nationals living in the US without lawful status continues its decline. In addition, with so many people out of work, there are fewer jobs that Americans are unwilling to take. This is likely to change when the economy returns to good health and better jobs return.
Political parties are missing the opportunity to lock up the bulk of the “immigrant vote” by refusing to take real action to pass immigration reform. The first major political party that gives more than lip-service to immigration reform will likely benefit for generations to come from grateful new citizens. Unfortunately, both parties have been driven by short-term fears of blow-back by a small but vocal band of anti-immigrant vigilantes. So long as the few control the will of those who represent the many, immigration reform will be just an unrealized dream.
Congress and the President have six weeks to enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We will know on Christmas Eve whether they were able to get anything done on this very important issue.
As always, let us know how you feel. Send a message to MI@mooers.net.
Don Mooers
Mooers Immigration
Lame Duck Session: Fight for Immigration Reform
MI Blog
1 November 2010
With one day to go before the 2010 mid-term elections, the immigration debate continues to take a back seat to the issues of jobs and the economy. What was thought to be a major thorn for immigration reform supporters and an opportunity for immigration repressionists has turned instead into a dud.
While analysts will debate the hows and whys of this diminished role of immigration reform in national campaign debate, the issue now is what path to follow with the expected changes in the composition of Congress and the fact that the 2012 Presidential campaign will begin as soon as the final ballots have been counted for the 2010 election.
With the chances of immigration reform success in the next Congress bleak at best, the best opportunity for reform will come over the next seven weeks. The Lame Duck session – the special sitting of Congress between Election Day and the early-January swearing-in of the newly-elected Representatives – could be the answer to years of frustration over missed opportunities and dashed hopes for millions of individuals living in the shadows across America.
This cannot happen – this will not happen – on its own. Individuals and Americans across our country must focus and work harder than ever starting on Wednesday, November 3, if they hope to get Congress to move on this issue. Immigration reform is in everyone’s interest – Democrats, Republicans, native born, immigrants, businesses, churches, communities, schools, etc. – and the time is now to pass immigration reform.
Why is the Lame Duck session the best opportunity to pass immigration reform? There are at least four reasons:
1. It is difficult to turn a vote in the Lame Duck into a campaign issue. The next election will not be for two years (2012), and there will be many other votes and issues between now and November 2012 for the voters to focus their attention.
2. Many supporters of immigration reform are likely to be voted out of office on Tuesday. These Democratic Party lawmakers have nothing to lose and they should be more willing to vote for what is best for their country rather than have to vote for what is best for their reelection.
3. Both Democrats and Republicans need the immigrant vote – especially the Hispanic vote – for their long-term viability. Republicans are set to elect Hispanic candidates to major positions in Florida and New Mexico, and Democrats do not want to be left behind. Success for President Obama’s reelection, and the re-taking of the House, in 2012 could rest with the Hispanic vote. If the Democratic Congress does not pass immigration reform, Hispanics may feel that they will be better served by Republicans.
4. Democratic Party leaders, including the President, Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, promised to pass immigration reform. They missed their chance prior to the election, and the only opportunity left to them is the Lame Duck session.
The immigration reform package passed by Congress will likely not be full CIR bill that will take care of all issues. More likely it will be a combination of initiatives (DREAM Act, EB-5 expansion, additional immigrant visas for those in line for EB-2 and EB-3 adjustments, H-2B reform and other specific issues). It will also include language regarding border and internal immigration enforcement. This leaves the thorniest issues – the path to legalization for those out of status, and the future flow of immigrants – as the biggest question marks. Will Congress demonstrate the courage and intestinal fortitude to pass legislation that helps bring millions of deserving individuals out of the shadows and into the mainstream of society?
Get ready, folks. The time for immigration reform to pass Congress has FINALLY arrived.
Don Mooers
Mooers Immigration
Welcome
Welcome to Mooers Immigration and the kick-off of our new website. I hope that you find the MI website as a source of information about our firm as well as the current state of immigration law and policy.
All of us at MI love what we do. Each day we help our clients succeed, and help individuals achieve their American dreams. I can’t think of a better way to spend each day.
Two new features of the Mooers Immigration website are designed to help our clients and friends stay up with the current state of immigration law and the immigration reform debate. Since immigration law and policy is more complicated than any other subject, we cannot highlight everything. Our goal is to post matters that will give you some food for thought.
One thing is for sure: Immigration is in the news today more than ever. And its impact can be felt far and wide.
One example is the recent decision by the State of Arizona to make immigration violations a crime, the first law of its kind in our Nation’s history. Under the Arizona law, all state officials (not just the police) must take action against anyone they “reasonably suspect” of being in the US without authorization. When stopped, the accused individual must produce documentation demonstrating that he or she is legally in the US. The statute authorizes private citizens to take legal action against those state officials who refuse to enforce the law.
The Arizona law has produced an understandable uproar around the country. Sports have been a particular focus, with stories of organizations calling for boycotts of Arizona:
Baseball alarmed by Arizona immigration law
Immigration Law and the World Cup Bid
Proponents of the Arizona statute say that the law merely reflects the frustration felt by a growing number of Americans about our country’s broken immigration system. Opponents believe that the law instead reveals a darker side of anti-immigrant hysteria. The courts will decide whether the law is constitutional, and other conservative states are likely to try to pass similar anti-immigrant legislation.
Stay tuned. The fireworks are just beginning.
Don Mooers
Mooers Immigration