News Article Thread - 1

[learning01]

US green card applicants heading elsewhere overseas
13 April 2006
When the US senate failed to agree upon changes to US immigration laws concerning illegal immigrants and border control, these were not the only issues left pending. The questions of how to clear the backlog of green cards, and increasing the cap were left unanswered.

The average waiting period to get a green card is six years or longer and currently there are over half a million application pending, according to Immigration Voice, an advocacy group that tracks US government data.

With economies in Asia and the South Pacific on the rise, an exodus of foreign workers who are tired of waiting, are either returning home or choosing to work elsewhere overseas.

With the "baby boomer generation" reaching retirement age, Joe Freddoso director of Cisco Systems Research Triangle Park is concerned there is going to be a shortage of skilled professionals to replace them.

"US universities graduate about 70,000 information technology students annually. Many predict that number won't meet the need for a projected 600,000 additional openings for IT professionals between 2002 and 2012, and the openings created by retirements," said Freddoso.

Freddoso believes the problem will spread unless the government allows more foreign workers to enter the country, and speed up their residency process.

Some critics say increasing the numbers of skilled foreign workers would depress wages and take positions away from American workers.

"We should only issue work-related visas if we really need them," said Caroline Espinosa, a spokeswoman with Numbers USA, a group pushing for immigration reduction. "There are 2.5 million native born American workers in the math and computer field who are currently out of work. It begs the question whether we truly need foreign workers."

Competition for skilled labour is on the increase, Canada, India, New Zealand and Australia are among countries that aggressively market themselves to professionals in the US, and offer faster processing of work permits and immigration applications.

This year New Zealand has received 1,900 skilled work permit applications, and of those 17% were people working in the US.

After steady lobbying from technology companies, Congress is also paying more attention to the issue. The breakdown in the Senate April 7, left undecided the proposal of raising of the annual cap for green cards to 290,000.

In his February economic report, President Bush outlined proposals to overhaul the system for employment-based green cards.

Bush's proposals were to exempt spouses and children from the annual limit of 140,000 green cards. Dependents make up about half of all green cards issued annually.

Secondly, to replace the existing cap with a flexible market based cap that responds to the needs employers have for employing foreign labour.

And finally, to raise the seven percent limit for green cards issued to nations such as India that have many highly skilled workers.

[baburob2]

The comprehensive immigration bill including agreed Hagel-Martinez amendments is attached.

Below are the excepts from AILA
Text of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, as Modified in Bipartisan Negotiations During Senate Floor Consideration
Cite as "AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 06041362 (posted Apr. 13, 2006)"


S. 2611 and S. 2612 reflect the Hagel-Martinez compromise modifying the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration reform bill plus a variety of new provisions (including some of the amendments that were pending when the bill was pulled from the Floor by Senator Frist). Though the bills are identical in content except for the order of the sponsors, S. 2611 and S. 2612 would be subject to different procedural paths. The bill with Specter as the lead sponsor could be treated as a new bill that could be marked up in the Judiciary Committee once again. The bill with Hagel and Martinez as the lead sponsors could be brought straight to the Senate Floor under Rule 14.

[learning01]

There was a time in late 70's in India when a whole bunch of 'I am the greatest' type members of the lower and law making body (Lok Sabha) were thrown out at the ballot. The clinching slogan of the winning party "We give a government that works". I am certainly turning nostalgic here and see a similarity. For example, read these two articles and draw your own conclusions. My conclusion, we pray for a government that works and takes care of issues like these AND issues/ problems with legal immigration and Green Cards
-learning01


CBS News : Illegal Workers – For The Government?
GRONTON, Conn., April 12, 2006
(CBS) It's a little after 7 a.m. and work is already in full swing at this Groton, Conn., construction site, the future home of military housing for officers serving at the nearby Trident Submarine Base.

The U.S. military sub-contractor pouring cement at this site — Gargiulo Construction — says its payroll is completely in order. But in reality, some papers are fake. CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian reports the group is undocumented workers.
...
Despite dozens of arrests at military bases around the country, government construction sites continue to be fertile ground for undocumented workers, something Centex, the Texas-based conglomerate who has contracts with the federal government, was hesitant to discuss.
Read it here in full at CBSnews.com:

ABC News: Singapore Woos Top U.S. Scientists
Singapore woos top US scientists with offers of new labs, research money
By PAUL ELIAS AP Biotechnology Writer

CHICAGO Apr 12, 2006 (AP)— Singapore's siren song is growing increasingly more irresistible for scientists, especially stem cell researchers who feel stifled by the U.S. government's restrictions on their field.

Two prominent California scientists are the latest to defect to the Asian city-state, announcing earlier this month that they, too, had fallen for its glittering acres of new laboratories outfitted with the latest gizmos.

They weren't the first defections, and Singapore officials at the Biotechnology Organization's annual convention in Chicago this week promise they won't be the last.

Other Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea and even China, are also here touting their burgeoning biotechnology spending to the 20,000 scientists and biotechnology executives attending the conference.
......Read it here in full at abcnews.com:

[learning01]

We all know mud slingling is going on the failed Senate compromise on Comprehensive Immigration Legislation (CIL). Let's follow a few of them and try to come up with a pretty good picture of what happened. It will tell us the shape of things on Apr 24. Here is Sen.Kerry's statement on that:

But Sen. John Kerry said a majority of senators had reached an agreement on the immigration bill and, by common Senate practice, had agreed not to consider outside amendments that would change that agreement.

"Senator Frist and the Republicans were unable to hold their part of the agreement," Kerry, D-Mass., told NBC's "Meet the Press." He blamed the Republicans' "own internal squabble" for the Senate not passing an immigration bill.

Link

Sen.Harry Reid:

"If the president is serious about moving forward, then he should join me in calling on Senator Frist to bring immigration reform back to the Senate floor when we return" from a two-week recess, Reid said.

"Hopefully, by then, President Bush and his majority leader will have found the backbone to stop the extreme elements of the Republican Party from blocking improvements to America's security," Reid said.

President G.W.Bush:

NYT : Bush Blames Democrat for Immigration Impasse
WASHINGTON, April 13 — President Bush lashed out today at the Senate's Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, accusing him of using gimmickry to stall an immigration bill that millions of Americans want enacted.

[sobers]

http://www.startribune.com/191/story/367832.html

Good story....focuses on the limited availability of EB visas...

IV Admin: The writer Katherine Kersten (kkersten@startribune.com) can be contacted for additional stories on the subject ...since she's already on it..maybe you guys have sort of a template you can send

[posmd]

Originally Posted by sobers

http://www.startribune.com/191/story/367832.html

Good story....focuses on the limited availability of EB visas...

IV Admin: The writer Katherine Kersten (kkersten@startribune.com) can be contacted for additional stories on the subject ...since she's already on it..maybe you guys have sort of a template you can send

Wonderful idea to contact her. She really hit the nail on the head. It has appeal to many americans and their way of thinking.

[tdasara]

I emailed her and here was her quick response

You will enjoy the column I am doing for Monday. It is about the plight of people like you. Thanks so much for writing. You have confirmed everything I have read.

I am astonished that our law is so short-sighted. America has a very great need for people like you.

[jkays94]

More propaganda courtesy of Lou Dobbs and the Programmers Guild against H1-Bs.

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/play...heap.labor.cnn

Foreign labor sinks U.S. wages
Cheap foreign labor is holding back wages of middle-class Americans. CNN's Bill tucker reports (April 13)

[jkays94]

CNN goes after the pro-immigration lobby. Either way it seems they acknowledge that lobbying is making a big difference (and in the process of doing so, they ofcourse had to mention H1-Bs while portraying NumbersUSA in good light).

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/play...sty.agenda.cnn

Immigration creates odd allies

CNN's Lisa Sylvester reports on how lobbyists are helping to secure cheap labor for top companies. (April 13)

[learning01]

By JIM RUTENBERG Published: April 14, 2006

WASHINGTON, April 13 — The White House is fast at work recalibrating how best to use the power of the presidency to save immigration legislation from languishing for the rest of the year, eager for a victory in what has been a difficult political season for President Bush.

Until late last week, Mr. Bush had, at least publicly, stayed to the side of the warring between factions of his party, and the Democrats, as the Senate hashed out a compromise between sealing the nation's borders and legalizing the illegal work force already here without granting what opponents could call "amnesty."

This week, Mr. Bush has placed himself at the vanguard of the issue, publicly lacerating the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, of Nevada, for blocking the legislation last week on procedural grounds.

On Thursday, Mr. Bush accused Mr. Reid of "single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people and impeding bipartisan efforts to secure this border, and make this immigration system of ours more humane and rational."

..............
When White House aides alerted Mr. Bush that last-minute parliamentary procedures had scuttled Senate approval of compromise legislation late Thursday, he met them with disbelief.

Impatient with explanations of the technicalities, he wondered aloud how an agreement announced just that morning was suddenly dead, according to a meeting participant who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the encounter.

That chagrin seems to have galvanized the president in his comments singling out Mr. Reid.

Read it in full at New York Times newspaper online:


Same story here at gainsville.com, On the border: Will Bush step in?

[nk2006]

http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/...414oxford.html

A good summary/analysis of what happened and what might happen. Especially see the following comment:
“The debate last week revealed that the political interests in favor of immigration are much stronger than their opponents in the Senate. In the current political environment, both parties are likely to decide that comprehensive reform is impossible to achieve, and start to attach the least objectionable provisions to other bills”.
Based on accusing statements from both parties it seems they already came to the conclusion that nothing might happen and start covering their bases (appearing to be immig friendly and catch as many Hispanic votes as possible even if the bill does not come out). Article also talk about how Carl Rove (president’s strategist) is struggling to come up with a plan to appease all three vote blocs of Bush/Republican party: (i) ultra conservative / south state republicans (ii) business community that needs both skilled and unskilled workers (iii) Hispanics – and their emergence as a ‘bloc”.

[nk2006]

(The full article that I quoted above; from Oxford Analytica)

UNITED STATES: Immigration reform will be piecemeal
Thursday, April 13 2006

Relevant Profiles: United States |

EVENT: Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities across the country on April 10 to protest the House's efforts to criminalise undocumented immigrants.
SIGNIFICANCE: The Senate failed to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill on April 7, which would have tightened border controls while offering most undocumented migrants a path to citizenship. Congressional leaders have promised a renewed effort to push through legislation reconciling business, security and humanitarian concerns.
ANALYSIS: Last week's failed Senate immigration bill addressed most of the elements essential to workable reform. However, it would have confronted House Republicans, who had passed an enforcement-only bill criminalising 'illegal' immigration in December, with the prospect of legalising most of the 12 million undocumented migrants in the country, and the institution of a large-scale guest worker programme. House negotiators were likely to challenge these provisions in conference committee. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter has vowed a renewed effort to craft a compromise when Congress returns from recess on April 24. However, workable reform legislation may not be passed this year.

Roadmap for reform? Although the Senate immigration reform bill was rushed, overly complicated (over 500 pages long), and flawed, it may comprise the core of a future reform plan. The three main elements were controls, compassion and competitiveness:

Controls. The bill's immigration enforcement measures, designed to placate 'nativist' political sentiment, would have included:

new resources for border and interior controls (including expanding detention facilities by 10,000 beds) and new powers for border inspectors to exclude prospective entrants at ports of entry;
making profits from the 'people-trafficking' and other offences subject to money-laundering statutes;
criminalising many forms of illegal immigration for both immigrants and their employers -- the latter would face escalating fines for employing unauthorised workers; and
mandating greater cooperation between federal, state and local authorities on immigration control issues.
The Senate rejected two of the most severe provisions of the House's December legislation (see UNITED STATES: Congress considers immigration reform - December 15, 2005): criminalising material assistance to illegal immigrants by religious organisations or humanitarian groups, and making undocumented status a felony. These measures aroused the ire of recent immigrants and church groups -- particularly Catholics (see UNITED STATES: Immigration bill risk to Bush coalition - April 5, 2006).

Compassion. The Senate bill would have afforded the overwhelming majority of the United States' 12 million illegally resident immigrants an opportunity to "earn" legal status. However, it would have treated various elements of this population differently:

Long-time residents. Those who have lived in the country for more than five years would qualify for permanent residence after six additional years of temporary legal status, demonstrating their ability to remain employed in the formal economy (and pay taxes), learn English, and pass a civics test. They would also be required to maintain a clean police record and pay a 2,000 dollar fine. Some 7 million immigrants fall into this category.
Medium-term residents. Immigrants that have resided in the United States for two to five years would be given temporary legal status and the opportunity to earn permanent status. However, permanent residence would not be guaranteed, and permanent visas would be limited (implying long wait times). Moreover, immigrants would be forced to apply for status adjustments abroad. More than 3 million immigrants belong to this group.
New arrivals. Migrants who have spent less than two years in the country would be required to leave, although they would be able to apply for visas (including the bill's expanded guest worker visas) without prejudice. Some 1.5 million people may fall into this category.
Business competitiveness. The bill acknowledged that, in the global marketplace, it is essential to have a competitive labour pool. It proposed dramatically expanding the annual issuance of work visas, and permanent employment-based visas would nearly triple. Permanent and temporary visas for semi-skilled and unskilled workers in essential service industries would grow into the hundreds of thousands, and most of those entering under temporary visas would be given an opportunity to stay permanently after several years. Moreover, it also streamlined the entry requirements for highly skilled workers and foreign students in mathematics, science, engineering and technology (see UNITED STATES: Export controls will affect research - December 9, 2005):

Guest workers. Approximately 400,000 temporary workers would have been allowed to enter the country and fill low-skilled jobs. This number would be adjusted each year, based on the previous year's demand.
Highly skilled workers. The number of H-1B temporary visas for high-skilled workers would increase from 65,000 to 115,000. Furthermore, the worker's immediate family would no longer be counted against that cap -- a provision that doubles the available visas. Foreign nationals with advanced degrees in the sciences would be exempt from the cap. The number of visas would be adjusted each year based on the previous year's demand.
Foreign students. A new visa category would be created for international students pursuing advanced degrees in the sciences. These students could obtain employment related to their field of study and adjust to permanent resident status once they completed their degree. Studying in the United States would also have been encouraged by permitting students to work off campus and extending the allowed length of 'optional practical training'. This was designed to allow more time for graduates to find an employer.
White House position. The White House's recent public statements on immigration reform have been a study in ambiguity. President George Bush's chief political strategist, Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, is attempting to tread a difficult line between anti-immigration conservatives, and pro-immigration business and Hispanic groups. When the debate moved to the Senate floor last week, the White House issued an official statement opposing both "amnesty" and an "automatic path to citizenship." However, when the Senate's short-lived compromise deal appeared likely to pass, the president encouraged its authors to work with the House to reconcile their versions of the legislation.

Pro-immigration faction. The debate last week revealed that the political interests in favour of immigration are much stronger than their opponents in the Senate. This powerful coalition includes US economic interests, the immigrants themselves, pro-immigrant non-governmental organisations, and the home countries of undocumented migrants (mostly in Latin America). Conservative nativists, and their supporters in the House Republican caucus, who backed stiff enforcement and expulsion measures, were well outside the mainstream of opinion in the Senate.

Piecemeal reform outlook. In the current political environment, both parties are likely to decide that comprehensive reform is impossible to achieve, and start to attach the least objectionable provisions to other bills. The measures most likely to be enacted include:

expanded visas to qualified specialists (nurses, medical attendants, physical therapists, etc), foreign students, and semi-skilled and unskilled 'essential' workers in low value-added services (especially the hospitality industry);
giving some minors who are in the United States illegally, and attending school, a chance to gain legal status;
offering some long-term illegal residents a chance to earn legal status; and
providing the chance to earn legal status and continued access to the US labour market to some unauthorised immigrants on an industry-by-industry or sector-by-sector basis (particularly the agricultural sector).
CONCLUSION: The enforcement-only bill that passed the House in December was an unenforceable, and potentially economically disastrous, piece of legislation. The Senate compromise bill, which foundered last week, offered a more workable blueprint for change. However, its defeat probably means that only piecemeal immigration reform is politically feasible this year.
Keywords: NA, United States, Latin America, economy, politics, social, government, immigration, legislation, reform, industry, agriculture, education, security, services, welfare

[ragz4u]

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Sa...=1037645509099

I love how they have called a med student 'super educated' (not that I have any objections to it). If thats super educated, what would one call someone who has completed med school, completed residency after that and is now doing fellowship (super speciality)!

Going by the stories I am getting from fellow IV members, we have a ton of 'super super super educated' folks here.

[nk2006]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DGNSGUB8Q1.DTL

A very anti-democrat piece, but it gives one perspective on how democrat senators are playing politics. There is some truth in that, they dont want to give any credit to Bush/Republican for passing a pro-immigration bill but at the same time want to keep the Hispanic vote bloc and some labor union support.

These are all vote bank politics we saw so many times in India and elsewhere. I hope there will be more critical articles/views on both republicans and democrats especially in key states; which might force the leaders to come up with some compromise.

[learning01]

Hispanics should say 'gracias' to three anti-Latin zealots

By Andres Oppenheimer April 14, 2006
aoppenheimer@MiamiHerald.com

On behalf of the 40 million Hispanics in the United States, I extend my gratitude to the three people who have done the most to energize the "Latino power" in the United States: immigrant-phobic Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.; CNN's Lou Dobbs; and Harvard professor Sam Huntington.

Originally Posted by jkays94

More propaganda courtesy of Lou Dobbs and the Programmers Guild against H1-Bs.

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/play...heap.labor.cnn

Foreign labor sinks U.S. wages
Cheap foreign labor is holding back wages of middle-class Americans. CNN's Bill tucker reports (April 13)