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Since the presidential election, numerous leaders, both expected and unexpected, have come out in support of immigration reform. The dialogue has shifted from an adversarial tone based on partisan positions to that of behind-closed-doors compromises and announcements of progress from members of both the House and Senate.
This significant shift in the debate was plainly on display during a March 5 House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Immigration and Border Security entitled “Enhancing American Competitiveness through Skilled Immigration.” Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council, testified along with several high tech leaders, such as Chairman of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Bruce Morrison and President/CEO of the Information and Technology Industry Council Dean Garfield, outlining the need for an improved immigration system.
Johnson’s comments were particularly notable in that they broadened the debate on highly skilled workers by discussing the link to other immigrant groups that contribute to the U.S. economy and how they should be considered part of comprehensive immigration reform. Johnson highlighted:
♦ Both highly skilled and immigrant entrepreneurs provide economic contributions in the United States.
♦ The current immigration system simply does not provide the right kinds or numbers of visas needed to respond to the legitimate demands of our dynamic economy. Highly skilled immigrants face years of waiting for an available visa and an endless array of bureaucratic delays. Immigrant entrepreneurs are completely left out of our current system.
♦ The U.S. immigration system should provide clear and efficient pathways to both permanent residence and temporary work visas for immigrants already studying in U.S. universities, as well as those highly skilled immigrants who came to the U.S. through family-based immigration channels or as refugees and asylees.
Johnson also keenly reminded the House leaders that family based immigration need not be reduced to improve employment-based immigration. He emphasized that all immigrants are more productive if their families immigrate with them. Johnson cited significant research showing that close family relationships facilitate entrepreneurship because families can provide important resources that foster entrepreneurship, such as support in caring for children and working in family-owned businesses.
The recognition and inclusion of this factor is notable in that up to now, the debate surrounding immigration reform has not always included it.
Since 9-11, the enforcement of immigration laws in an effort to secure the border has been the focus of government officials. Enforcement has led to record levels of deportations, which have left families torn asunder. These familial disruptions not only impact the family in question, but the community the family belongs to as well.
On March 11 of this year a bipartisan group of eight U.S. senators privately agreed on how to offer legal status to the reported 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. The next day, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano publicly announced that the Obama administration is “urgently awaiting” to sign immigration reform legislation.
Then last Sunday, a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives reported that it was close to completing work on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes undocumented immigrants. The inclusion of undocumented immigrants is telling as the sharpest divisions on the subject have come from this branch of the government.
Although the details of immigration reform are unknown, the debate is finally shifting to a realistic plan that creates solutions for immigrants in the United States and strengthens our economy.
The need for comprehensive reform that encompasses not only highly skilled but all immigrant groups is the key to the U.S. economy maintaining its competitive position on the global market.
