Immigration Reform in the Mist

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While the administration has been taking its lumps on the healthcare debate raging across the United States, last week the administration took a quiet breather in the form of immigration reform. On August 20, 2009, the administration invited approximately 130 stakeholders invovlved in the immigration debate to a white house meeting.

The meeting was originally seen as an attempt for the administration to reaffirm its commitment to immigration reform after sputtering out and apparently turning blindly to an enforcement only approach adopted and hailed by the radical right.

Immigration reform is a serene escape from the jarring debate on healthcare. As many of you know this is a comical reference, as the immigration debate was once just as loud and vocal as the healthcare debate. However, given that, the administration wasted no time in seeking a domestic policy agenda salvation in the form of immigration reform.

DHS Secretary Napolitano was to be the pointperson at the meeting, however in a show of support and perhaps looking for a kinder, more gentle debate, President Obama also spoke at the meeting.

The administration heard from all "rational" spectrums of the immigration debate. High-tech corporations, low-tech corporations, labor unions, non-partisan immigration reform groups, and government associations. The administration listened to the concerns of many, including the skepticism that many shared entering ther meeting. Chief of the concerns was a fear that the immigration debate was getting lost in the shuffle. Namely that the administration was going to continue the enforcement only approach of its predecessor.

Based on commentary and press releases after the debate it appears that the administration is committed to passing a sensible immigration reform policy. The hope of the administration is that a bill could be drafted through the fall and put forwad on a vote in early 2010.

The administration has consistently supported immigration reform publicly, however, behind the scenes the administration had thrown its weight behind enforcement only measures. The fear of many was that the possibility of passing immigration reform had, once again, fallen to the wayside. However, with the politcal heat generated by the Healthcare debate, it appears the administration is seeking cover from the storm in the form of a passable domestic policy agenda item (immigration reform). Immigration Reform is a policy initiative that is sure to win goodwill for a battered administration in the healthcare debate.

The adminsitration will be able to lock in a large voting block, gain the trust of the business community and quite possibly use the political capital gained from immigration reform to achieve its goals in the healthcare debate.

Bipartisan Taskforce Calling for major rework of US Immigration

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According to an article in the Washington Post a bipartisan Task Force to Recommend Overhaul of U.S. Immigration System.

"the country should end strict quotas on work-based immigrant visas to maintain its scientific, technological and military edge. The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America's economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security," concluded an independent Council on Foreign Relations panel, co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) and former Clinton White House chief of staff Thomas V. "Mack" McLarty III."

ICE Launches unprecedented I-9 initiative

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Today the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced an unprecedented I-9 initiative. On July 1, 2009, ICE served 652 businesses nationwide with Notices to Inspect their I-9 forms. This latest action by ICE marks the new direction that the current administration is taking in regards to enforcement actions. The new administration will be focusing on employers that hire undocumented workers in an effort to stop the flow of unauthorized migration into the United States. You can see the press release release and find out more information about this new intiative through the link below.

Please see: http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0907/090701washington.htm

Should you receive a Notice of Inspection from ICE, please do not hesitate to contact Murad & Murad, P.C. to address how to respond to the audit and what to expect during the inspection process. Murad & Murad, P.C. is also available to conduct an internal I-9 audit and address compliance issues within your organization.

Innovation and Immigration

As we eluded to in our commentary in the Boulder Daily Camera, one of the keys to pulling ourselves out of this economic recession will be to spark innovation and embrace the immigrant community here in the United States. Please see Thomas Friedman's Op-Ed in the New York Times from this past weekend:

Op-Ed Columnist - Invent, Invent, Invent - NYTimes.com

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Conservatives and Progessives Agree: Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The Heritage Foundation, one of the nation's leading conservative think tanks, beleives and advocates for increasing the number of available visas and promoting a sensible immigration policy.

From the Heritage Foundation website:

"The principles upon which the United States is established encourage immigration and promote the transformation of those "yearning to breathe free" into Americans, welcoming newcomers while insisting that they learn and embrace America's civic culture and political institutions. The federal government has a duty to carry out these principles in its policies, while ensuring that U.S. borders are both secure and open to commerce."
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/index.cfm

We were also quite impressed by the Heritage Foundation's stance on H-1B visas:

The Time to Act

"Congress has failed to raise H-1B caps for several years despite the wide range of support to do so. Raising H-1B caps will provide businesses the professionals and skills they need to develop

• Raise the cap back to 195,000 visas per year.
• Make the cap flexible. As the U.S. economy fluctuates through its business cycles, the demand for H-1B visas will rise and fall. Congress should establish a quota that, if met, automatically increases for the next year. In addition, unused visas should be recaptured for the next fiscal year.

Allowing the appropriate levels of high skilled workers into the United States helps the American worker, the economy, and America's federal budget. There is no good reason not to act."

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/upload/wm_2384.pdf

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

President Obama opened the debate on Comprehensive Immigration Reform yesterday much to the chagrin of restrictionists and xenophobes. Less than 24 hours later the push for a sensible approach is gaining steam and we are hopeful that cooler heads will prevail on this issue.

As the President stated yesterday "we are a nation of immigrants". Passing legislation must include reforms and improvements to our current system, address the undocumented population and provide a path out of the shadows, and improve Border Security by providing for an effective system of regulating migration in an orderly manner.

Obama: Immigration bill coming soon

Obama: Immigration bill coming soon - Amie Parnes - POLITICO.com

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