Immigration reform and illegal workers - we were wrong

[Jackolantern]

Many of us thought that the only way legal immigrants like us would get some meaningful legislative relief is to be joined up with legislation that benefits the illegal workers.

We were wrong. Any bill that legalizes them can be killed with one word. Anybody shouts "AMNESTY!" and the bill will ultimately die.

Other attempts at passing a legals-only bill included increases in the H-1B quota along with increases in the green card quota. But H-1B is a program hated by the American people and many politicians. Employers that sponsor H-1B workers are blamed for exploiting them, suppressing US wages, and laying off Americans. So anything that brings an increase in H-1B will also be defeated unless it is specially targeted at a high-end group that is less exploitable, like Master's degrees in STEM earning over $80,000.

The only bill affecting illegal workers that stands a chance of being passed is an enforcement-only one. And even that one will meet resistance because of pressure from Hispanics and big business.

Therefore any bill that helps legal immigrants must be separate from anything targeting illegals (whether it is to legalize them or make things more difficult for them), because any bill that includes something about them will meet with significant resistance from one direction or another. Note that the recently announced enforcement measures do not involve any real change in the law; they are just new methods of enforcing the existing laws (although some of changes like increased funding for detention centers apparently will involve trying to pass new laws).

 

[nlssubbu]

FBI name check speedup?

Many of us thought that the only way legal immigrants like us would get some meaningful legislative relief is to be joined up with legislation that benefits the illegal workers.

We were wrong. Any bill that legalizes them can be killed with one word. Anybody shouts "AMNESTY!" and the bill will ultimately die.

Other attempts at passing a legals-only bill included increases in the H-1B quota along with increases in the green card quota. But H-1B is a program hated by the American people and many politicians. Employers that sponsor H-1B workers are blamed for exploiting them, suppressing US wages, and laying off Americans. So anything that brings an increase in H-1B will also be defeated unless it is specially targeted at a high-end group that is less exploitable, like Master's degrees in STEM earning over $80,000.

The only bill affecting illegal workers that stands a chance of being passed is an enforcement-only one. And even that one will meet resistance because of pressure from Hispanics and big business.

Therefore any bill that helps legal immigrants must be separate from anything targeting illegals (whether it is to legalize them or make things more difficult for them), because any bill that includes something about them will meet with significant resistance from one direction or another. Note that the recently announced enforcement measures do not involve any real change in the law; they are just new methods of enforcing the existing laws (although some of changes like increased funding for detention centers apparently will involve trying to pass new laws).

I read the following information from my attorney's web site. Apart from various enforcement and changes, they are looking forward to expedite the FBI name check and some improvement in EB processing as well. (Though not specific on what changes).

http://www.usabal.com/news/2007/07Aug13b.html

I hope that USCIS is also realizing that there will be no bill to improve this process in near future

Thanks

 

[Jackolantern]

I read the following information from my attorney's web site. Apart from various enforcement and changes, they are looking forward to expedite the FBI name check and some improvement in EB processing as well. (Though not specific on what changes).

http://www.usabal.com/news/2007/07Aug13b.html

I hope that USCIS is also realizing that there will be no bill to improve this process in near future

Well, they don't need a new bill to make the FBI name checks go faster. If anything, they might be violating an existing law by letting it drag out so long while people are waiting inside the country, allowing people lots of time to cause trouble if they are criminals or terrorists.

 

[marlon2006]

Greetings,

You hit the nail Jaconlanter. People like myself felt resistance when we tried to explain that point. We are now at the stage in which if I wanted, I could say "I told you so" to those illegal folks and their supporters in these forum.

It is also a reality that the resistance against immigration in general has risen in America. That happened thanks to the illegal folks who really abused this system. I totally understand that illegals naturally try to take the opportunity and come here, supported indirectly by American businessmen. What I do not like is when those illegal folks advocate to bring their brothers, parents, neighbors, pets, etc and it is right there where they failed.

Many of us thought that the only way legal immigrants like us would get some meaningful legislative relief is to be joined up with legislation that benefits the illegal workers.

We were wrong. Any bill that legalizes them can be killed with one word. Anybody shouts "AMNESTY!" and the bill will ultimately die.

Other attempts at passing a legals-only bill included increases in the H-1B quota along with increases in the green card quota. But H-1B is a program hated by the American people and many politicians. Employers that sponsor H-1B workers are blamed for exploiting them, suppressing US wages, and laying off Americans. So anything that brings an increase in H-1B will also be defeated unless it is specially targeted at a high-end group that is less exploitable, like Master's degrees in STEM earning over $80,000.

The only bill affecting illegal workers that stands a chance of being passed is an enforcement-only one. And even that one will meet resistance because of pressure from Hispanics and big business.

Therefore any bill that helps legal immigrants must be separate from anything targeting illegals (whether it is to legalize them or make things more difficult for them), because any bill that includes something about them will meet with significant resistance from one direction or another. Note that the recently announced enforcement measures do not involve any real change in the law; they are just new methods of enforcing the existing laws (although some of changes like increased funding for detention centers apparently will involve trying to pass new laws).