Amnesty Foes Mobilizing

Amnesty Foes Mobilizing

“As lawmakers get closer to introducing a comprehensive immigration-reform bill, opponents are gearing up to flood Congress with calls condemning any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to gain legal status or citizenship,” USA Today reports.

“The same tactic helped defeat immigration reform the last time lawmakers considered passing bills in 2006 and especially 2007, when a flood of angry calls shut down the switchboard in Congress.”

AFL-CIO President Walks Back Talk of Agreement With Business on Immigration

“The leader of the nation’s largest organized labor coalition is hopeful Congress will pass comprehensive immigration reform, but said there is a chance labor and business groups may not come to a final agreement on the future flow of immigrant workers to the United States,” ABC News Univision reports.

“AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said negotiations continue with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major business group, over a new visa program to allow low-skilled workers into the U.S. But a bipartisan Senate group drafting an immigration bill has struggled to come up with language that will satisfy business and labor, and the issue has emerged as a major sticking point in the process.”

Visa Overstays Remain A Huge Problem

“Among the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country, some 40 percent entered the United States legally with a temporary visa. But once they arrived, they decided to stay. Tracking them down is one of the biggest challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” KPBS.org says.

“At the southern ports of entry customs agents document the entry of all travelers. But on the other side no one is tracking their exits. With 350 million southern border crossers each year, DHS claims tracking exits may be logistically and financially unrealistic. Media liaisons from multiple DHS branches refused to be interviewed for this story.”

University Presidents Demand Immigrant Student Gravy Train Continue

A group of university and college presidents sent an open letter in support of immigration reform to 1,200 of their counterparts across the country today, and called for their colleagues to join them in the discussion,” says a report by ABC News Univision.

“The windfall for colleges and universities is clear: If an advanced degree offers a straightforward path to a green card, students from around the world could be more likely to study in the U.S. That could add up to more tuition dollars, and also draw some of the world’s most talented students.”