UNITED STATES BUSINESS INTERESTS REACT TO EU 'BLUE CARD'
workpermit.com 27 October 2007
The United States could end up taking a back seat in the talent war to the European Union if the EU's proposed 'blue card' legislation passes into law. Business interests are worried that the proposed immigrant blue card would undercut the United States' global economic position and believe that a recent Senate vote on H-1B visa fees is a step backward for the country.
The blue card, inspired by the U.S. green card and taking its name from the color of the EU flag, would allow non-EU citizens to take up employment within the EU for an initial period of time, after which they could move to another EU member state. The blue card is an effort by the 27-member bloc to compete with the immigration programs of the US, Canada, and Australia for highly skilled immigrants.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is embroiled in a political battle of wills over its own immigration policy, with the Senate passing a controversial hike in H-1B visa fees and generally failing in reaching any sort of compromise over the subject of immigration reform.
Compete America (CA), a coalition of business and education interests committed to "assuring that US employers have the ability to hire and retain the world's best talent", denounced the recent H-1B fee hike.
"Compete America harshly criticized the Senate's approval of the Grassley/Sanders Amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill as anticompetitive in the face of increased global competition," CA said in a release.
CA said that the fee hike of $3500 per visa, on top of current fees that total $1500, sent an "onerous message" to US employers about the country's future innovation economy.
They also fear that the news of the European Union blue card will compromise the United States' position as the top talent spot in the world.
"Europe has sent a message. They are aggressively pursuing the professional talent they need to compete on the global stage," said Robert Hoffman, Vice President for Government and Public Affairs, Oracle, and Co-Chair of Compete America.
"The Senate has unfortunately also sent a message, and it doesn't bode well for the U.S. economy," he added.
Hoffman noted that small and mid-sized businesses would take the full brunt.
"Cutting-edge US companies depend on specialized talent coming out of US graduate schools. These scientists and engineers are often foreign-born, as more than half of U.S. engineering master's and PhD recipients are international students," Hoffman stated. "H-1B visa numbers are already completely inadequate. Raising further roadblocks for US employers trying to hire top talent is short sighted and anticompetitive."
He noted that US employers have paid more than $1 billion in H-1B visa fees in the last eight years as well as funding more than 40,000 scholarships for US math and science students, supporting science programs for 75,000 middle and high school students, and training more than 82,000 US workers.
• U.S. - Study points to 'brain-drain' of skilled immigrant entrepreneurs
• Immigration reform bill in US Senate appears to be dead
• EU Commission President says immigrants 'welcome in the EU'
• European Union seeking skilled migrants with 'Blue Card'
• Frattini wants barriers to EU immigration torn down
This message has been edited. Last edited by: explora,
12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, October 27, 2007 Mercedes Olivera molivera@dallasnews.com
Illegal immigration continues to be a very emotional issue in many U.S. communities, where the impact on schools and hospitals is most felt.
Daily, I get e-mail from readers who complain that illegal immigrants do not pay their fair share of taxes and are a drain on the system.
So I decided to take a look at just where some of the money goes.
Several major studies at the national and state levels have been released that show illegal immigrant workers contribute to our economy far more than they take from it.
A 1997 report from the National Academies of Science, for example, found that immigrant workers had contributed about $30 billion into the Social Security and Medicare systems by 1996.
The majority of these workers will never claim any of it.
And a report last year by the Texas state comptroller found that the state's estimated 1.4 million undocumented workers paid the state $1.58 billion in taxes and fees in 2005.
Conversely, immigrants cost Texas about $1.16 billion in public services, such as health care and education, the report showed.
Now comes new research from Dr. David Molina, an economics professor at the University of North Texas, who has followed the money in this issue and has found some surprising results.
He will be part of a panel discussion on the human and economic effects of illegal immigration at noon Wednesday at Dallas' Central Library, 1515 Young St. Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, Spanish-language media, and universities will participate in the discussion, which is being organized by the DFW International Community Alliance.
Dr. Molina has sifted through federal documents and papers in search of the Earnings Suspense File. T
hat's where money from mismatched Social Security numbers has been going since at least 1986, he said.
"This is not even remotely new," he said, and "it's created this huge fund for Social Security.
The federal government has been making buckets of money off it."
He estimates at least 250 million records are contained in the ESF.
"My guess is that there's about $150 billion to $200 billion in it, and they know no one is going to claim it."
Meanwhile, health care leaders, such as Dr. Ron Anderson at Parkland Memorial Hospital, have long complained that it should be coming back to the states to help offset some of the growing health care demands placed on them.
Instead, it remains at the federal level, and local and state governments end up carrying the burden, Dr. Molina said.
• The Hispanic elderly have among the lowest rates of Medicare enrollment.
Perhaps they feel overwhelmed by all the paperwork required. Or maybe language is a barrier, and they feel intimidated.
Some of these factors will be examined at the National Hispanic Council on Aging when it holds its national conference at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas next week.
"Hispanic older adults are a special population with a lot of needs and challenges," said Maria Eugenia Hernandez-Lane, vice president for the Washington, D.C.-based organization.
One way of dealing with these challenges is to promote economic security and greater civic participation by voting, she said.
"We've developed programs to educate the community to think about the future," she said.
"Very often, they only think about today. There's a need to shift the thinking."
For more information or to register for the conference, go to www.nhcoa.org.
FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT DECRIES U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICIES
Bay Business Times - by Timothy Roberts Friday, October 26, 2007 - 12:54 PM PDT
Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, speaking late Thursday to a Northern California business group with a strong interest in immigration issues, called on the United States to tear down the wall it has been building on the Mexican border and to reject isolationist policies.
"Walls don't work," he said. "The Chinese wall didn't work. The Berlin wall didn't work against freedom. This one won't work either."
Fox was elected president of Mexico in 2000, breaking the 70-year sometimes authoritarian hold on the country's politics by the Revolutionary Institutional Party. He served a six-year term during which Mexico reduced its foreign debt and significantly increased its per capita income.
"Today the United States is building a wall, isolating itself from the rest of the world -- it is inconceivable," he said to an audience that supports free trade and a steady supply of immigrant labor. "Ironically," he added, "the wall is being built by Mexican immigrants."
Fox's visit drew a small protest across the street in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, where demonstrators held signs accusing him of being a thief. Fox has been frequently attacked by the PRI, primarily for supporting the candidate who followed him, Felipe Calderón. Fox expressed anger at the PRI for its continued attacks on him after leaving the Palacio Nacional.
"PRI has to accept it lost power in 2000 and that it lost power to democracy," Fox said.
To show his support for Mexican immigrant workers, Fox invited the dinning room staff up on stage with him at the end of his speech. Earlier he had addressed the "Lupitas, Pedros, Juans and Marias, who are here in the room being paid to wait tables and wash dishes -- with pride ... They are my heroes."
KOB.com New Mexico Posted at: 10/27/2007 10:33:57 AM By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
(AP) MIAMI - Experts say Nora Sandigo doesn’t have a prayer in her bid to get the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the deportation of illegal immigrants with U.S.-born children.
Sandigo just nods _ she’s heard it all before.
Naysayers scoffed when the immigration activist and former supporter of Nicaragua Contra rebels worked to stop the deportation of thousands of Central Americans immigrants who’d fled their region’s civil wars in the 1980s. But her work prompted Congress to pass a law protecting them in 1997.
Experts said the same thing before she helped thousands more Central Americans win temporary protection after natural disasters struck several years later.
"We have to try. The worst battle is the one not waged," said Sandigo, a single mother of two who runs the nonprofit immigrant advocacy group American Fraternity and owns two small businesses.
Illegal immigrants in Florida, New York, California and Illinois have asked Sandigo to become the legal guardian of their 600 children, so she could help the children if the parents are deported.
About 100 children have been entered into her lawsuit seeking to allow the parents to stay in the U.S. until Congress passes an immigration bill that would give them legal status or until the Department of Homeland Security provides them another avenue to remain. The lawsuit eventually could cover an estimated 4 million children.
Children born in the U.S. are automatically citizens, even if their parents are illegal immigrants. If their parents are deported, they are allowed to stay, but most have to return with their parents to a country and culture they’ve never known.
Sandigo’s lawsuit has been filed directly with the Supreme Court because federal law has severely limited lower courts’ abilities to hear deportation cases, especially class-action lawsuits.
It is a long shot. The Supreme Court rarely takes cases that have not moved through the lower courts.
However, she said the lawsuit is the best option since the U.S. Senate failed Wednesday to revive a bill to allow some illegal immigrant students to seek U.S. residency _ likely dooming any immigration bills this year.
Sandigo, 42, fled Nicaragua as a teen, leaving her own parents behind, after the socialist Sandinista government confiscated her family’s farm. During the 1980s, she provided the U.S.-backed Contra insurgents with clothes and "everything that was needed" and later spirited her 16-year-old brother out of the country before he could be drafted. She became a U.S. citizen in the early 1990s.
Her support of free trade agreements with Latin America puts her at odds with many immigrant advocates who fear such deals won’t sufficiently protect worker rights and small businesses, but Sandigo says free trade and immigration go together.
"I don’t want people to say we are just trying to bring more immigrants to the U.S. I want people to be able to stay in their countries and find work," she said.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors strict limits on immigration, said her lawsuit will only encourage more people to come.
"Family relationships and employment are what bring people here," he said. "On the other hand, if having a U.S.-born child is a guaranteed get-out-of-jail-free card, then it will become a magnet."
Sandigo said she’s not asking for open borders and favors more border security. She simply believes immigrants who’ve worked for years in the U.S. shouldn’t be separated from their children or forced to uproot them.
Among the children in her lawsuit is 15-year-old Teresa Flores of Yakima, Wash.
Teresa and her four siblings awoke in April 2006 to see her mother hauled off by immigration agents. She dropped out of school to take care of her younger brother before returning to the Mexican town of La Huerta, Jalisco, where her mother now works as a waitress. That job does not pay Teresa’s mother enough to provide the basics for her children, so Teresa returned to the U.S. to live with another family and catch up in school.
"As a citizen, I want to be heard. I want to be with her," Teresa said.
Even if the Supreme Court accepts Sandigo’s case, the odds against her are great, says University of Virginia law Professor David Martin, who served as Immigration and Naturalization Services general counsel under President Clinton.
Courts have typically ruled that there is nothing unconstitutional about a U.S. child being forced to live outside the country, Martin said. "It’s up to the parents to figure out the custody case. The child suffers no risk to his or her citizenship status," he said.
Sandigo is adamant.
"By sending parents back, what are you creating here? You’re creating children who are going to be resentful, angry," she said. "You’re creating enemies within the country."
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Hard to believe, but the U.S. Senate on Wednesday turned down a potential pool of 1 million new soldiers.
They told them to forget about going to college, too.
The message they sent was that our country doesn't need any more teachers, doctors, lawyers or soldiers. They might as well have said we want more dishwashers, maids and farm workers.
Their decision means that fewer young immigrants will pay taxes and more will rely on public health care. Ultimately, there will be fewer young people contributing to the economy, building our brain trust.
So, what did the Senate do? They voted down the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, co-sponsored by Illinois Sen. **** Durbin. It needed 60 votes but got only 52.
The DREAM act would have benefitted children who came here before they turned 16, lived here at least five years and graduated from high school without getting into trouble. Under the proposal, they would have received green cards after completing two years of college or serving two years in the military. Eventually, they could have become U.S. citizens.
The Senate wasted an opportunity to make America stronger. They had already failed to enact comprehensive immigration reform this year, and this could have made up a bit for their colossal mistake by crafting a win-win: Illegal immigrants who went to college or served in the military would get to stay legally, and we would get soldiers and educated taxpayers.
But that's not what happened. Worse, the debate turned ugly. Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado called on immigration officials to raid a news conference Tuesday where Durbin featured students who would benefit from the act. Luckily, someone was thinking over at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and they refused to send agents. As it turns out, the students at the news conference have temporary legal status. Durbin said the immigration debate has reached a "low point in America."
The bill didn't differ that much from current immigration policy. Our country already allows highly skilled professionals from foreign countries to work here through specific visa programs and gives citizenship to legal residents who serve in the military. Why can't we give visas to kids who grew up on American soil? They speak English and graduated from our high schools. These young people are culturally American. They are not criminals. How can we hold them accountable for the crimes of their parents? They were brought here as children. To send them back to countries they don't know just doesn't make sense.
The truth is there aren't many Americans clamoring to join the military, and our troops are on their second and third tours of duty in Iraq.
"Publicly and privately, military officials said this was a great opportunity for young people to become part of America's military strength," Durbin told us.
If these young people are willing to sign up, we should make them legal. Now that would be a true act of patriotism.
Chosen as the two delegates to attend from Maine, Liz McIlwain and Devin Mellor, seniors at Boothbay Region High School, will attend the fourth annual Sunnylands Supreme Court Institute November 4-7 in Washington, D.C.
While there, they will meet with four Supreme Court Justices for a question and answer session on Constitutional issues. The session will be recorded on DVD and used as a teaching resource. This outstanding opportunity is provided by the philanthropic Annenberg Foundation, which strives to advance public well-being through improved communications.
BRHS students and their teacher, Normand "Skip" L'Heureux, will be treated to an all-expenses paid trip and will have room accommodations within walking distance of the Supreme Court building. The opportunity is funded primarily from the Annenberg Foundation whose goal is to educate, help students to participate and understand government and to become effective citizens.
"Many who experience this go on to work in government in some capacity," said L'Heureux. "Kids come back and talk about it."
Each National Honor Society students, Liz and Devin have visited Washington, D.C. This time, however, "We want to hit the heavy stuff now," said Devin. Liz said, "I am hoping to understand how everything works. How and why the Justices are chosen and how they decide and make big decisions that affect the whole country."
"Personally I do want to learn more of the nuances of government, politics and citizens involvement. We are removed somewhat by being in Maine. I would like to better understand government," said Devin.
L'Heureux said, "Each of the students will have a roommate, Liz and Devin will benefit from the opinions of other students attending this rare opportunity. These two students are the perfect two students to do this; they are each exploring whether they wish to go into teaching."
All of the participating students were required to do research and to submit questions on four topics in advance of the event. At this time, there is not a formal itinerary, but it is possible that the young adults will get to interview Justice John Roberts as one of the four that they will meet.
"Up until this point, the Supreme Court has usually been closed to outsiders, nobody knew how they functioned behind closed doors, it was all conjecture," said L'Heureux.
L'Heureux has participated in the First Presidential Academy in Philadelphia, through which he became familiar with the National Constitution Center's summer programs. He applied for this and was accepted.
"They contacted me for the Supreme Court program by e-mailing me and asking me for quality students to participate in the Sunnylands Supreme Court Institute Taping program," he said.
With questions such as, "In your opinion, what do you think is the most important amendment that affects today's society?" (from Liz) and "Does the court case of Yick Wo v. Hopkins have any relevance towards the illegal immigration conflict of today?" (from Devin), this experience promises to be powerful and enlightening and one which these students will not soon forget.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A group of Catholic priests have signed a pledge opposing a law that's intended to crack down on illegal immigration. The pledge from Oklahoma City Archdiocese priests and Archbishop Eusebius Beltran will be presented to Governor Brad Henry's office. Reverend Michael Chapman says the priests find themselves in a dilemma.
Chapman says while there's no question it's against the law to be in the U.S. illegally he believes there is a higher law of charity and helping fellow man.
The pledge calls the law ``unjust and immoral'' and says the priests will continue helping all people regardless of the citizenship status.
The new law, House Bill 1804, is set to go into effect next Thursday.
Watch the video: Priests Sign Pledge Opposing Immigration Law
To read a copy of the complaint against the law, click here.
To read a copy of the request for an injunction in the federal lawsuit, click here.
For complete coverage of House Bill 1804, click here.
___________________________________________________________________ "The letter of the law is a sword that killeth; its intent is a spirit that giveth life."
___________________________________________________________________ "The letter of the law is a sword that killeth; its intent is a spirit that giveth life."
More highly-skilled Bajan professionals may soon have new fields to conquer overseas, Europe.
The European Union (EU) has just taken a decision to open up its immigration doors to highly-skilled people from developing countries, including the Caribbean.
The European Commission, which is responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the EU, has decided to implement a new "blue card" plan that would welcome doctors, nurses, engineers and other professionals from developing countries who are seeking greener pastures in some of the world's most sophisticated and wealthy countries.
But Barbadians and others in the Caribbean wouldn't be alone. The EU is also planning to aim its immigration-friendly scheme at professionals in Africa, Asia and Latin America over the next two decades, hoping to entice immigrants to choose Europe over the United States and Canada.
"To maintain and improve economic growth in the EU, it is essential for Europe to become a magnet for the highly skilled," said Franco Frattini, of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Commission.
IT specialists
In addition to engineers and health-care professionals, the EU Commission wants scientists and information technology specialists.
Like its Caribbean neighbours, Barbados is already losing about 60 per cent of its highly trained professionals who opt for North America and Britain.
The commission, which approved the scheme a few days ago, said the EU needed highly skilled professionals to fill the holes in the labour market.
But before Barbadians and others in the Caribbean can begin to pack their bags and fly off to France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany and other European countries, the "blue card" plan which is borrowing a page from the United States "green card" immigration book and Canada's self-sponsorship points programme, must overcome some hurdles.
For instance, it must be approved by member-governments before it can be implemented. Secondly, commission officials must convince European trade unions that the "blue card" wouldn't open the floodgates to low-wage workers who would take jobs that could be filled by European workers.
Thirdly, Barbadians, for example, must be multi-lingual or willing to learn the language of the country to which they are planning to emigrate.
The EU is hoping to attract 20 million skilled workers over a 20-year period.
[COMMENT BY EXPLORA: I wonder what the U.S. is hoping for? Maybe it'll figure it out over a 20-year period. At the rate it's going now it might take longer.]
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO Published Sun, Oct 28, 2007 mshapiro@islandpacket.com 843-706-8142
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Friday that participating in a federal program that gives deputies increased authority to enforce immigration laws might be costlier than previously thought.
The program would allow local deputies to check immigration status during traffic stops or other infractions if there's probable cause that a person is in the country illegally.
About a year ago, the Sheriff's Office began looking into the Department of Homeland Security's 287(g) program.
Run by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the program has been hailed by supporters who argue local law enforcement needs the power to detain and deport illegal immigrants.
It has been criticized by detractors who say it would lead to the increased profiling of the Hispanic community.
Such arguments may now be moot. Immigration officials told Tanner earlier this month that certification into the program hinges on the county's ability to find more than 75 beds in its already overcrowded detention center to devote solely to holding illegal immigrants.
"The harsh reality is it comes down to funding and bed space," said Tanner. "Part of certification, unfortunately for us, calls for dedicated bed space for detainees ..."
The county's detention center averages between 300 and 325 inmates on a given day, according to Tanner, well above the jail's capacity of 245.
"What you're talking about is building an additional facility on property we don't currently have," he said, "and building another 50- or 75-bed facility in Beaufort County would be extremely expensive and won'thappen overnight."
Tanner and detention center director Phil Foot are scheduled to update the Beaufort County Council in mid-November on the pending request to join the federal program.
Council chairman Weston Newton said the county was already operating on a tight budget.
$$ $$ "Just to house the current population we have at the detention center requires money," he said.
"It's an issue that needs to be solved at the federal level," Newton added.
County administrator Gary Kubic said reforms being considered by the county for the detention center, including a work-release program for dead-beat dads, could free up space in the detention facility.
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