House proposes limiting immigration
Republicans submit bills to reduce legal, illegal immigrants
By Rachanee Srisavasdi
Daily Bruin Staff
In what may dramatically alter the current influx of immigrants,
Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed
legislation that would significantly limit entry of both illegal
and legal immigrants to the United States.
The Immigration Reform Act – sponsored by Sen. Alan Simpson,
R-Wyo., – would cut legal immigration by 30 percent. The act seeks
to eliminate preferences for extended family of U.S. citizens and
legal permanent residents.
"Immigration is no longer serving national interest. Why should
we bring in people to this country who will become a burden?" said
K.C. McAlpin, director of the Federation for American Immigration
Reform, a national organization that calls for limited immigration
policies.
"Many immigrants are reliant on government benefits and
handouts. Our country cannot afford this," he said.
Simpson’s bill would also significantly affect employment-based
immigration. It would eliminate preferences for unskilled workers
and require American employers to pay an annual fee for hiring
foreign workers.
Lamar Smith, R-Texas, has introduced a more moderate bill,
coined the Immigration in the National Interest Act. Smith’s
proposal would also cut off immigration privileges to unskilled
workers, and to extended family of citizens and legal permanent
residents.
"It’s an insult to American ideals," countered Carl Shusterman,
a legal specialist in immigration law. "I understand there is a
problem with illegal immigration, but to target legal immigrants is
to have them go through red tape and put them in the same category
as illegal immigrants."
Besides altering legal and illegal immigration, both Smith and
Simpson’s bills would affect higher education. The Simpson bill
would make it more difficult for professors and researchers to be
granted work visas, which could affect the universities’ ability to
recruit foreign researchers.
"Big research universities often have worldwide searches for
scientists with the best minds, able to conduct cutting-edge
research," said Larry Soler, a spokesman for the Association of
American Universities, based in Washington D.C. "This bill would
dissuade (foreign researchers) from coming to the States."
There is a vast pool among native Americans to fill those
university positions, McAlpin said.
Higher education analysts argued that Simpson’s bill would be
detrimental to research at the university level.
"There’s no way we have a monopoly on the best minds in the
world," said education Professor Alexander Astin, and analyst of
higher education policies. "It’s a very myopic and self-interested
point of view to deprive universities to work with top foreign
scholars."
The Immigration Reform Act would also reduce the length of
employment visas to three years, instead of the current six-year
status.
Additionally, the Simpson bill requires exchange students to
leave by five years of their date of graduation. The act would also
make it harder for foreign students to obtain financial aid because
their level of need will consider host’s income in addition to
their own.
"Foreign students are well-motivated," Shusterman said. "They’re
a brain gain, and often go into high science research fields, or
become leaders in cutting-edge technology. It doesn’t make sense to
send them back to their home countries when we could benefit from
having them here."
The Senate Judiciary Committee marked up the Simpson bill
Thursday. Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-MI, proposed an amendment to
split the legislation into two separate bills on legal and illegal
immigration.
Consideration of proposed amendments will continue on Simpson’s
bill Wednesday; it will then be voted on by the Senate in March.
The Smith bill, which has already passed through committees, will
be voted on March 18 by the House.
"The country is going through economic hard times, but some
politicians are scapegoating immigrants," Shusterman said. "Simpson
and Smith think it’s (the immigrants’) fault. But really,
immigrants bring their talents here and energize the United
States."Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu