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Comments

• [1] Jander from NYC May 30, 2007 - 08:51AM

  Mr. Lehrer,

  If these questions somehow fit in with today's program, please ask it on my behalf:

  First, off, I'm an immigrant myself who came to this country back in the late 80s. A good citizen, a hard-working, socially-involved, someone who whenever I can, helps others. I've watched immigration bills come and go from the

  Reagan Administration on up. Always the same rhetoric. Always the same in-fighting that leads nowhere, and always the broken promises before elections. Now:

  Q:

  How can Congress claim to want to help immigrants by asking them to pay upwards of $10,000 each and then leave the country to apply? What kind of help is that? Do they not see it as absurdly un-realistic and that only a very small number of immigrants can actually pay that kind of fee since most make minimal wage? Who will pay for the trips back home, and why is this necessary since they are in the country they wish to call home?

  I wish there was a way that 12,000,000 immigrants just paralyze this country for a week by not showing up for work. In so doing demonstrate to this country's ignorant anti-immigrant bunch how important they really are, how important their contributions really are every single day. This country would come to a halt. (They are caretakers to children and the elderly, gardeners, food service workers, truck drivers, food pickers, building/construction workers, and every range of important yet low-paying work that most Americans DON'T get near to).

  What gives, why this continuous dance of arrogance, ignorance and discrimination? Immigrants are not subhumans so why treat them as such?

  
  
• [2] Doris Wells from Ridgewood NJ May 30, 2007 - 10:38AM

  Refugees should be considered also in considering numbers of immigraants permitted through compassion. Concern about limiting family based immigration might be balanced with the fact that many in places like Haiti or Darfur may face death if they do not leave. In early years, coming to the US could mean permanent separation for immigrants. Now many nearby immigrants are virtually commuters, and even distant countries have travel possibilities for family contact. I would rather see the less skilled positions filled by people who desparately need the chance.

  
  
• [3] Smoki from New York May 31, 2007 - 04:11PM

  Hi Brian,

  Thanks for your interesting discussions. I would like to raise a number of questions regarding the discussions around the new bill regarding immigration by point system. Also, I want to bring forth a bit more strongly the point of view of skilled workers who would benefit from this new bill.

  I am an Albanian citizen, currently a PhD student and working (teaching) on an H1B visa. I have no family ties in the US. I have been studying and working in the US for seven years (mostly on a student visa) and in Canada for six years. Still, despite the fact that I teach American Government courses to American immigrants I am still a foreign citizen, still going back home renewing my visa every year, and trying to find all the loopholes of the American bureaucracy to be able to work. In other words, even though I have the same skills and qualifications than many other American born citizens, at the end of the day I take up whatever job will agree to take me on. Whenever I try to explain this to fellow students or colleagues, they can never understand why I have such limited opportunities.

  As a matter of fact, I applied for the Canadian immigration process and I passed based on the points system (and, as I like to believe, based on merit) and I am in the process of going through the bureacratic loops (it has been two years since I first applied). Overall, this process sounds to me much more merit based and not as haphazard as the American Greencard lotery (which I have applied to various times with no success). As the UoT professor mentioned, the Canadian system does not disallow family reunion.

  My point is that the media discussion of this bill has neglected thousands of people who, like me, have lived here legally long enough to be completely integrated and contributing to American society, but who are kept separate by a glass wall that is invisible to their peers.

  Secondly, I wanted to ask a direct question regarding the logic of the point system. As I understand it, those with highest chances of getting through the system are the ones who already have employment (be that H1B or otherwise). Would people who have legal work experience in the country but not employed at the moment of application be eligible?