Jimi_Hendrix
06-26 05:04 PM
visit your senator's website. Look for links for "casework". Look for contact person for immigration. Call your senator's office at that number. Explain your problem. They will ask you to write a letter giving your case information and requesting them to find out the status. Some senator offices may require you to fill some form in a format pertinent to them with the intention of giving the senator's office permission to inquire on your behalf and to give access to your personal information.
Once they have letter from you they will contact USCIS on your behalf. They will tell you by when they will hear back from USCIS. Make sure you do not call them repeatedly, call them when they ask you to call them or call them after a reasonable amount of time i.e. 2 weeks.
Once they have letter from you they will contact USCIS on your behalf. They will tell you by when they will hear back from USCIS. Make sure you do not call them repeatedly, call them when they ask you to call them or call them after a reasonable amount of time i.e. 2 weeks.
wallpaper Faded Pink Streaks
vghc
07-25 11:08 AM
Do this: Be happy with what you already have and expect (don�t worry) more good things in life. Just compare with somebody who doesn't even have food, clothes, shelter, health care, etc... in their lives.
You are VERY fortunate to make it to US and living a decent life than most of the Indians.
Cheer up....
Yup, i went back to my homecountry in February after 10 years away from home and trust me, our lives here are good. People back there will trade your place in a heartbeat. Just be glad that you are in the pipeline for a PR.
You are VERY fortunate to make it to US and living a decent life than most of the Indians.
Cheer up....
Yup, i went back to my homecountry in February after 10 years away from home and trust me, our lives here are good. People back there will trade your place in a heartbeat. Just be glad that you are in the pipeline for a PR.
uma001
05-22 04:21 PM
If somebody did not have project for few months sometime before jan 2007, will that makes his/her stay illegal.
2011 Red Hair With Pink Streaks.
akgind
07-13 07:02 PM
The difference, my friend, will come about once the DREAM Act passes in its present form. The undocumented child will pay in-state tuition, whereas your child will keep on paying out-of-state tuition. And in 3 years, the former will get premanent residency or GC, whereas your child will still be in the line for H1, EB2/3, at the mercy of USCIS.
So, do support this bill - I am 'so called legal' immigrant, my son is going to university (having H4 visa) but he is treated the same way as illegal sillegaltatus student is treated -- no financial aid is available to my son or in-state tuition fees. Where is the difference?
So, do support this bill - I am 'so called legal' immigrant, my son is going to university (having H4 visa) but he is treated the same way as illegal sillegaltatus student is treated -- no financial aid is available to my son or in-state tuition fees. Where is the difference?
more...
rsayed
04-14 11:34 AM
I remember I read this somewhere (on one of the forum threads on IV) - that the only dates movement (if any) for EB-2 (India) will be only during Oct'07 (when the new financial year begins).
Until then, I guess there is no point in checking these Visa Bulletins; Only difference is when one of the pro-immigrant Bills in the Senate or House get passed.
For now, best strategy is to follow IV Core's directives - they have always been on top of things (going by the past one year or so), and seem to know more than most of us.
Until then, I guess there is no point in checking these Visa Bulletins; Only difference is when one of the pro-immigrant Bills in the Senate or House get passed.
For now, best strategy is to follow IV Core's directives - they have always been on top of things (going by the past one year or so), and seem to know more than most of us.
slowwin
05-15 05:54 PM
The Bill says "in a field of science"......which also includes MBA.......
science is "a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws" OR
"a particular branch of knowledge." for more definitions check dictionary.com
It does not matter what the dictionary defines SCIENCE as. STEM degrees are defined by USCIS. OPT extension to 29 months applies to STEM degrees too:mad:
science is "a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws" OR
"a particular branch of knowledge." for more definitions check dictionary.com
It does not matter what the dictionary defines SCIENCE as. STEM degrees are defined by USCIS. OPT extension to 29 months applies to STEM degrees too:mad:
more...
amit_p27
06-26 12:36 PM
Ok all this Dharmic moralistic talk was highly unwanted.
Congrats on the news and thanks for trying to be united.
you are most welcome :)
god bless you !!!!!!!!!
Congrats on the news and thanks for trying to be united.
you are most welcome :)
god bless you !!!!!!!!!
2010 I have half a mind to put pink
vijayrudra
07-19 02:38 PM
have PM'ed ya
more...
mammoy2k
09-09 07:04 AM
I140 should be approved or approvable at the time of filing. Yates memo is very clear on that- I-140 approval is not required in concurrent filing. Also there is no salary requirements on invoking AC 21. Again, please read Yates Memo.
Requirements to change employer when GC is pending:
- I-140 should be approved
- More than 180 days should have passed after filing I-485. The clock for 180 days starts from 485 receipt.
- Approved EAD
Significance of 180 days barrier
If you have approved I-140 and EAD, you can change employer without having to wait for 180 days. But then your employer can revoke the I-140 which invalidates the 485 application. After 180 days from I-485 receipt, I-140 cannot be revoked so that is why it is always recommended to invoke AC-21 after 180 days from the 485 receipt.
After 180 days, you cannot change jobs, you can only change employers
When you invoke AC-21, you have o fulfill two conditions:
1.) You new jobs has the same or similar job description as mentioned in the green card labor certification application
2.) You salary should be almost the same as the wages mentioned in GC labor certification application
This means, you have to continue to stay in the same job title and job description till the time your GC is approved. If you fulfill the requirements mentioned above, you do not have to inform USCIS when invoking AC-21. You just switch employer. At some point USCIS will send you a query asking for the information of the employer who continues your green card application. It is best to take up job where the job title and job description is exactly the same as specified in your GC labor certification application. Any variance in the job title or job description could be extremely damaging to the GC application processing.
It is best to not to change to an employer offering you anything less than the wage rate specified in the GC labor certification. On the higher side, it is better not to take up a job that offers more than 4% more salary of that specified in the GC labor certification. It is hard to resist 20-30K higher salary, but one would have to resist the temptation for taking the job offering higher salary. Otherwise, there is a risk of USCIS denying the GC application.
USCIS doesn�t account for dollar appreciation or devaluation. USCIS also doesn�t account for annual inflation when calculating the wage rate. So even if your labor certification was applied in 2003, you still have to continue at the job with the salary specified in the GC labor certification. If GC application takes another 5-7 years, then you have to continue with the salary specified in GC labor certification application.
Hope this is useful.
Requirements to change employer when GC is pending:
- I-140 should be approved
- More than 180 days should have passed after filing I-485. The clock for 180 days starts from 485 receipt.
- Approved EAD
Significance of 180 days barrier
If you have approved I-140 and EAD, you can change employer without having to wait for 180 days. But then your employer can revoke the I-140 which invalidates the 485 application. After 180 days from I-485 receipt, I-140 cannot be revoked so that is why it is always recommended to invoke AC-21 after 180 days from the 485 receipt.
After 180 days, you cannot change jobs, you can only change employers
When you invoke AC-21, you have o fulfill two conditions:
1.) You new jobs has the same or similar job description as mentioned in the green card labor certification application
2.) You salary should be almost the same as the wages mentioned in GC labor certification application
This means, you have to continue to stay in the same job title and job description till the time your GC is approved. If you fulfill the requirements mentioned above, you do not have to inform USCIS when invoking AC-21. You just switch employer. At some point USCIS will send you a query asking for the information of the employer who continues your green card application. It is best to take up job where the job title and job description is exactly the same as specified in your GC labor certification application. Any variance in the job title or job description could be extremely damaging to the GC application processing.
It is best to not to change to an employer offering you anything less than the wage rate specified in the GC labor certification. On the higher side, it is better not to take up a job that offers more than 4% more salary of that specified in the GC labor certification. It is hard to resist 20-30K higher salary, but one would have to resist the temptation for taking the job offering higher salary. Otherwise, there is a risk of USCIS denying the GC application.
USCIS doesn�t account for dollar appreciation or devaluation. USCIS also doesn�t account for annual inflation when calculating the wage rate. So even if your labor certification was applied in 2003, you still have to continue at the job with the salary specified in the GC labor certification. If GC application takes another 5-7 years, then you have to continue with the salary specified in GC labor certification application.
Hope this is useful.
hair Photo of 2008 pink streaks
gc4me
04-16 12:10 PM
Unexpected big jump for EB3 ROW. But I will take it. :D
EB3:
it was moved with 1 (one) year from AUG-01-2002 to AUG-01 2003 - was it? Or they just entered wrongly???
EB3:
it was moved with 1 (one) year from AUG-01-2002 to AUG-01 2003 - was it? Or they just entered wrongly???
more...
Jaime
05-26 09:36 AM
Mihird:
Those are good points. We are not all Indian or Chinese on this website and in my case I moved to the US because of insecurity in my country (got kidnapped twice). If I went back there I could have a top job with a top company (and have had many offers) but that is not a place where I'd like to raise a family.
Before the US I almost moved to China, but then I got the US job offer. I now have the Canada option, but I wouldn't mind moving to India. I have lots of Indian friends and I think Indians are easily one of the very nicest people in the world while being smart too (not conceited), plus they speak English. (Nothing against China, but it would take me at least 3 years to learns OK Chinese)
Anyone have any advice about finding a job in India? (I am serious) I have to have options since my home country is not an option, and in case Canada doesn't work for me. If anyone can give me information on moving to India I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Those are good points. We are not all Indian or Chinese on this website and in my case I moved to the US because of insecurity in my country (got kidnapped twice). If I went back there I could have a top job with a top company (and have had many offers) but that is not a place where I'd like to raise a family.
Before the US I almost moved to China, but then I got the US job offer. I now have the Canada option, but I wouldn't mind moving to India. I have lots of Indian friends and I think Indians are easily one of the very nicest people in the world while being smart too (not conceited), plus they speak English. (Nothing against China, but it would take me at least 3 years to learns OK Chinese)
Anyone have any advice about finding a job in India? (I am serious) I have to have options since my home country is not an option, and in case Canada doesn't work for me. If anyone can give me information on moving to India I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
hot red hair with pink streaks.
senthil1
02-11 11:18 AM
Eb2 will move gradually but it may move up to 2006 or 2007 as Eb1 spill over and Eb1 and Eb2 spillover from other countries will be transferred to Indian and Chinese Eb2. Again it depends on how many people are waiting in Eb2
sachung22,
Approximately what cut off dates your expect for EB2/3 by Aug'09?
sachung22,
Approximately what cut off dates your expect for EB2/3 by Aug'09?
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house Hair Wig With Pink Streak:
morchu
11-03 02:09 PM
I think most of EB3I and EB2I are missing one point.
EB3I didn't loose anything by the change in spillover policy few years back.
It is EB3-world who lost. Obviously EB2I and EB2C was on the gainers side.
EarlierSpillover EB1row->EB2row->EB3row->EB1I/C->EB2I/C->EB3I/C
CurrentSpillover EB1row->EB1I/C->EB2row->EB2I/C->EB3row->EB3I/C
(or to be more precise, it is currently EB1->EB2->EB3 since spill overs are not considering country based limitations)
Either way EB3I was last in the que. So nothing changed for EB3I or EB3C.
EB2I or EB2C on the other hand moved ahead of EB3row, that is very noticeable.
EB1I/C also moved ahead of EB2row, by this is not that noticeable, since all these categories were close to "current" either way.
In summary, you change the spillover whatever way.... EB3I is always going to be at the end of the line, least benefiting from any spill over.
-Morchu
I hope once DOS decides to change the spillover and give the extra visas to Eb3 (whoever ROW , India....). The ensuing discussions from from the self glorified EB2 crowd here would make for an entertaining reading. I would like to see how much they enjoy the predictions after that.
EB3I didn't loose anything by the change in spillover policy few years back.
It is EB3-world who lost. Obviously EB2I and EB2C was on the gainers side.
EarlierSpillover EB1row->EB2row->EB3row->EB1I/C->EB2I/C->EB3I/C
CurrentSpillover EB1row->EB1I/C->EB2row->EB2I/C->EB3row->EB3I/C
(or to be more precise, it is currently EB1->EB2->EB3 since spill overs are not considering country based limitations)
Either way EB3I was last in the que. So nothing changed for EB3I or EB3C.
EB2I or EB2C on the other hand moved ahead of EB3row, that is very noticeable.
EB1I/C also moved ahead of EB2row, by this is not that noticeable, since all these categories were close to "current" either way.
In summary, you change the spillover whatever way.... EB3I is always going to be at the end of the line, least benefiting from any spill over.
-Morchu
I hope once DOS decides to change the spillover and give the extra visas to Eb3 (whoever ROW , India....). The ensuing discussions from from the self glorified EB2 crowd here would make for an entertaining reading. I would like to see how much they enjoy the predictions after that.
tattoo Blacks with Red Hair Streaks
wa_Saiprasad
03-22 11:52 AM
Need suggestion how to proceed with my new approved I140.
I have two approved LC.
1. PD EB3 SEP 2003 for which my I140 was approved and I have applied 485 during July 2007.
2. PD EB3 MAR 2002 I got my I140 approval yesterday.
All for same company.
Is it possible for me use my new I140 for my 485 which I have I filled already? I have requested my company’s attorney to find options.
Thank You
I have two approved LC.
1. PD EB3 SEP 2003 for which my I140 was approved and I have applied 485 during July 2007.
2. PD EB3 MAR 2002 I got my I140 approval yesterday.
All for same company.
Is it possible for me use my new I140 for my 485 which I have I filled already? I have requested my company’s attorney to find options.
Thank You
more...
pictures 2011 red hair pink streaks red
bfadlia
02-27 04:53 PM
It's really strange the surge in non-legal issues threads..
If the poster had any genuine hope of getting help she wouldn�t be posting it on a forum for foreigners who obviously have no lobbying power and if we did we will be using it for ourselves first.
Somebody is trying to establish an association between us and drug and other law breaking criminals..
Time to put these red dots to a good use.. Get�er boys :)
If the poster had any genuine hope of getting help she wouldn�t be posting it on a forum for foreigners who obviously have no lobbying power and if we did we will be using it for ourselves first.
Somebody is trying to establish an association between us and drug and other law breaking criminals..
Time to put these red dots to a good use.. Get�er boys :)
dresses black hair and pink streaks.
genius
05-02 03:03 AM
Hi everyone,
Last week one of my friend(Mexican) from mexico was sent back from the airport and her visa was revoked (B1/B2).The officer claimed that since she lived in the US for almost 5-6 months (no overstays) for the last 2 years,she must have worked here.Is there any possibility that she could apply for another visa (either after waiting for a few months and what are the Odds?).Can the immigrant lawyer do anything to help her get her any other visa (student or something).
Please help!!
Thanks in advance!!!
Last week one of my friend(Mexican) from mexico was sent back from the airport and her visa was revoked (B1/B2).The officer claimed that since she lived in the US for almost 5-6 months (no overstays) for the last 2 years,she must have worked here.Is there any possibility that she could apply for another visa (either after waiting for a few months and what are the Odds?).Can the immigrant lawyer do anything to help her get her any other visa (student or something).
Please help!!
Thanks in advance!!!
more...
makeup wallpaper I had pink streaks
kothari_rupesh
02-21 02:05 AM
I got LUD 2/17 and 2/18, same for my wife, 2/17 was RFE message, got my wife's RFE in mail today it was for a serological HIV test which was supposedly required but was not done.
Have yet to receive my RFE yet, hopefully tomorrow.
Have yet to receive my RFE yet, hopefully tomorrow.
girlfriend Pink Hair ColorPink streaks
GCwaitforever
05-08 02:40 PM
To all the sufferers, please pursue your case with vigor at every opportunity.
I am glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I saw a welcome e-mail from USCIS today in the morning. Took 6 years to get the GC with a total stay of 10 years.
I am glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I saw a welcome e-mail from USCIS today in the morning. Took 6 years to get the GC with a total stay of 10 years.
hairstyles pink streaks. red hair
isantem
07-29 01:20 PM
Why is there no country limits for asylum, lottery and Green cards for undocumented in CIR bill?
asylum - you are very funny
lottery - acctualy they have a country limit
green card - :confused:
undocumented - we are talking about legal immigration (for gk_2000 also)
Country limits is just a disguise for racism. !
explain your logic please...........the limits are not based on Asian, African, Indian,etc........please check the dictionary to find out what it means racism.
Thanks
asylum - you are very funny
lottery - acctualy they have a country limit
green card - :confused:
undocumented - we are talking about legal immigration (for gk_2000 also)
Country limits is just a disguise for racism. !
explain your logic please...........the limits are not based on Asian, African, Indian,etc........please check the dictionary to find out what it means racism.
Thanks
senthil1
04-09 01:44 PM
One other solution is counting of Cap should be based on starting of employment. Then companies will not apply thousands at a time and they will apply only genuine cases when it is required. Implementation is difficult but there should be a way.
Or instead of lottery some other criteria can be applied like qualification,salary and company
Guys n Gals,
I feel your pain with regards to consulting firms, but do not blame them for your issues. I know quite a few people from top tier universities in India/US who work for consulting firms and make at least 2-3X times money than minimum required for h1b. What is wrong with working for consulting firms? Such over generalizations only display ignorance and I would advise you to stay away from it.
Best of luck with visa lottery. To alleviate your pain I think you should join hands with IV and try to make the GC process a lot faster that way you don't have to worry about H1 at all. If the provision of admin fixes where one gets to apply for 485 without visa numbers being available goes through, you can go directly from Student OPT to 485 EAD.
Or instead of lottery some other criteria can be applied like qualification,salary and company
Guys n Gals,
I feel your pain with regards to consulting firms, but do not blame them for your issues. I know quite a few people from top tier universities in India/US who work for consulting firms and make at least 2-3X times money than minimum required for h1b. What is wrong with working for consulting firms? Such over generalizations only display ignorance and I would advise you to stay away from it.
Best of luck with visa lottery. To alleviate your pain I think you should join hands with IV and try to make the GC process a lot faster that way you don't have to worry about H1 at all. If the provision of admin fixes where one gets to apply for 485 without visa numbers being available goes through, you can go directly from Student OPT to 485 EAD.
vin13
06-24 01:32 PM
Source: Frank Sharry: Memo to the President: Yes, Move Immigration Reform This Year (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-sharry/memo-to-the-president-yes_b_220072.html)
On June 25th, President Obama is convening a bi-partisan meeting to discuss the prospects for moving on comprehensive immigration reform later this year. If he asked me about the politics of immigration reform in this economic climate, this is the memo I would send to him:
Mr. President, with so many challenges facing America, is it too much to tackle immigration reform this year?
Reform advocates point to the pledge you made on the campaign trail, to make immigration reform a "top priority in my first year." Yet skeptics argue that the economic crisis makes your campaign promise moot. They believe you should delay immigration legislation and focus on the economy and your other legislative priorities. While addressing immigration may seem to be heaping another issue onto an already-full plate of priorities, there are four compelling reasons for you to move forward with reform this year.
First, the public support for immigration reform is growing stronger notwithstanding the conventional wisdom advanced by the political class. For a big majority of Americans, the failure to address immigration is a symbol of Washington's failure to confront and solve tough problems. Comprehensive immigration reform - the key elements of which require strong enforcement at the borders and in the workplace, coupled with a mechanism for unauthorized immigrants to get legal, learn English and pay taxes - is viewed by the majority of Americans as the most practical approach to addressing this complicated problem.
And in this economic downturn, voters are actually more supportive of immigration reform than at any other time. As pollster Celinda Lake tells it, "voters are very focused on finding solutions to our problems. They support comprehensive immigration reform as a practical, common-sense solution and have no patience for politicians who want to point fingers and score points rather than fix the problem."
The evidence for this point of view is growing. A Washington Post/ABC News poll showed 61% support for giving undocumented immigrants the right to live in the U.S. "if they pay a fine and meet other requirements," a 12% increase since 2007. The Pew Research Center recently found that 63% of respondents supported a pathway to citizenship, up 5% from 2007.
In polling conducted in May by Pete Brodnitz of Benenson Strategies for the organization I direct, 64% of voters support comprehensive immigration reform before it is described, and a whopping 86% support comprehensive reform after it is described. In response to a head-to-head question that pits comprehensive reform against the enforcement-only approach favored by most Republicans and some conservative Democrats, comprehensive wins 67% to 31%. Among those voters who describe themselves as undecided for the 2010 Congressional elections, they not only favor comprehensive reform at the same levels as Democratic voters, by a 69% - 28% they want their elected leaders to tackle immigration reform this year.
The second reason you should move forward is that your commitment to move on immigration reform has created enormous expectations in the Latino community. Your campaign promise was a galvanizing factor in motivating Latinos - especially Latino immigrant voters - to turn out in record numbers in 2008 and swing decisively to the Democratic column. These new voters helped flip at least four states that voted for George W. Bush in 2004 to Obama states in 2008 (Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada).
While some like to point out that polls of Hispanics put issues related to the economy as higher on the priority list than immigration reform, the fact is that Immigration reform is a defining issue for Latinos the way civil rights is for many African-American voters, choice is for many female voters, and Israel is for many Jewish voters. For example, in a recent poll of Latino voters conducted by Bendixen and Associates on behalf of America's Voice, 82% called the issue personally important and 87% said they would not consider voting for a Congressional candidate who favors forcing most of those in the U.S. illegally to leave the country. Moreover, expectations are sky-high: three out of four Latino voters expect you to keep your pledge to move on immigration reform in the first year.
The third reason you should move forward is that fixing immigration is a critical component of fixing the economy. Immigration reform will benefit American taxpayers by requiring workers and their employers to get legal and comply with their tax obligations; it will benefit American workers whose wages and working conditions are depressed by unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers; and it will benefit law-abiding employers currently undercut by bad-actor competitors by significantly reducing the incentive to underpay workers and pay them off the books in order to win business. As for increased revenues, get this: a Congressional Budget Office study of a legalization component included in the 2006 McCain-Kennedy bill projected increased revenues over 10 years totaling $66 billion. Not bad at a time of squeezed budgets.
Finally, the moral stakes are high and getting higher. How we as a nation deal with illegal immigration has become a defining moral issue for our nation. Ultimately, the question we face is this: are we going to allow hardliners who want nothing less than the expulsion of millions of immigrant families already living in our communities to dominate the debate? Or are we going to live up to our tradition as both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws and write a new chapter in the American story of how including "them" makes for a stronger "us?"
Immigration reform will not be easy, and yet, this is the kind of big issue that led you to proclaim the fierce urgency of now and run for President.
This is your kind of fight, Mr. President. History is calling.
On June 25th, President Obama is convening a bi-partisan meeting to discuss the prospects for moving on comprehensive immigration reform later this year. If he asked me about the politics of immigration reform in this economic climate, this is the memo I would send to him:
Mr. President, with so many challenges facing America, is it too much to tackle immigration reform this year?
Reform advocates point to the pledge you made on the campaign trail, to make immigration reform a "top priority in my first year." Yet skeptics argue that the economic crisis makes your campaign promise moot. They believe you should delay immigration legislation and focus on the economy and your other legislative priorities. While addressing immigration may seem to be heaping another issue onto an already-full plate of priorities, there are four compelling reasons for you to move forward with reform this year.
First, the public support for immigration reform is growing stronger notwithstanding the conventional wisdom advanced by the political class. For a big majority of Americans, the failure to address immigration is a symbol of Washington's failure to confront and solve tough problems. Comprehensive immigration reform - the key elements of which require strong enforcement at the borders and in the workplace, coupled with a mechanism for unauthorized immigrants to get legal, learn English and pay taxes - is viewed by the majority of Americans as the most practical approach to addressing this complicated problem.
And in this economic downturn, voters are actually more supportive of immigration reform than at any other time. As pollster Celinda Lake tells it, "voters are very focused on finding solutions to our problems. They support comprehensive immigration reform as a practical, common-sense solution and have no patience for politicians who want to point fingers and score points rather than fix the problem."
The evidence for this point of view is growing. A Washington Post/ABC News poll showed 61% support for giving undocumented immigrants the right to live in the U.S. "if they pay a fine and meet other requirements," a 12% increase since 2007. The Pew Research Center recently found that 63% of respondents supported a pathway to citizenship, up 5% from 2007.
In polling conducted in May by Pete Brodnitz of Benenson Strategies for the organization I direct, 64% of voters support comprehensive immigration reform before it is described, and a whopping 86% support comprehensive reform after it is described. In response to a head-to-head question that pits comprehensive reform against the enforcement-only approach favored by most Republicans and some conservative Democrats, comprehensive wins 67% to 31%. Among those voters who describe themselves as undecided for the 2010 Congressional elections, they not only favor comprehensive reform at the same levels as Democratic voters, by a 69% - 28% they want their elected leaders to tackle immigration reform this year.
The second reason you should move forward is that your commitment to move on immigration reform has created enormous expectations in the Latino community. Your campaign promise was a galvanizing factor in motivating Latinos - especially Latino immigrant voters - to turn out in record numbers in 2008 and swing decisively to the Democratic column. These new voters helped flip at least four states that voted for George W. Bush in 2004 to Obama states in 2008 (Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada).
While some like to point out that polls of Hispanics put issues related to the economy as higher on the priority list than immigration reform, the fact is that Immigration reform is a defining issue for Latinos the way civil rights is for many African-American voters, choice is for many female voters, and Israel is for many Jewish voters. For example, in a recent poll of Latino voters conducted by Bendixen and Associates on behalf of America's Voice, 82% called the issue personally important and 87% said they would not consider voting for a Congressional candidate who favors forcing most of those in the U.S. illegally to leave the country. Moreover, expectations are sky-high: three out of four Latino voters expect you to keep your pledge to move on immigration reform in the first year.
The third reason you should move forward is that fixing immigration is a critical component of fixing the economy. Immigration reform will benefit American taxpayers by requiring workers and their employers to get legal and comply with their tax obligations; it will benefit American workers whose wages and working conditions are depressed by unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers; and it will benefit law-abiding employers currently undercut by bad-actor competitors by significantly reducing the incentive to underpay workers and pay them off the books in order to win business. As for increased revenues, get this: a Congressional Budget Office study of a legalization component included in the 2006 McCain-Kennedy bill projected increased revenues over 10 years totaling $66 billion. Not bad at a time of squeezed budgets.
Finally, the moral stakes are high and getting higher. How we as a nation deal with illegal immigration has become a defining moral issue for our nation. Ultimately, the question we face is this: are we going to allow hardliners who want nothing less than the expulsion of millions of immigrant families already living in our communities to dominate the debate? Or are we going to live up to our tradition as both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws and write a new chapter in the American story of how including "them" makes for a stronger "us?"
Immigration reform will not be easy, and yet, this is the kind of big issue that led you to proclaim the fierce urgency of now and run for President.
This is your kind of fight, Mr. President. History is calling.
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