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Representative Guiterrez: Family and Employment Visas, Not Family or Employment Visas


Rep. Gutierrez: “The best way to get visas for our high-tech fields, for graduates of U.S. universities, and for keeping American companies on the cutting edge is for all of the stakeholders in immigration to keep working together towards comprehensive reform.”

Washington, DC-_(ENEWSPF)–March 5, 2013. The Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security held a hearing today on “Enhancing American Competitiveness through Skilled Immigration” (see: http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/113th/hear_03052013.html for information and live streaming), the third hearing the Subcommittee has held in two weeks on immigration reform issues.  Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) is a Member of the Subcommittee and the Chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.  The following is a statement by Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez:

I think we all want to fix our broken immigration system and Chairman Gowdy is devoting a good deal of time and energy to this issue.  I think my Republican colleagues are taking immigration reform seriously, more seriously than in previous years.  It is a refreshing change and a good sign that we will be able to arrive at common ground on immigration reform legislation this year.

I support visas for graduates in STEM fields, those who graduate from U.S. universities with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math and think we do not need to cut other visa categories to create such a program to help the American economy.

One of the most difficult things we must get right in reforming our immigration system is the mix between family-based and employment-based immigration.  We need both and should not let the opponents of legal immigration in the Republican Party force us into a false choice.  We need more family and employment visas.  Let’s take a both/and, not an either/or approach.

For as long as immigrants have been coming to America, family units have been important to their survival and success.  Families support each other, spawn small businesses, and facilitate integration.  One of the most devastating aspects of the massive increase in deportations over the past several years is that families have been split apart leaving orphaned American citizen children and countless families uprooted. 

At the same time, we need visas to fuel our economy and keep American industries in the U.S.  The best way to get visas for our high-tech fields, for graduates of U.S. universities, and for keeping American companies on the cutting edge is for all of the stakeholders in immigration to keep working together towards comprehensive reform.  A piece by piece approach will not solve our immigration issues top to bottom and that is exactly what we need and what is achievable if we keep moving forward.

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For additional information on Rep. Gutierrez’ views on skills-based and family-based immigration as components of comprehensive immigration reform, see his recent exchange on the web site Tech Crunch with Vivek Wadhwa, tech-blogger, New York Times contributor, and Vice President of Innovation and Research at Singularity University, (also: Fellow at Stanford Law School, and Director of Research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University).

  • Dear Congressman Gutierrez, Please Lift Your Hold On Silicon Valley (TechCrunch 2/10/2013): http://bit.ly/VMtoLVG1
  • Dear Vivek Wadhwa, We Need To Fix Our Whole Immigration System And I Need Your Help (TechCrunch 2/14/2013): http://bit.ly/LVGtoVW1
  • Rep. Gutierrez, Let’s Try The Silicon Valley Way – Lean Immigration Reform (TechCrunch 2/16/2013): http://bit.ly/VMtoLVG2
  • Dear Vivek: Think Big On Immigration Reform: (TechCrunch 2/26/2013): http://bit.ly/LVGtoVW2

Source: guitierrez.house.gov

 


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