On July 26, 2011, Paul Bridges had the opportunity of being one of the panelists in the Senate Subcommittee Hearing on “The Economic Imperative for Enacting Immigration Reform.” The following is a commentary from Attny. Rebecca Black.
Comment on July 26 testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and
Border Security Committee on the Judiciary
The Senate Subcommittee invited a select group of people to testify on various aspects of
immigration reform July 26, 2011. The Senate preselected these individuals for the various
points they would present before the committee. This group included mayors from the small
towns of Lewiston Maine, Utica New York, and Uvalda Georgia; two highly respected technical
universities of Cornell and the Rochester Institute of Techology (RIT); Microsoft and Nasdaq to
represent the high tech industries that drive our economy in so many ways, Dr. Arora
representing Asian Tech workers through Immigration Voice, and finally Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-Vt.).
As these people were pre-selected for the testimony that they would present and put in the now
voluminous record pertaining to immigration reform, it seems clear where the Senate’s interests
primarily lies- STEM competitiveness. The testimony of Microsoft, Nasdaq and Cornell focused
on the critical need to support immigration reform so that our technology based STEM industries
would remain strong and competitive. Dr. Arora spoke to the need to support additional visa
numbers so that these workers are able to adjust status to become permanent residents. RIT was
the only interest group to point out negatives, being concerned about abuses and fraud in the
H1B and L1 programs. It must be noted that companies filing these applications pay heft fraud
and retraining fees so it is USCIS’s own fault in not managing their well-funded programs better.
The Mayor of Lewiston, Maine provided testimony on the valuable economic role the large
refugee population has brought to his small town. This vibrant community of refugee Somalians
has filled vacant storefronts and added a new commercial tax base, in addition to filling what
would be deserted housing and shopping at other local commercial establishments. The Mayor
of Utica New York testified to the economic achievements and contributions of the immigrant
Eastern Europeans in his community and the need for positive immigration reform to enable the
undocumented workers to have a pathway to become legal. And finally the Mayor of Uvalda
GA, Paul Bridges testified on the huge economic impact that the undocumented workers have
on agriculture, their work ethic and the disastrous effects that Georgia’s new anti-alien laws are
having in the farming communities in South Georgia and across the country. Finally, Senator
Leahy testified generally, supporting STEM immigration reform as well as citing the Cato
Institute’s studies showing the overwhelmingly huge positive impact that the 10 million or so
undocumented aliens have on our economy and the need for a comprehensive immigration
reform.
Given that four of the speakers testified positively on STEM reform whereas the three mayors
spoke of the impact of the various immigrant communities in their communities, it seems clear
that the Senate’s primary concern lies with making sure the STEM industries interest are being
protected and that it has little concern to make significant changes to work out a solution to the
problem of the undocumented worker. Our country needs to address the realities of 10-11 million
people living in the shadows and also to have a coherent plan for the future. If this is what you
support, then we need you to be vocal in sending your senators and congressmen emails, faxes
and telephone calls asking them to support positive immigration reform for the undocumented
people underpinning much of our economies. I have included below the links to the various
testimonies presented that day.
Rebecca Black
Attorney with the Immigration Law Offices of David R. Fletcher, PA
David Skorton, President Cornell
Dr. Hira, Associate Professor RIT
