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In the midst of protests going on around the US over President Trump's immigration ban on predominantly muslim countries, another immigration reform is on the table. Bloomberg reports that another executive order is in draft form that aims to reform the work-visa program. This executive order could significantly impact the way many technology companies operate today.

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If the executive order was implemented technology companies could be required to shift the way they operate. Firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and others would be faced with significant changes to how they currently employ tens of thousands of workers.

"Our countrys immigration policies should be designed and implemented to serve, first and foremost, the U.S. national interest," the draft proposal reads, according to a copy reviewed by Bloomberg. "Visa programs for foreign workers should be administered in a manner that protects the civil rights of American workers and current lawful residents, and that prioritizes the protection of American workers -- our forgotten working people -- and the jobs they hold."

Foreign work visas were originally established to allow US companies to recruit workers from abroad if there weren't any qualified local workers. The problem with the work visa program now is that there are allegations companies use the program to bring in cheaper workers from foreign countries to fill positions that would otherwise go to Americans.

"Immigrant STEM workers have contributed an outsize share to founding new companies, getting patents, and helping build up American companies, which in turn because of their success have created tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of jobs," said Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who does research in labor markets. "Discouraging such people to apply for visas to enter the United States to work -- I cant imagine how that can be considered to be in the American national interest."

President Trump isn't alone in Washington working to reform immigration, Congress is also working on reforms. Democratic congresswoman for California Zoe Lofgren proposed a bill last week that would tighten H-1B work visa requirements.

"My legislation refocuses the H-1B program to its original intent to seek out and find the best and brightest from around the world, and to supplement the U.S. workforce with talented, highly-paid, and highly-skilled workers," Lofgren said in a statement.

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Trump's next immigration reform targets work-visa programs - I4U News

Legal viewpoints over immigration uncertainty

Beau Zimmer, WTSP 1:05 AM. EST January 31, 2017

Looking at immigration reform from different viewpoints (Photo: WTSP)

ST. PETERSBURG Everyday people have widely opposing views on immigration.

Its unfortunate that its come to this, but I dont see any other way, says Kelly Kowall, a Gold Star Mother who lost her son SPC. Corey Kowall who was serving in Afghanistan. She believes Americans have the right to feel safe in their own country.

Lets stop and take a look back and really make sure those were allowing into the United States are coming with the right reasons, said Kowall.

On the opposite side of the argument are married couple David AND Fatemah Basch. David was born in America; his wife Fatemah is an Iranian. The two were planning on traveling back to America but then the vetting process stopped.

We want to be safe when we get to the US just as much as people who are there want to be safe. They basically pulled the rug out from under our feet, said David.

Now the two are now stuck overseas unsure what the future holds.

To be an Iranian did I have a choice? No, said Fatemah. I dont think its fair to judge everyone from Iran.

St. Petersburg Attorney Rohom Konsari says President Trumps executive order is already being challenged. And he doesnt just have a legal opinion.

It is alarming very, very alarming, said Konsari who himself is an Iranian born, 31 year citizen of the United States.

He says the Presidents Executive Order is leaving many with questions.

I feel like this executive action is going to get caught up in the court system because a lot of these people have a legal right to be in this country.

( 2017 WTSP)

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Looking at immigration reform from different viewpoints - WTSP.com

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Their appeal to the famous negotiator: Think about the economy.

In just over a week of his presidency, Trump has already issued a handful of executive orders regarding immigration, including Friday's directive banning entry to the US of nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The order also prompted a swift backlash from a range of businesses. Tech companies and their executives, including Facebook, Apple, Google, Lyft, Netflix and Twitter, issued rebukes of Trump's actions and pledged to help employees and individuals affected by it. Travel companies like Expedia and Trip Advisor followed suit in expressing concern, as did a host of other businesses ranging from Ford to General Electric.

The business world is now hoping to find a way to get the White House's ear on the issue and drive home an economic appeal to a President whose business background has been his main selling point.

One lobbyist with clients in multiple sectors affected by the ban said groups are trying to figure out how to translate their concern to a new administration that has been chilly to lobbying and has limited previous ties to K Street, Washington's center of lobbying.

"There is a clear effort going on on K Street to figure out the right ways to get to the administration to explain to them the negative economic impacts of some of the things they're thinking about doing and are doing," said the lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his clients.

The crafting of Trump's order has been mainly ascribed to his top adviser Steve Bannon and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller. The impetus, according to the White House and the order, has been to fight terrorism and ensure that individuals coming to the country are properly vetted.

Neither Bannon nor Miller have wide connections in Washington, making it difficult for lobbying groups to get their concerns heard on the orders.

"I think the challenge is that it appears to be a very small inner circle who are making these decisions and trying to figure out how to have real contact with that inner circle is challenging," the lobbyist said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. It has defended the rollout of the order, saying those who needed to be included were and that the action was taken with the urgency of security in mind.

At first after the issuance of the order, even permanent legal residents that held US green cards who were born in the seven countries affected were being detained at US airports or turned back. Others with valid visas faced the same fate. The White House has since reversed course and said green card holders are not affected by the order, unless they are flagged for posing a threat, and that others may be allowed in on a case-by-case basis.

But businesses fear that damage may already be done: Employees are unable to leave the country for fear of not being able to return, and potential tourists and clients may choose to avoid the US over concern that they not be let in -- especially given the White House leaving open the possibility of adding more countries.

And in industries like the tech and engineering sector, companies rely heavily on an international talent pool, making preserving high-skilled immigration visas a key concern for their bottom lines.

Trump has made business a key focus of his administration alongside security -- and CEOs are hoping that they can appeal to him on that side of the equation.

Several of his critics are already on Trump's manufacturing or economic committees, which he meets with periodically, and are hoping to use that to their advantage.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick both took to Twitter over the weekend to say they'd bring their and other concerns to Trump directly.

It's not just businesses, either. A raft of conservative and center-right think tanks are making the case that pro-immigration policies are in the whole nation's economic interest.

At a conference on immigration reform held by the pro-market Reason Foundation on Monday, Hoover Institution fellow Tim Kane gave a presentation saying that immigration reform -- done to keep up the legal flow of immigrants into this country -- would be essential if Trump wants to meet his economic goals otherwise.

"Immigration reform will be essential to hit that 4% growth target, because without immigration, you're not going to be able to hit that 4% growth," Kane said, adding that he was optimistic the Trump administration would be on track given its decision to not rescind protections for undocumented immigrants brought here as children in its first week.

Daniel Griswold, a fellow at George Mason University's pro-market Mercatus Center, said in a later panel that the Trump administration could vastly decrease illegal immigration by making it easier to legally hire low-skilled immigrants

"This cost is not trivial," said Ike Brannon, a CATO visiting fellow. "This cost of repealing this is enough money that I think you would probably have to score this (were it to go before Congress), and if you score this, you're going to find you're creating a hole in the federal budget."

Though the White House has indicated deporting DACA recipients is not a priority, an order last week set enforcement priorities for deportation that could include DACA recipients, depending how immigration officers interpret it.

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Businesses, think tanks look to influence Donald Trump with economic message on immigration - CNN

President Donald Trump may be planning to scrapmajor visa programs allowingforeign workers to enter the country in favor of a new system that gives preference to U.S. workers. A draft proposal for an executive order obtained by Bloomberg NewsMonday suggested that the administration's next move would overhaul the U.S.' system for distributing visas to foreign workers, namely the H-1B, L-1, E-2 and B1 programs.

The move comes after Trump's latest controversial executive order restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East over what the White House said were national security concerns. The administration reportedly justified the upcoming order by saying it would protect the jobs of U.S. citizens.

Our countrys immigration policies should be designed and implemented to serve, first and foremost, the U.S. national interest, the draft proposal reads, according to a copy reviewed by Bloomberg. Visa programs for foreign workers should be administered in a manner that protects the civil rights of American workers and current lawful residents, and that prioritizes the protection of American workers -- our forgotten working people -- and the jobs they hold.

The draft required companies using the visa system, which was originally intended to provide visas to companies that could not otherwise find domestic labor, to first hire U.S. workers and, if unable, togive priority to highly paid foreign workers. It also called for greater transparency throughout the process. Under President Barack Obama's administration, access to some of the program's information required a Freedom of Information Act request.

The move would likely result in a major shakeup for Silicon Valley industries heavily dependent on skilled, foreign labor. Trump has accused tech companies of outsourcing jobs to cheaper, international markets, especially India. The current H-1B visa regime, which covers skilled labor, mostly grants visasto companies that practice outsourcing.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have recently introduced legislation also aiming to restrict the H-1B visa program. Democratic Sen. Zoe Lofgren introduced a bill Wednesday tightening the program's requirements, telling CNN that the reform would "avoid this undercutting the wages of American workers." Last week, Republican Sen. Chuck Durbin of Iowa and Democratic Sen.Richard Durbin Of Illinois re-introduced a 2007 bill, targeting companies that "exploit the programs by cutting American workers for cheaper labor."

Others, such as Indian economistSonal Varma ofNomura, have indicated the potential harm that further limits on H-1B visas could have on both the U.S. and Indian economy. She highlighted the massive remittances sent to Indians working in the U.S. Indian tech corporations have argued the current system keeps jobs in the U.S. and that increased obstacles would encourage companies to work remotely rather send workers to the U.S. Others have argued that access to cheap labor makes companies more competitive.

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Immigration Reform 2017: Trump Administration New H-1B Visa Rule Could Hurt High-Skilled Foreign Workers - International Business Times