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Byron York

Gallup recently asked adults around the country a very simple question about immigration: Are you satisfied, or dissatisfied, with the level of immigration into the United States today? Are too many immigrants coming? Too few? Or is the number just about right?

Before giving the results, it's important to note what that number is. The U.S. awards legal permanent resident status a green card, which means lifetime residency plus the option of citizenship to about 1 million people per year, a rate Sen. Marco Rubio calls "the most generous" on Earth. In addition, the government hands out more than a half-million student and exchange visas each year, tens of thousands of refugee admissions, and about 700,000 visas to temporary workers and their families. The percentage of foreign-born people in the U.S. population is heading toward levels not seen since the period of 1890 to 1910.

So is that too much, or too little? Gallup found that 47 percent of Americans believe the level of immigration should stay where it is. Thirty-nine percent want to see it decreased. And just 7 percent want it increased. (The remaining 7 percent said they don't know.)

Put another way, 86 percent of Americans would like immigration into this country to remain at today's level or to decrease, versus 7 percent who want to see it increase.

"Americans wish to see current record immigration rates lowered, not raised," said the office of Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has opposed comprehensive immigration reform measures on Capitol Hill. "Yet the president's 'Gang of Eight' immigration bill ... doubles the number of annual guest workers and triples the number of green cards over the next 10-year period."

Given public opinion, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the bill did not become law.

Gallup did not ask about immigrants who are already in the United States illegally. But a Wall Street Journal poll touched on that question just before the State of the Union speech, asking respondents which issues should be "an absolute priority for the Obama administration and this year's Congress." On the list was "passing immigration legislation that would create a pathway to U.S. citizenship for foreigners who are currently staying illegally in the United States." It ranked 12th out of 15 possible priorities, with just 39 percent calling it a must-do.

Another immigration-related option, passing reform "that would do more to secure our southern border with Mexico," ranked much higher, with 58 percent of respondents calling it an absolute priority.

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Public opinion left out of picture in Obama immigration drive

A federal judge in Texas is expected soon to rule on a lawsuit to block President Barack Obama's immigration measures.The suit, filed by a group of Republican governors and state attorneys general, asserts that Obama overstepped his constitutional powers by ordering the Department of Homeland Security to hold off on deporting millions of undocumented immigrants who meet specific criteria. The governors have argued that the GOP-controlled Congress is the only body that can alter immigration laws and that letting Obama's measures remain in place would inflict financial damage in their states.

Several attorneys who submitted friend-of-the-court briefs opposing the lawsuit said Tuesday the ruling could come as early as next week. The Obama administration has defended the executive action, reasoning that Republican members of the current and last Congresses refused to work with the president on a plan that included a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

In November -- shortly after the 2104 elections -- Obama announced executive actions that defer the deportation of nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants and extend work permits to many of them. Those measures add to a 2012 program that defers deportation for undocumented immigrants who were children when they arrived in the U.S., as well as their parents. Federal officials will begin accepting applications for the newest program on Feb. 18.

Judge Andrew Hanen, who heard arguments last month in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, is likely to throw the case out because of some of the plaintiff states had not proven substantial harm would be inflicted by Obamas executive action, wrote David Leopold, past president and general counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, in op-ed for the Huffington Post last week. The Obama administration had been on track to deport approximately 400,000 undocumented immigrants per year, a stark contrast to the pro-amnesty image some conservatives have given to the president, Leopold wrote.

The states involved in the lawsuit include the Mexico border states Texas and Arizona, as well as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

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Immigration Reform 2015: Obama Illegal Immigrant Lawsuit Ruling Could Come Soon In Texas Court

No comprehensive immigration reform until 2017? - Arizona Republic The political climate in Congress is a far cry from 2013, when the Senate approved a bipartisan bill to overhaul the immigration system. With President Obama's executive order unpopular with Republicans and bickering over Homeland Security funding, any compromise seems far off. From the story: "Immigration-reform advocates now say their best hope for reforms such as a pathway to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants already in the country hinges on the 2016 elections: A new president will be elected and Democrats have an opportunity to win back the Senate."

Jeh Johnson to Congress: Stop tying immigration fight to DHS funding - Washington Post In an interview, Department of Homeland Secretary called on lawmakers to fun his agency in a way that is "separate and apart" from immigration policies. From the story: "DHSis currently funded through Feb. 27, as Congress continues to fight over a funding bill for the agency. Republicans are seeking to use a new spending bill to punish President Obama for his executive actions on immigration. Democrats are blocking GOP efforts to roll back the presidents actions."

Immigration furor may thwart push to expand tax credit - The Hill A White House-backed proposal to expand tax credits for the working poor faces resistance. From the story: "In his latest budget, Obama proposed giving adults without children greater access to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a benefit that in some cases gives working families refunds from the government...But as a Senate hearing this week showed, the strident debate over Obamas move late last year to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation could undercut any efforts for EITC expansion."

Sweden's Immigrant Influx Unleashes A Backlash - NPR On rising anti-immigrant tension as the country, once welcoming of immigrants, has accepted a growing number of refugees from Iraq and Syria. From the story: "Across Europe, far-right anti-immigrant parties are gaining political power. This is true from the Slavic countries to the British Isles, and from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. The change has been especially dramatic in Sweden, which for decades has been known for its openness and tolerance."

In Southern California, generations of immigrants are creating an evolving definition of "American." Multi-American is your source for news, conversation and insight on this emerging regional and national identity.

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In immigration news: No legisltive overhaul in sight, Homeland Security funding battle, more

(PRWEB) February 10, 2015

Attorney Nataliya Rymer from the Philadelphia office of the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP will speak at Temple University on Immigration Options for Graduates: A Guide to Graduating with a Visa, Feb. 12, 2015, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The session will include an overview on temporary visa options, permanent residence options, and a discussion on what steps to take in advance of graduation, as well as an update on the presidents executive action and immigration reform.

Rymer represents a wide range of clients from startup entities to higher education and research institutions, to Fortune 100 multi-national corporations including women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses. She works with her clients to develop and execute comprehensive immigration strategies to meet their global staffing needs, positioning them for growth as entrepreneurs in a competitive global economy.

About Greenberg Traurig's Business Immigration & Compliance Group

Greenberg Traurig's Business Immigration and Compliance Group is a full-service business immigration practice representing businesses, organizations, and individuals from around the world on a wide range of immigration-related matters. The group has achieved international recognition for legal advocacy, results-oriented service, and responsiveness to its clients. Greenberg Traurig's Inside Business Immigration blog addresses the latest developments affecting employers, including the E-Verify program, Form I-9 compliance, Department of Labor issues (H-1B, H-2B and LCA), identity fraud in the workplace, electronic Forms I-9s, EB-5 investor regional center compliance, and ICE worksite enforcement audits.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from 37 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is among the Power Elite in the 2014 BTI Client Relationship Scorecard report, which assesses the nature and strength of law firms' client relationships. For additional information, please visit http://www.gtlaw.com.

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Greenberg Traurigs Nataliya Rymer to Speak on Immigration Options for Graduates

President Obama Speech in Las Vegas Signing Immigration reform Executive Order 2015
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