Ashford: Republicans, Democrats need to work together on immigration reform
Brad Ashford says he can already see the next great debate coming in congress - immigration reform.
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Ashford: Republicans, Democrats need to work together on immigration reform - Video
Immigration Reform Press Conference
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Immigration Reform Press Conference - Video
New Delhi: US President Barack Obama has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will look into India's concerns on the H-1B visa issue as part of his comprehensive immigration reform, US officials said on Monday.
President Obama told Prime Minister Modi that his administration would be in touch with the Indian government on issues related to H-1B visas, popular among Indian techies.
"I think what the President indicated is this is the type of issue (H-1B) that we have approached through the context of comprehensive immigration reform and so, given his ongoing efforts to work with Congress in pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform, we would be incorporating these types of issues in that process and would be in touch with the Indian government as that moved forward," Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told US reporters travelling with President Obama.
"They (PM Modi and President Obama) discussed the ongoing discussions around immigration reform in the United States where there are so many Indian-American and Indian immigrants," he said.
"The Indian government raised the issue, as they regularly do. It usually does include the H-1B visa issue.
Indians are working in the information technology sector in the United States, as well as broader India presence in the United States, people who are there on a temporary basis working," Mr Rhodes said.
In November last year, President Obama had bypassed the Congress to announce the most sweeping reform to fix America's "broken" immigration system to protect millions of illegal workers from deportation.
The plan would let parents of US citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the country temporarily, without the threat of deportation. The measure would apply to those who have been in the US for the last five years.
The executive action, said to be one of the largest measure by a US President on immigration, is expected to help a significant number of Indian techies who currently have to undergo a painful process of H-1B visas to get Lawful Permanent Resident status (LPR), popularly known as the Green Card.
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Obama Assures Attention to India's H-1B Visa Concerns
The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Jan 26, 2015, 08.14PM IST
President Barack Obama has assured Prime MinisterNarendraModithat he will look into India's concerns on theH-1Bvisa issue as part of his comprehensive immigration reform.
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Obama told Prime Minister Modi that his administration would be in touch with the Indian government on issues related to H-1B visas, popular among Indian techies.
"I think what the President indicated is this is the type of issue (H-1B) that we have approached through the context of comprehensive immigration reform and so, given his ongoing efforts to work with Congress in pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform, we would be incorporating these types of issues in that process and would be in touch with the Indian government as that moved forward," Deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes told US reporters travelling with Obama.
"They (Modi and Obama) discussed the ongoing discussions around immigration reform in the United States where there are so many Indian-American and Indian immigrants," he said.
US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Indian government raised the issue, as they regularly do. It usually does include the H-1B visa issue. Indians are working in the high-tech sector in the United States, as well as broader India presence in the United States, people who are there on a temporary basis working," Rhodes said.
In November last year, President Obama had bypassed the Congress to announce the most sweeping reform to fix America's "broken" immigration system to protect millions of illegal workers from deportation.
The plan would let parents of US citizens and legal permanent residents remain in the country temporarily, without the threat of deportation. The measure would apply to those who have been in the US for last five years.
The executive action, said to be one of the largest measure by a US President on immigration, is expected to help a significant number of Indian techies who currently have to undergo a painful and agonising process of H-1B visas to get legal permanent status (LPR), popularly known as Green Card.
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Obama assures Modi on concerns over H-1B visa issue
On the first of two days of her historic confirmation hearings, U.S. Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch was grilled by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday on same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, prison sentencing reforms and her similarities to her would-be predecessor, Attorney General Eric Holder. But it was President Barack Obamas recent executive action on immigration, a flashpoint issue for the GOP, that dominated the hearing. If confirmed, Lynch would become the first African American woman to lead the Justice Department.
Lynch told the Senate panel that while she wasn't involved in advising Obama's executive actions -- an order offering millions of undocumented immigrants work permits and multiyear postponements of deportation proceedings -- "I don't see any reason to doubt the reasonableness of those views." GOP leaders have increasingly expressed frustration for months over the White House's immigration policies, with some suggesting that any tone deafness from Lynch could derail her confirmation.
The first questions on the immigration policy came at the top of the hearing from committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who asked Lynch whether there was a legal framework for Obama's delayed deportation plan announced in November. "I have had occasion to look at the Office of Legal Counsel opinion through which the Department of Homeland Security sought legal guidance there, as well as some of the letters from constitutional scholars who've looked at the similar issue. And certainly it seems to be a reasonable discussion of legal precedent," Lynch said.
Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the most aggressive of the Republican committee members at Wednesday's hearing, questioned whether legal issues would arise if immigrants who came into the country unlawfully were denied equal treatment by employers who preferred to hire American citizens. Lynch told Sessions he had raised an "important point" about the employment status of undocumented immigrants, but she did not directly answer the question, deferring it for further legal review. The "right to work is shared by everyone in this country regardless of how they came here," Lynch said. She later clarified that comment, sayingshe did not believe undocumented immigrants had the right to work in the U.S.
Lynch is best known for her work in the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of New York, where, among other accomplishments, she cracked down on American businessmen who exploited undocumented immigrants at a chain of convenience stores. In 2013, Lynch announced the arrests of several 7-Eleven store operators on charges including harboring dozens of immigrants, falsifying their identities and stealing their wages. These [store operators] ruthlessly exploited their immigrant employees, stealing their wages and requiring them to live in unregulated boardinghouses, in effect creating a modern-day plantation system, Lynch said in a statement announcing the charges. As this case shows, we are committed to preserving the rule of law and protecting our communities from the abuses of corrupt businessmen seeking to gain illegal advantage."
Early outside reactions to Lynchs first day before the Senate panel were divided. Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said Lynch said all the right things to establish her credentials. Loretta Lynchs testimony today once again demonstrated the impeccable record, unwavering commitment to public service and thoughtful consideration of the issues, Henderson said in a statement released Wednesday. Her pledge to be an independent attorney general to protect and defend our Constitution, to safeguard our people, and to stand as the leader and public servant that they deserve shows the approach she will take to uphold the law for all Americans.
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Immigration Reform 2015: Obama Immigrant Actions Backed By Loretta Lynch During Attorney General Nomination Hearing