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WASHINGTON: As Americans go to the polls on Tuesday (Nov 4) to choose their elected officials at the mid-term elections, reform of the broken immigration system remains an unfinished item on the agenda.

Two years ago, a bipartisan group of US Senators proposed legislation to address the estimated 11 million people living in the United States without proper documentation. It is an issue motivating a variety of American voters, starting with the Latino community. Latino voters have spoken out, demonstrated and even been arrested in their attempts to convince the US Congress that America's immigration laws must be reformed and updated.

"I'll be really looking carefully at who I'm gonna be passing my vote to because immigration reform is something that affects our Latino community directly and myself. And I'll be looking carefully for whom I'm gonna vote in terms of immigration reform, and which candidate is really going to compromise so they can finalise this process, said Rosalia Fajardo, a voter.

Brent Wilkes, from the League of United Latin American Citizens, said: "I think that Latinos see immigration as something that is very specific to their communities and that they take personally, and when people are insulting about immigrants or immigration like the way politicians often have in this country, they take it personally. And I think its a very important part of what's on their minds as Latinos go to the polls this November."

But immigration reform would not just impact America's large Latino community. Asia and especially India takes a special interest in the issue due to their ties to the booming Silicon Valley - and there are just not enough engineers to write computer and software code. "Companies are always complaining that they can't find enough qualified candidates to do the jobs that they need to get done here. So, the easiest way to do that is to look around the world - its a global workforce, said Professor Madhu Rao, Chair of the Department of Management in Seattle University.

The problem in America is that tech workers need a special visa - the H1B - to come to the US, and only about 65,000 are available each year. "But that's actually a very small number compared to what the industry needs, so right now that is a big constraint. So, we're pulling in maybe half of that from India, said Professor Rao.

One problem is that the H1-B visas are so valuable to tech workers outside the United States, some of the workers come to America only to be defrauded and treated poorly. Another problem is that for employers who want to do the right thing, the current immigration system is so complex that the H1-B visa process is not worth the trouble.

Matthew Allen from tech recruitment company Vertical Move, said: "We work with a lot of small companies that want to want to hire these people but cost is a significant issue for them, they just don't want to make the investments in dealing with immigration law. And many companies don't know how to get around and navigate in dealing with H1Bs or even green cards. So really, it just comes down to politics and the complexities of the immigration system."

For voters, immigration reform sometimes makes the top five of issues most important to them. But for campaigners, it is clear that the time has come because so many have a stake in the outcome.

Jorge Lima from The LIBRE Initiative, said: "We definitely are at a point where immigration reform cannot be ignored. I mean the community wants it, there's a huge broad coalition even outside of the Hispanic community, business owners, the religious community are all coming together, and even the tech industry is coming together and saying there is a need for this immigration reform. So I don't think its possible for the White House or the Congress to ignore it.

Read the original here:
US voters hope for immigration system reform

WASHINGTON: As Americans go to the polls on Tuesday (Nov 4) to choose their elected officials at the mid-term elections, reform of the broken immigration system remains an unfinished item on the agenda.

Two years ago, a bipartisan group of US Senators proposed legislation to address the estimated 11 million people living in the United States without proper documentation. It is an issue motivating a variety of American voters, starting with the Latino community. Latino voters have spoken out, demonstrated and even been arrested in their attempts to convince the US Congress that America's immigration laws must be reformed and updated.

"I'll be really looking carefully at who I'm gonna be passing my vote to because immigration reform is something that affects our Latino community directly and myself. And I'll be looking carefully for whom I'm gonna vote in terms of immigration reform, and which candidate is really going to compromise so they can finalise this process, said Rosalia Fajardo, a voter.

Brent Wilkes, from the League of United Latin American Citizens, said: "I think that Latinos see immigration as something that is very specific to their communities and that they take personally, and when people are insulting about immigrants or immigration like the way politicians often have in this country, they take it personally. And I think its a very important part of what's on their minds as Latinos go to the polls this November."

But immigration reform would not just impact America's large Latino community. Asia and especially India takes a special interest in the issue due to their ties to the booming Silicon Valley - and there are just not enough engineers to write computer and software code. "Companies are always complaining that they can't find enough qualified candidates to do the jobs that they need to get done here. So, the easiest way to do that is to look around the world - its a global workforce, said Professor Madhu Rao, Chair of the Department of Management in Seattle University.

The problem in America is that tech workers need a special visa - the H1B - to come to the US, and only about 65,000 are available each year. "But that's actually a very small number compared to what the industry needs, so right now that is a big constraint. So, we're pulling in maybe half of that from India, said Professor Rao.

One problem is that the H1-B visas are so valuable to tech workers outside the United States, some of the workers come to America only to be defrauded and treated poorly. Another problem is that for employers who want to do the right thing, the current immigration system is so complex that the H1-B visa process is not worth the trouble.

Matthew Allen from tech recruitment company Vertical Move, said: "We work with a lot of small companies that want to want to hire these people but cost is a significant issue for them, they just don't want to make the investments in dealing with immigration law. And many companies don't know how to get around and navigate in dealing with H1Bs or even green cards. So really, it just comes down to politics and the complexities of the immigration system."

For voters, immigration reform sometimes makes the top five of issues most important to them. But for campaigners, it is clear that the time has come because so many have a stake in the outcome.

Jorge Lima from The LIBRE Initiative, said: "We definitely are at a point where immigration reform cannot be ignored. I mean the community wants it, there's a huge broad coalition even outside of the Hispanic community, business owners, the religious community are all coming together, and even the tech industry is coming together and saying there is a need for this immigration reform. So I don't think its possible for the White House or the Congress to ignore it.

See more here:
US voters hopeful for immigration system reform

WASHINGTON (CNN) -

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Sunday comprehensive immigration reform will be the top priority if Republicans take control of the Senate.

"You are going to see a bill actually reach the desk of the president if we finally have someone besides Harry Reid sitting in the Senate," the former Massachusetts governor said on "Fox News Sunday."

His comment was challenged by the host, who reminded him that "after the Senate, on a bipartisan basis, passed comprehensive immigration reform, House Republicans blocked it".

Romney did not budge, explaining the rationale for blocking the bill.

"I think the Republicans in the House were looking at what was coming up from the Senate and saying: 'You know we can do better if we pick up some more seats in the Senate.'"

Republicans did not do well with winning Latino votes in 2012 elections and the GOP's 2012 self-assessment criticized the party's outreach to Latino voters.

"We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform," it said. "If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink," the RNC said after the 2012 election.

Romney said the GOP is better prepared to deal with immigration this time around. "You are going to see a provision first of all, to secure the border, second of all, to deal with those who have come here illegally and third to make sure that our immigration policies are more open and transparent to the many people who do want to come here legally," Romney said.

While he said he wouldn't predict if Republicans were going to "win the Senate," he said he's confident Republicans will "pick up a lot of seats."

Original post:
Comprehensive reform would be top priority

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Sunday comprehensive immigration reform will be the top priority if Republicans take control of the Senate.

"You are going to see a bill actually reach the desk of the president if we finally have someone besides Harry Reid sitting in the Senate," the former Massachusetts governor said on "Fox News Sunday."

His comment was challenged by the host, who reminded him that "after the Senate, on a bipartisan basis, passed comprehensive immigration reform, House Republicans blocked it".

Romney did not budge, explaining the rationale for blocking the bill.

"I think the Republicans in the House were looking at what was coming up from the Senate and saying: 'You know we can do better if we pick up some more seats in the Senate.'"

Republicans did not do well with winning Latino votes in 2012 elections and the GOP's 2012 self-assessment criticized the party's outreach to Latino voters.

"We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform," it said. "If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink," the RNC said after the 2012 election.

Romney said the GOP is better prepared to deal with immigration this time around. "You are going to see a provision first of all, to secure the border, second of all, to deal with those who have come here illegally and third to make sure that our immigration policies are more open and transparent to the many people who do want to come here legally," Romney said.

While he said he wouldn't predict if Republicans were going to "win the Senate," he said he's confident Republicans will "pick up a lot of seats."

Regardless, Romney says Republicans will be better equipped to deal with the issue of immigration after midterm elections. "We have a lot better prospect of having a piece of legislation which deals with the issue in a way I described it."

See more here:
Romney: GOP will pass immigration reforms

In this June 13, 2013 photo, U.S. Border Patrol agent Jerry Conlin looks out over Tijuana, Mexico, behind, along the old border wall of the U.S. - Mexico border, where it ends at the base of a hill in San Diego.

Image: Gregory Bull/Associated Press

By Colin Daileda2014-11-03 02:55:09 UTC

In July of this year, a Gallup poll reported that one in six Americans thought immigration was the most important problem facing the United States. Yet, in the lead-up to the 2014 midterm elections, candidates have barely brought immigration reform to the debate table.

Instead, the war of rhetoric between Republicans and Democrats has been waged over other longstanding issues, such as job growth and healthcare reform, as well as issues of the moment, including how to contain Ebola and combat Islamic State extremists who are taking over large swaths of Iraq and Syria.

This reality is odd, given the attention surrounding U.S. President Barack Obama's ever-evolving pledges to reform immigration policy, the country's growing Latino population, the constant political back-and-forth over "border security" and the fact that the Senate passed a major immigration overhaul just last year only to watch the House of Representatives decide to overlook the bill. One would think candidates would at least be holding debates about the issue.

But Democrats have put down their immigration swords for the 2014 midterms, deeming the issue a lost cause this year, according to Elaine Kamarck, senior governance studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, a bipartisan think tank. Voters during midterms tend to be older and whiter, groups that are not commonly associated with being gung-ho about immigration reform, Kamarck told Mashable. The Democratic Party also made a clear decision not to raise the issue after primaries because it "would hurt vulnerable Democrats," she said.

Republicans haven't picked up swords of their own, because doing so might invite criticism no matter what stance they took, Ari Ratner, a fellow at the New America Foundation, told Mashable. If they push for reform, the party's more conservative elements may stop supporting them. If they don't, their voters may lash out at the polls.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, right, reacts to an answer by Republican challenger Scott Brown during a live televised debate hosted by New England Cable News, the Concord Monitor and the University of New Hampshire at the Capitol Center for the Arts, on Oct. 21.

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What happened to the debate over immigration reform?