VISANOW's CIR Perspective
By Robert Meltzer, CEO VISANOW [Bio]
 
In retrospect, it is evident that strides have been made to improve our immigration system in 2009 [See story below - Review of 2009 Immigration Milestones]. Key pieces of legislation have been introduced in Congress, the immigration system is more transparent and efficient than it was before, CIR leaders have been identified and are stepping up, etcetera. However, these accomplishments are mere stepping-stones; our immigration system is still in dire need of a complete overhaul.

At the end of 2009, we were optimistic with the official introduction of a comprehensive immigration reform bill by Rep. Gutierrez and the ongoing CIR momentum. Now, the mood is a bit more somber. We are currently at a standstill, as the recent election of Scott Brown [R-MA] to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat could have dramatic effects on CIR passage. The election of Brown has turned the tides and the GOP now has the power to block healthcare reform from coming to fruition, and potentially send the negotiations back to the drawing board. Any further delays or failure to pass healthcare reform, could spell the downfall for CIR passage -- the ability to get CIR passed will rest upon successful healthcare reform.

While healthcare reform is critical, economic recovery/job creation is also top priority as the unemployment rate continues to hover around 10%. While it may seem counterintuitive to pass CIR with the economy in a slump, research indicates that a path to citizenship for the undocumented and expedited visas for entrepreneurs can drastically improve America’s economy and be a source of job creation [See stories below: CAP/IPC Study: Raising the Floor for American Workers and Polis Introduces Employment Benefit Act].

Nevertheless, the support for CIR remains strong. A recent poll from the Benenson Strategy Group shows that the public is still supportive of immigration reform. Religious leaders are also coming together to show their support for CIR and spread the word among their congregations [See story below: Interfaith Immigration Summit to Reiterate Call for Reform]. Further, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently pledged to promote a more open U.S. immigration policy during his third term.

With the White House’s ambitious agenda of tackling major issues such as healthcare reform, national security, climate change, financial regulation, and economic recovery/job creation in addition to the upcoming November Senate elections – only time will tell which way the pendulum will swing for comprehensive immigration reform. Stay tuned.

Robert C. Meltzer
VISANOW
Chief Executive Officer

Robert C. Meltzer, Esq. has been practicing immigration law for 24 years. He is an author, lecturer and an Adjunct Professor of International Law. Meltzer has long been an immigration reform advocate, which includes local lobbying efforts in the Chicago area.

Review of 2009 Immigration Milestones
While immigration was not reformed in 2009, there were still many milestones throughout the year. While not inclusive, below is a summary of key immigration happenings from 2009:

January
Senator Edward Kennedy stepped down from the Immigration Subcommittee in the Senate stepped down in December 2008, and Senator Charles Schumer replaced him as the Chair of the Immigration Subcommittee

March
DREAM Act reintroduced to give alien students who entered the U.S. as children a path to citizenship by Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] and 22 co-sponsors

April
Sen. Schumer presided over the first Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security: “Road to Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009: Clearing the Hurdles” entitled “Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?”

May

• AgJOBS introduced to improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for aliens in the U.S. by Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] and 17 co-sponsors
•  Sen. Schumer presided over the second Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security: “Road to Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009: Clearing the Hurdles” entitled “Securing the Borders and America's Points of Entry, What Remains to Be Done”

June

• Attorney General Eric Holder reversed Bush-era legislation regarding the Matter of Compean, asserting that immigrants did not have a constitutional right to effective lawyers in their deportation hearings
• Department of Labor altered compensation and housing rules for migrant workers with H-2A visas
• President Obama held an Immigration Summit on Capitol Hill, where he made several announcements meant to increase efficiency, transparency and user-friendliness of the immigration process; such as new appointments (i.e. Janet Napolitano, homeland security secretary, to spearhead an immigration reform) and an enhanced USCIS website
• Reuniting Families Act introduced to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to promote family unity by Rep. Michael Honda [D-CA ] and 79 cosponsors

July

• DHS announced expansion of the 287(g) program, which controversially involves local law enforcement in immigration enforcement
• Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) shifted its worksite enforcement to focus on the prosecution of employers instead of the Bush-era para-military sweep and issued over 600 audit notices
• Sen. Schumer presided over another Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security: “Road to Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009: Clearing the Hurdles” entitled "Ensuring a Legal Workforce: What Changes Should be Made to Our Current Employment Verification System?

September
E-Verify, a web-based employment verification system operated by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), became a requirement for federal contractors and subcontractors to verify the employment eligibility of new hires and any employees working on government contracts

October
Sen. Schumer presided over another Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security: “Road to Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009: Clearing the Hurdles” entitled “Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives”

November

• Congressman Luis Gutierrez in conjunction with Reform Immigration for America held a virtual town hall entitled “Families Freedom and Faith: A Call To Action” with more than 60,000 listeners around the country
• DHS rescinded the Social-Security “no-match” rule, which was intended to help enforce immigration policy and entailed the Social Security Administration (SSA) reporting companies whose employees’ names and social security numbers did not match their W-2 earning reports

December
Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives to overhaul the current immigration system by Luis Gutierrez [D-IL] and Rep. Solomon Ortiz [D-TX] with 92 cosponsors