VISANOW's IR Perspective
By Robert Meltzer, CEO VISANOW [Bio]
 
The IR momentum from last month remains strong as this month can also be characterized as encouraging and progressive – a tone set forth from Capitol Hill. The Obama administration reiterated its intention of tackling IR this session of Congress in Secretary Napolitano first major speech since she had been tasked by President Obama to lead the immigration overhaul back in July [see story below: Napolitano Reiterates IR Commitment for 2010]. Prior to this speech, Napolitano previously seemed focused solely on the enforcement aspect of immigration reform, but during her speech she depicted comprehensive IR as a “three-legged stool,” with enforcement as just one element. While the current headlines of 1,000 more companies to be audited and 25,000 on-site H-1B inspections to be expected during this new fiscal year – it is clear that the Napolitano is executing much more than just lip service and that the White House truly means business about enforcement. While the increased enforcement and preparation with 20,000 more on Border Patrol and 600 miles of border fencing may seem questionable, this preparation is actually setting the foundation for immigration reform debate in 2010. Improving enforcement now will prove to critics and the American public that the government has proper enforcement mechanisms in place when the IR debate actually starts – a critique that was partly responsible for the failure of the 2007 IR debates.

Further, Napolitano’s speech never mentioned the word “amnesty” that plagued previous IR campaigns. She was very clear about a fair yet tough path towards legalization, and highlighted its benefits. In addition, the Immigration Policy Institute also recently released a study showing the positive effectives of the IRCA legalization and correlates these positive affects to the potential 2010 legalization program [see story below: Immigration Policy Institute Study: Back to the Future - The Impact of Legalization Then and Now].

Just a few days after Napolitano’s milestone speech, Representative Luis Gutierrez publicly announced that he will unveil his bill to Congress next month during a virtual town hall that drew thousands of supporters [see story below: Gutierrez Announces December Timing for IR Bill at Virtual Town Hall]. This would be a major milestone for IR, as no comprehensive IR bill has yet to be introduced to Congress.

On a final note, while the IR momentum is strong, the fate of the undocumented immigrant’s access to healthcare still remains undecided. The Senate now brings healthcare reform to full debate on the floor of the Senate [see story below: Healthcare Access Still in Question for the Undocumented], and only time will tell if the undocumented’s healthcare access will be a concession to advance healthcare reform passage.

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.

Napolitano Reiterates IR Commitment for 2010
In her first major speech on the overhaul, Ms. Napolitano spoke at the Center for American Progress (CAP) on November 13 to reiterate the White House’s commitment to IR and passage in 2010. To dispel any rumors, she proclaimed that IR would not be postponed to after the midterm elections (November 2010). Further, Napolitano summarized the key elements of a successful comprehensive immigration reform plan as a “three-legged stool,” including: 1) serious and effective enforcement laws against the undocumented and employers who hire them 2) improved future legal flows for family and workers with a streamlined immigration system 3) tough and fair pathway to earned legal status. Napolitano also highlighted the benefits of a legalization program as enhancing national security and protecting American workers from unfair competition from lower-paid, easily exploited undocumented immigrants.