Subject: HQ NR #9510: Update On Blocking Anti-Immigration Bill Efforts

From: [email-masked] (ifcss)
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 95 02:18:18 GMT

For Immediate Release

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                    _________  August 3, 1995  __________

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1. Update Information of Coalitions' Efforts on Blocking the Anti-Immigra-
tion Bills in the U.S. Congress

During Monday's Coalition Conference,   latest   developments  of Campaign
strategy   evolved after thoroughful discussions and debates among several 
dozens of national ethnic groups, immigration-related firms  and   strate-
gists in politics. Three major approaches will be undertaken for the lobby 
during the coming congressional recess:
 
  1) Split the House Bill H.R. 1915 into two separate bills,   that is, to
separate the portions regarding legal and illegal immigration (immigrants) 
into two parts. Considering the roaring waves of anti-illegal immigration, 
the coalitions will put emphases mainly on parts regarding legal  immigra-
tion and the benefits of legal immigrants including employment  opportuni-
ties.   IFCSS Task   Focre has put this   inputs in some of sample letters
released in NR #9509. Accordingly, The coalitions will try to block    any
attempts in Senate for combining the two existing bills (including Simpson
's) into one;

  2). Propose amendments to the bills. Several ones  have   already   been
drafted by immigration experts;

  3). Slow down the legislation process. This was successfully achieved in 
the past weeks for pushing H.R. 1915 to be postponed till mid-September. 

  IFCSS President Xing Zheng talked with Cecilia Munoze of   NCLR,   Frank 
Shary of NIF, Jeanne A. Buttefield of American   Immigration  Association, 
Karen K. Narasakii of National Asian Pacific Legal Consortium, John Fredk-
sson of Lutheran Immigration Service, etc., for consultation of    several
technical questions,  expressed grave  concerns   of over  100,000 Chinese
students and scholars in this country on the  anit-immigration move of the
Congress based on inaccurate judgment, and  promised that    grassroots of 
CSS community will participate in the  joint   efforts   along with allies
throughout the nation.

                          *   *   *   *   *

2. "National Lobby Day" for protesting anti-immigration bills has been ten-
tatively scheduled on September 11 to 12. Several hundreds of persons from 
each organization are expected, from national  alliances,    to  gather in 
Capitol Hill. IFCSS Task Force appeals to CSS close to Washington, D.C. to 
come to Capitol Hill with signs, for joining in the rally.    More details 
will be relased upon update news available.

                          *   *   *   *   *

3. IFCSS Headquarters and Task Force has started the process  of  lobbying 
the    corporations and institutions, with draft letter completed to their 
chief executive and personnel officials. The Headquarters welcomes  grass-
roots CSS to join in the same action. Draft letters will be available upon
request. Please  send  your mail to:   [email-masked],   [email-masked] or
[email-masked].

                          *   *   *   *   *

4. IFCSS Task Force has compiled two lists of   "talking & writing points" 
which might be useful when CSS want to address some of them in their writ-
ings, or talking to, congress members or news media.     These  points are
categorized into two sets, dealing with employment-based and family union-
based immigrations, respectively. Please feel free to   distribute   these 
materials to local public nets. 

              -------------------------------------

I. Preliminary Issues of CSS' Concerns on Employment-Based Immigration

1). Outstanding researchers and Professors:   H.R.  1915  eliminates  the   
special priority category for "outsanding" researchers   (and professors) 
that provides them with first priority for employment-based   visas   and 
exempts their employers from costly and time-consuming labor   certifica-
tion if their "outstanding" status is established.

2). Professionals and skilled workers: H.R. 1915 would deny U.S.   emplo-
yers access to professionals and skilled  workers   unless   they have at 
least five years and seven years of experience respectively.   Imposition 
of these arbitrary experience requirements will    deny  U.S.   employers 
access to highly talented individuals and many professonals  and  skilled 
workers who have current familiarity with specific new  technologies  and
processes that are of immediate commercial value.

3). National Interest Waivers: H.R. 1915 eliminates the possibility of  a 
waiver of costly labor certification for employers of professionals  with
advanced degrees whose immigration is found to  be   "in   the   national 
interest." U.S. employers should not be arbitrarily required to undertake 
labor certification where the immigration of an advanced degree   profes-
sional is so obviously in the national interest that it can be  certified 
as such.

4). H-1B nonimmigrants: H.R. 1915 reduces some restrictions on  employers 
use of H-1B nonimmigrant professionals,   but   allows    continued Labor 
Department inferference through unnecessary regulations and requirements. 
U.S. employers need to have clear rules that they can comply   with   and 
protection when they are in such compliance. Employers who are not   "de-
pendent" on H-1B nonimmigrants should be exampt from most of  the   Labor 
Department regulations and the entire process should be streamlined   for 
them.

5). Employment-Based visas taken for  family   immigration:   H.R.   1915 
permits the reduction of employment-based annual admission in     certain
categories if there is an "excess" in family immigration categories in  a   
given year. American employers and families should not compete for    the    
same visas, and employment-based visas should be available for     family
immigrants only if there is a surplus in a given year.

6). Employment authorization verfication: H.R. 1915 reduces the number of
documents that employers may accept as evidence of employment  authoriza-   
tion but depends on the ability of government agencies to reduce the time
necessary to provide such documents from months to days. Many   employers 
may have to wait weeks or months to lawfully employ U.S.    workers   and 
legal migrants. H.R. 1915 also establishes "pilot programs" to test a new
government employment registry that would require thousands of  employers 
to obtain government clearance for all new hires.

7). Adult children of employment-based immigrants: H.R. 1915   eliminates 
family immigration by adult sons and daughters of   U.S.   citizens   and 
lawful permanent residents, which will prohibit many     employment-based 
immigrants from sponsoring their immidiate families to the U.S.

8). Skilled worker restrictions: H.R. 1915 will   deny   U.S.   employers 
access to skilled workers by accepting Labor Department definitions    of
specific occupations that declare them to be "unskilled"     occupations,   
which are to be eliminated from employment immigration. U.S.    employers
need rational definitions of skilled occupations based on real      world
conditions and the opportunity to sponsor needed international personnel.

                      ---------------------------

II. Preliminary Issues of CSS' Concerns on Family Immigration and     Due
Process

1). Family immigration cap: H.R. 1915 creates a hard cap of    330,000 on  
family immigration. The cap would create immediate backlogs for   spouses 
and minor children of lawful permanent residents, and   would even create
potential backlogs for  immigration   by   spouses,   minor children, and 
parents of U.S. citizens. This arbitary limit should be removed.

2). Adult children immigration:   it completely eliminates immigration by
unmarried and married adult children of U.S. citizens and lawful    resi-
dents. These preference categories should be restored.

3). Parent immigration: it restricts the ability of    U.S.   citizens to 
unite with parents by limiting such immigration to 50,000, requiring that 
at least 50% of the children reside in the U.S., and imposing an unprece-
dented requirement of the purchase of full health insurance before   par-
ental immigration is allowed. This restriction should be removed.

4). Backlog reduction and fairness: it devotes only 50,000 visas per year 
for 5 years to the reduction of the current 1.1 million backlog of  spou-
 ses and children of lawful permanent residents.   This   backlog must be 
resolved in a more efficient fashion with additional numbers. In additon, 
there must be fairness for those who have been waiting in   siblings  and 
adult children backlogs, who will be prevented from immigrating in  spite 
of waiting lawfully for years.

5). Secret evidence/tribunal: it creates a new secret tribunal that   can 
use secret evidence to deport so-called "alien terrorists"   who have not 
been accused or convicted of breaking any law whatsoever.   It's unprece-
dented and unconstitutional.

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