Hopes of increasing limits on H-1B visa evaporates.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Republican Paul Ryan, the US House of Representative from Wisconsin who has been one of several politicians at the front of the push for comprehensive immigration reform, has echoed what other fellow Republicans have said for the last month: immigration reform in 2014 is dead.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that immigration reform would not be passed in 2014 last month, prompting President Barack Obama to say that he would enact executive orders to pass portions of the bill that he feels are most pressing. Now Ryan is confirming that immigration reform will not be on the House’s docket for the remainder of the 2014 legislative term.
The reason for that, according to what Ryan told the National Review Online, is that Republicans want Congress to focus more on the growing problem of protecting the border, particularly with regards to the influx of unaccompanied minors that are pouring into the US from countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and other South American nations.
Ryan outlined his plan for dealing with not only the new illegal immigrants, but the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the US, saying that he would give them a probationary period in which they could earn a work permit. These workers would pay a fine for entering the country illegally, would have to pass a criminal background check, learn English, and a handful of other things before earning a pathway to citizenship.
This, says Ryan, would not be amnesty, but would be the best option for dealing with people who are already in the country and are helping to service an economy that desperately needs them.
Ryan also argues for an improved guest worker program, which is about as close to the forefront as legal immigration has come over the last few weeks. The controversial aspects of the H-1B cap and other facets of legal immigration have been largely brushed aside in favor of discussing how to fix illegal immigration, leaving many who come to the US for work – namely Indians and Chinese – in limbo.
What remains to be seen is if Obama will follow through on his vow to pass executive orders, and what those orders will be. But as it stands now, it looks like immigration reform is dead in the water until, at least, 2015.
3 Comments
Doing something always doesn’t bring a better result than doing nothing.
Action always doesn’t bring a better result than inaction.
I am not sure why people don’t understand that. Public policy is not math where 1+1=2. There are many uncontrollable factors to consider.
Illegal aliens are living in shadow. Living in shadow is the price for they are paying for their unlawful acts. There is consequence for action for everybody.
Going back to their own country or living in shadow here are up to them. It’s not our responsibility.
Why do not they do that?
That would help the 11 million people and also across the country.
And it would also extend the 11 million.
Only want and do nothing, these are just words.
Deeds please just showing what they really want.
I see just hot air
How can it be dead when it wasn’t alive in the first place?
GOP obstructionism has to end. House republicans and their endless excuses to do nothing, get rid of this useless rubbish.
Next year when it comes time to deal with this issue again, republicans will come up with more bullshit.