Thread: Urgent ALERT! DREAM Act, SKIL Act, H-1B/H-2B Visas

Information and Action Alert!!!

This is an urgent alert based upon an alert from www.NumbersUSA.com.

The same Senators who pushed amnesty earlier this year - and lost - are now trying to sneak amnesty for illegal aliens under the radar. They are trying to attach the Dream Act amnesty to the Department of Defense authorization bill.They are also trying to take high tech jobs away from American workers and give them to foreign workers. Today (Friday) and Monday, please:

1. Call the Senate switchboard at: 202-224-3121

2. Ask for your Senator. (You can find the names of your Senators and all their contact info at: numbersusa.com/myMembers)

3. Tell the person who answers that you are calling to ask the Senator to vote NO next week on three measures that are being considered for the Defense Authorization bill.

a. Vote NO on Amendment 2237 that would attach the Dream Act Amnesty.

b. Vote NO on any measure to increase H-1B visas and permanent green cards for foreign workers to take jobs from skilled American workers and students.

c. Vote NO on any attempt to increase H-2B visas for seasonal foreign workers to take jobs from America's most vulnerable workers.

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Talking points on the Dream Act
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The DREAM Act (Amendment 2237 to the Defense Authorization bill) is a nightmare. It is a massive amnesty that extends to the millions of illegal aliens who entered the United States before the age of 16. There is no upper age limit.

Any illegal alien can walk into a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office and declare that he is eligible. For example, a 45 year old can claim that he illegally entered the United States 30 years ago at the age of 15. There is no requirementthat the alien prove that he entered the United States at the claimed time by providing particular documents. The DREAM Act's Section 4(a) merely requires him to "demonstrate" that he is eligible - which in practice could mean simply making a sworn statement to that effect. Thus, it is an invitation for just about every illegal alien to fraudulently claim the amnesty.

The alien then has six years to adjust his status from a conditional green card holder to a non-conditional one. To do so, he need only complete two years of study at an institution of higher education, including any vocational school. If the alien has already completed two years of study, he can convert to non-conditional status immediately (and use his green card as a platform to sponsor parents and other family members).

As an alternative to two years of study, he can enlist in the U.S. military for two years. This provision allows Senator Durbin to claim that the DREAM Act is somehow germane to the defense authorization bill.

An illegal alien who applies for the DREAM Act amnesty gets to count his years under "conditional" green card status toward the five years needed for citizenship. On top of that, the illegal alien could claim" retroactive benefits" and start the clock running the day that the DREAM Act is enacted.

In combination, these two provisions put illegal aliens on a high-speed track to U.S. citizenship - moving from illegal alien to U.S. citizen in as little as five years. Lawfully present aliens, meanwhile, must follow a slower path to citizenship.

It would be absurdly easy for just about any illegal alien - even one who does not qualify for the amnesty - to evade the law. According to Section 4(f) of the DREAM Act, once an alien files an application - any application, no matter how ridiculous - the federal government is prohibited from deporting him.

Moreover, with few exceptions, federal officers are prohibited from either using information from the application to deport the alien or sharing that information with another federal agency, under threat of up to $10,000 fine. Thus, an alien's admission that he has violated federal immigration law cannot be used against him - even if he never had any chance of qualifying for the DREAM Act amnesty in the first place.

The DREAM Act also allows illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition rates at public universities, discriminating against U.S. citizens from out of state and law-abiding foreign students.

The DREAM Act also makes the illegal aliens eligible for federal student loans and federal work-study programs - another benefit that law-abiding foreign students cannot receive - all at taxpayer expense.

A consistent theme emerges: Illegal aliens are treated much more favorably than aliens who follow the law. There is no penalty for illegal behavior.

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Talking Points to Prevent Attaching Provisions of the SKIL Act
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Increase the annual cap for "temporary" non immigrant visas from 65,000 to 115,000. But that's just the first year (after that, if the cap is met in any year, it can be further increased by 20 percent for the next year with a ceiling of 180,000 per year)

Establishes more exemptions from the cap, thus rendering the cap virtually meaningless (as it is, approximately two-thirds of all current H-1Bs have been exempted)

Instead of capturing "unused" EB visas (as claimed by proponents) from previous years, adds new EB visas by an amount coinciding with the number not issued in those years. As with the H-1B provisions described above, establishes additional exemptions to the annual EB visa cap that do nothing but make it easier for U.S. employers to import cheap labor rather than hiring American workers.

"Expedites" and "streamlines" the processing of millions of new applications (and requisite background checks) for "temporary" workers and for LPR status, which, to an agency (U.S. Citizenship and ImmigrationServices [USCIS>) that has shown itself to be unable to adequately implement current immigration laws, is both untenable and reckless

Authorizes employers to propose a prevailing wage of their own choosing if the Labor Department is too swamped with labor certification applications to respond within 20 calendar days, thus allowing existing wage stagnation in high-tech fields to become further entrenched

Allows greater abuse of the L-1 “intracompany transferee/specialized knowledgeâ€

If you think taxes are too high now.... wait till these get passed through the House and Senate

Go get'em Guys and Gals

WHOA Zeezil thanks for posting that!! I'm going to pass the word and will work on e-mails this evening, and calling first thing Monday morning!

You can also sign up here and send free faxes and emails.
http://www.capsweb.org/action/activist_tool_kit.html

We don't have much time to stop them!!

I am trying to get a handle on which senators are sponsoring each particular amendment here.

For example:

DREAM Act: I know Dick Durbin (D-IL) is the main protagonist here.

AgJobs: Feinstein, Craig, Kennedy, etc.

H1-B/L1/More Green Cards ("SKIL" bill): Varied - I'd sure like to know who these culprits are - if anyone here knows offhand please post back with any info (thanks).

Having more knowledge about who were up against will help us to compose the best response to the problem.

Another thread noted that Saxby Chambliss may be working with Feinstein on the AgJobs amnesty scheme, so I would include him in our calls.

Originally Posted by Populist

Another thread noted that Saxby Chambliss may be working with Feinstein on the AgJobs amnesty scheme, so I would include him in our calls.

Feinsten needs the OK from Chambless to get it in the bill! He asked her on the floor of the Senate if she had taken out the amnesty, of course she hadn't but Ried asked Chambliss to work with her on it. Good old Reid, what a Jerk. Any way who knows what kind of back room deals they are willing to make, so it is important to contact Chambliss on this issue.

BTT

Thanks Sosad. Any deal that comes out of Feinstein's office on AgJobs you know will be hideous and include a huge amnesty, so it's important we take a strong stance against ANY form of amnesty, and let Sen. Chambliss know this. He's on my list to call on Monday.

And this is especially galling because the federal government, despite our LOUD calls this summer, still has effectively done little to improve border security. The fence is still languishing, and Bush's alleged crackdown ("no match" letters etc.) was quickly shown to be worthless even before the ACLU stopped it.

Originally Posted by Populist

Thanks Sosad. Any deal that comes out of Feinstein's office on AgJobs you know will be hideous and include a huge amnesty, so it's important we take a strong stance against ANY form of amnesty, and let Sen. Chambliss know this. He's on my list to call on Monday.

And this is especially galling because the federal government, despite our LOUD calls this summer, still has effectively done little to improve border security. The fence is still languishing, and Bush's alleged crackdown ("no match" letters etc.) was quickly shown to be worthless even before the ACLU stopped it.

Pupulist, You are right about her, If Feinsteins name is attacted to a bill, be wary it is most like against middle class U.S. citizens, She is one of the traitors that should be made to move to Mexico and live among the crime, chaos and anarchy there and maybe they would be more concerned about the impact of all of this on U,S, citizens.

CALL CHAMBLISS EVERYBODY TELL HIM NOT TO SUPPORT THE AG'S BILL!