Thread: Goodlatte Introduces Legislation To Eliminate Immigrant Visa

I didn't know we had this!
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Goodlatte Introduces Legislation To Eliminate Immigrant Visa Lottery

Says Lottery Poses National Security Threat

Mar 12, 2007

Congressman Bob Goodlatte reintroduced the Visa Lottery Elimination Act, which would eliminate the visa lottery program from the Immigration and Nationality Act, thereby helping to ensure our nation’s security while making the administration of our immigration laws more consistent and fair.

Each year there is a national immigration ‘lottery’ by which 50,000 aliens may become legal permanent residents of the U.S.

“The visa lottery program poses a national security threat. Under the program, each successful applicant is chosen at random and given the status of permanent resident based on pure luck,” Goodlatte said. “Usually, immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who have an existing connection with a family member lawfully residing in the United States or with a U.S. employer. These types of relationships help to ensure that immigrants entering the country have a stake in our nation’s continued success, and have needed skills to contribute to our nation’s economy. However, under the visa lottery program, visas are awarded to immigrants at random without meeting such criteria.”

An example of the system gone awry, and thereby posing a security threat, is the case of Hesham Mohamed Ali Hedayet, the Egyptian national who killed two and wounded three during a shooting spree at Los Angeles International Airport in July of 2002. Hadayet was a beneficiary of the immigration lottery. He and his family earned permanent resident status after his wife won the federal visa lottery, despite Hedayet’s own admission to the INS that he had been accused by the Egyptian government of being a member of a known terrorist organization.

Perhaps most troubling, the visa lottery program is wrought with fraud. A recent report released by the Center for Immigration Studies states that it is commonplace for foreign nationals to apply for the lottery program multiple times using many different aliases and other false personal information. In addition, the visa lottery program has spawned a cottage industry featuring sponsors in the U.S. who falsely promise success to applicants in exchange for large sums of money. Ill-informed foreign nationals are often willing to pay top dollar for the ‘guarantee’ of lawful permanent resident

status in the U.S.

“The visa lottery program is unfair to immigrants who comply with the United States’ immigration laws,” Goodlatte said. “The visa lottery program does not prohibit illegal aliens from applying to receive a visa through the program. Thus, the program treats foreign nationals that comply with our laws the same as those that blatantly violate our laws. In addition, most family-sponsored immigrants currently face a wait of years to obtain a visa, yet the visa lottery program pushes 50,000 random immigrants with no particular family ties, job skills or education, ahead of these family and employer-sponsored immigrants each year with relatively no wait. This sends the wrong message to those desiring entry into United States and to the international community at-large.”

The visa lottery actually discriminates against law-abiding citizens of a number of countries including Mexico, the Philippines and the United Kingdom who wait years for visas but are prohibited from participation in the visa lottery and then watch as others bypass them by winning instant green cards under the lottery.

“The nature of the lottery is such that we have no control over who applies for admission to our nation,” Goodlatte continued. “This flawed policy is just foolish in the age in which we live. Those in the world who wish us harm can easily engage in this statistical gamble with nothing to lose. Our immigration policy should be based primarily on our national needs; security and economics and not in part on an arbitrary system, lacking even cursory checks.”

The Visa Lottery Elimination Act has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, on which Congressman Goodlatte serves, for further consideration.

http://www.rockbridgeweekly.com/rw_article.php?ndx=6652

I vote YES to throw out this stupid law, the lottery rewards law breakers and possibly gives terrorist a free pass.

not good.

Seriously, 'Goodlatte'??? Does he work for Starbucks? Sorry, couldn't help myself...

Originally Posted by olivermyboy

Seriously, 'Goodlatte'??? Does he work for Starbucks? Sorry, couldn't help myself...

Amazing that there is a lottery for permanent residency and citizenship, when the average American citizen cannot even play a (legal) game of Online Poker! Go figure.

I can't find this bill listed!

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

I can't find this bill listed!

If you google "Visa Lotery Elimination Act" H.R. 1219 comes up but if you click on the house link it says the pg can't be found.
Evidently this bill is being reintroduced. It is also news on Goodlatte's website:
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte/

I got it, Jean. Kate pulled it.
Thanx to both of you.

Shame on me

Goodlatte is my rep and one of the good guys on immigration.

It is being reintroduced as HR 1430.

http://www.numbersusa.com/index

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1430


It should be noted that there are 21 co-sponsors with 3 Democrats among them. One is Stephanie Herseth a D out of SD. In looking at her "report card" she is long term a C+ but more recently a B. We should thank her for her support and encourage her to be more proactive in supporting the American people.

http://www.house.gov/herseth/contact.html

Frederick Boucher a D out of VA

http://www.boucher.house.gov/index.php? ... 45&Itemid=

Peter Defazio a D out of Oregon

peter.defazio@mail.house.gov