Limit immigration in time of high unemployment
Posted: December 17, 2009

Why didn't President Barack Obama's job summit address the economic impact of immigration, both legal and illegal? Why isn't immigration one of the top issues for the 2010 Indiana General Assembly?

There are 8.3 million illegal immigrants working in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. With the national unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, some 15.6 percent of black Americans and 12.7 percent of American Hispanics are unemployed.

Until the economy rebounds, we should consider a moratorium on new work visas. The nation issues about 160,000 per month. That means we need nearly 2 million jobs a year just to employ the legal immigrants we are importing. Meanwhile, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 15.4 million Americans remain unemployed.

This is the kind of change we need, not rewards for illegals like free health care and pathways to citizenship.

Cheree Calabro

Valparaiso

www.indystar.com