Immigration Law

SENATE PASSES CONTINUING RESOLUTION EXTENDING E-VERIFY AND EB-5 PROGRAMS

By Greg Siskind

Well, this is likely the end of the road for the Menendez bill until after the election. But it is good news at least for EB-5 and the E-Verify program is going to come up for renewal again in just a few months so the notion of linking E-Verify to the Menendez bill is still on the table. And after the election, the politics are going to get better.

That's why anti-immigrant groups are pushing to get Congress to quickly pass a separate bill reauthorizing E-Verify for several more years. While E-Verify is a program that has problems and more protections are needed for American workers incorrectly flagged by the database, I am not against the program's extension. In fact, I think E-Verify will play an important role in a comprehensively reformed immigration system. But fair is fair and linking a vitally needed legal immigration bill that has been blocked by anti-immigrant members of Congress with a must-pass bill central to the agenda of the anti-immigrant lobby is perfectly reasonable.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on September 27, 2008 (boomark / email).