| That the central goal of an immigration overhaul is to bring the U.S.'s annual legal intake of foreign workers more realistically into line with the economy's need for foreign labor. The economic downturn has done nothing to change the fundamental demographic and educational trends that make foreign workers an essential ingredient of American prosperity. Even with today’s high unemployment, employers in many sectors – agriculture, high-tech, the seasonal economy – who have made every effort to hire qualified American workers continue to need immigrants to keep their businesses open and contributing to the economy. And as the economy improves, that need will only grow – global talent and less-skilled manpower alike will play an essential role in the nation’s economic recovery. |
| That these new more realistic quotas must be accompanied by tougher enforcement, both on the border and in the workplace. Raising immigration quotas to make them more realistic will greatly facilitate enhanced enforcement. But the U.S. must commit to regaining control of who enters the country. |
| That employers must be provided with the tools they need to verify that the workers they hire are in the country legally. The system must be timely, efficient, accurate and phased in realistically. As part of an overhaul package that includes more realistic immigration quotas, an electronic employment verification system will be a boon to employers seeking to abide by immigration law. |
| That any overhaul must include a practical answer for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Amnesty is unacceptable, but so is mass deportation. National interest - national security and the rule of law - requires that the nation find a way to deal realistically with this vast underground population. |
| That U.S. workers not be displaced by foreign workers. That all workers enjoy the same labor law protections. That legal foreign workers who settle permanently in the U.S. be encouraged and assisted in assimilating - learning English and becoming citizens. |
| That immigration policy is a federal responsibility. States and local jurisdictions have a role to play, maintaining order at the local level. But national security, national economic needs and our national understanding of citizenship require that immigration and citizenship be handled by the federal government. Ultimately, only the federal government can fix what's wrong with the immigration system. |
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