SLF and former liberal foe join forces to urge INS visa reform

January 29, 2002

ATLANTA: State Rep. Mary Squires (D-78) and Phil Kent, SLF President, today released an outline proposal for three (3) new categories of Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) designations for guest worker programs for illegal immigrants.

Squires pre-filed a bill before the Georgia General Assembly allowing driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Kent, in a series of editorials and legal briefs, has opposed the move and encouraged President Bush to do the same last year relating to amnesty proposals.

"We have joined forces to issue a challenge to federal lawmakers -- for the good of our nation, our economy, and the millions of immigrants who come to this country seeking opportunity," said Kent. "Short of expanding the legal guest worker programs, any proposal to extend benefits to illegal immigrants poses risks to the rule of law and our national security."

"We want to share our vision for a fair, legal and honest guest worker program with lawmakers in Washington, and to do so in a way that makes sense for both immigrants and taxpayers alike," said Squires. "Immigrants deserve the protection of our laws, and we must seek a legal way to provide economic opportunity for them."

"I consider our joint proposal today for expanded guest worker programs a much better, more comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of our nation and those who come here seeking opportunity," said Squires.

"Rep. Squires and I have been friends for 20 years, going back to our service on Capitol Hill," said Kent. "I see this joint effort as an extension of that friendship, and of the ability of two people with very different views on most issues to work together to accomplish a worthy goal."

EXPANDED GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS: PRELIMINARY OUTLINE FOR FEDERAL IMMIGRATION REFORM

Background: The U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) has developed longstanding and useful standards for admitting immigrants on both a permanent and temporary basis. According to recent statistics, as many as 10 million illegal immigrants currently reside in the U.S., many of whom work in industries not represented by fully represented by current INS standards. Additionally, many of the illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. do not seek to remain in here indefinitely, but rather seek job opportunities for limited periods of time in certain industry sectors, including construction, hospitality (hotels and restaurants), and food processing.

In 1998, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-GA) worked with the INS to craft a legal worker program for illegal immigrants laboring in the Vidalia onion industry in south Georgia. This effort, in conjunction with cooperation from the growers, enabled immigrants to register with federal authorities, receive industry-standard income for work, and even apply for driver's licenses. As legal immigrants under these programs, the immigrants must also pay taxes.

Proposal Outline: Under the Nonimmigrant Visa categories authorized by the INS and U.S. State Department, the following classifications could be added to include hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into legal guest worker programs. Under the H category, which covers temporary workers, the following can be proposed to accommodate the illegal immigrants.

H-1C -- Temporary worker performing services in construction industry.

H-1D -- Temporary worker performing services in hospitality industry (hotels and restaurants).

H-1E -- Temporary worker performing services in food processing industry.

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