It is important to keep in mind that immigration reforms of relatively small magnitude have taken place at regular intervals. The H-1B visa, in its current form, was created in 1990 to increase the number of highly skilled, non-immigrant workers in the US. The visa’s numbers were threatened in 1996 when curbs on employment-based immigration were considered; increased in 1998, due in large part to the Y2K bug scare; and decreased after the scare proved unfounded in 2001. It is still possible for H-1B increases to be pushed through Congress at a later date. In fact, the odds of such legislation passing would be higher if it were not attached to such a controversial bill.

The illegal immigrant debate, meanwhile, is nothing if not messy. Americans, notorious for their monolingual tendencies, are being confronted with what may be the most significant official acknowledgment of social realities since the civil rights movement. The large number of mostly Spanish-speaking illegal immigrants in the United States have been integral to the US economy, providing low-wage agricultural, child-care and housekeeping services.

The most recent effort to reach an official verdict on their status has resulted in a bill negotiated between a bi-partisan group of legislators and the White House. It allows illegal aliens to declare themselves to authorities, pay $5000 in fines in addition to back-taxes and demonstrate a proficiency in English. In exchange, they get an extendable four-year temporary visa. The bill also increases the number of border agents, fences and other barriers to prevent further illegal crossings. But pushing the immigration bill through Congress is proving more difficult than crossing the US-Mexico border.

... contd.