|
The Presidential Candidates and Their Views on Immigration The Candidates It has been known for some time that John McCain is the Republican presidential nominee for 2008. Currently the senior Arizona senator, McCain is known to many Americans as a war hero due to his service in the Navy during the Vietnam War. In 1967, he was captured by the North Vietnamese, and he remained a prisoner of war for five and a half years. McCain was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, and then to the Senate 1986. His political career has been defined in large part by his willingness to reach across party lines on key issues like immigration and campaign finance reform, giving him a reputation as a maverick and substantial nonpartisan appeal. When he announced his candidacy in 2007, McCain said he was “not running for President to be somebody, but to do something; to do the hard but necessary things, not the easy and needless things.” This attitude is illustrated particularly well in his resilience in his campaign as late as August 2007, when, because of lack of funds and support on his campaign trail, he carried his own luggage through the Manchester airport and asked his local top aides to drive him to his hotel. His status as a former underdog, and now a “comeback kid,” is one of many factors that won him the 2008 nomination. On Tuesday evening of this week, it became clear that the Democratic presidential nominee for 2008 will be Barack Obama. Obama’s nomination is itself remarkable, as it is the first time in history that an African American candidate has been nominated by a major party. Obama’s father came to the United States from Kenya for his education and later returned to work for the Kenyan government, leaving Obama to be raised by his mother and stepfather. He graduated from Columbia University and became the first African American president of Harvard Law Review at Harvard Law School. Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996 and the U.S. Senate in 2004. Like his Republican opponent, Obama is seen as a figure of unity who attracts nonpartisan support. In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, Obama said, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America.” This theme, along with his promise to bring change to the country and his slogan of “yes, we can,” has inspired many American voters throughout his presidential campaign. Their Views on Immigration Now that both nominees have been chosen, we imagine our clients and readers may be wondering about these two candidates’ stances on immigration. Illegal immigration, of course, has been a prominent issue in the presidential race so far. However, the issues that apply more directly to our clients and readers—that is, those that surround legal immigration—have not been focused on. Therefore, we have compiled some information about the views of both candidates on these issues as well. We would like to note that—largely because of the scarcity of information about some of these issues—the summaries we will present in this article may not be completely accurate representations of the candidates’ viewpoints or plans. Also, there is some further ambiguity with both of these candidates because, in the case of Obama, his voting record is relatively short, and in the case of McCain, his views seem to have shifted recently. Therefore, we encourage our clients and readers to stay on the lookout for further information about the candidates views regarding legal immigration in particular, and assure them that we will continue to provide updates as relevant information emerges. Illegal Immigration Although it does not apply to many of our clients, illegal immigration is still a central issue in this election, and therefore, we want to provide a brief summary of the candidates’ stances on it:
The H-1B Quota The H-1B quota is a divisive issue for many Americans and immigrants alike. Currently, the demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the supply (annual H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 for the private sector plus 20,000 reserved for aliens holding an American master’s and above degree), and the high-tech industry in particular continues to push for an increase in the quota. However, some American high-tech workers and engineers, joined most prominently by journalist Lou Dobbs, have spoken out in opposition of H-1B visas, claiming that they harm American workers (you can find more information about the H-1B controversy here). Both candidates seem to be in favor of increasing the H-1B quota, at least temporarily:
FBI Background Checks, the Visa Backlog, and Other Issues One issue of concern to many of our clients is how long many immigrants must wait for green cards, largely because of the lengthy FBI background checks and the extensive visa backlog. Although it is difficult to gauge the candidates’ exact positions on this issues, we can find some clues in statements they have made:
Conclusion In general, both presidential candidates seem to hold views that are favorable to immigrants. Although there are some questions about Obama’s specific views due to his shorter voting record, he has discussed his opinions in more specific terms, which eliminates some ambiguity. Also, even though Hillary Clinton is no longer a presidential candidate, there is still a possibility of her joining the Obama ticket as his vice-presidential candidate, which, given Clinton’s history of pushing for immigration reform, might make his policies more favorable to immigrants. Conversely, McCain’s record of pushing for immigration reform is well documented, but his recent remarks cast some doubt on his future policy decisions. For more information about the candidates’ views on immigration, you can visit the following links: McCain http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/68db8157-d301-4e22-baf7-a70dd8416efa.htm Obama http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/
------ (06/10/2008) For more immigration news, please click here |
|||
"The best way to |
New York | Houston | Chicago | Austin | Los Angeles | |||