Big Tech Backs Embattled Green Card Bill Ahead Of Key House Vote
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Big tech companies are showing support for an immigration bill that would raise the limit on work visas for every state ahead of a House vote, even as the bill faces opposition from Republicans and even Democrats.
On Tuesday, the House will vote on the bipartisan Equal Access to Legal Green Card Act (EAGLE), one of a series of votes scheduled during a session of Congress.
The bill, which addresses legal immigration and has co-sponsored Republicans and Democrats, would remove state limits on the number of employment-based green cards available to citizens as a way of ending the large number of green card applications. It will also raise the family visa ceiling from 7% to 15%.
© Provided by FOX NewsMost employment-based green cards are applied for by workers who are already in the United States on temporary visas, but because US companies have imported large numbers of Chinese and Indian nationals on those visas, the nationals of both countries face problems. cruel. .
A leading conservative group warned of China's security risks in the key immigration process and called for a 'no' vote.
The bill was slated for a vote last week but was delayed by opposition from both conservative groups and some Democrats in the House.
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As the vote approaches, tech companies that have long voted to lower caps state by state have reaffirmed their support for the bill, which will benefit many of their H-1B workers. Visa for highly skilled workers.
"We are proud to support the Eagle Act and continue to advocate for sensible immigration reform on behalf of our employees and their families," Amazon said in a statement. “We urge Congress to pass the #EAGLEAct, which removes the unfair state-by-state visa limit for employment-based green cards.”
Intel said in a statement that it "strongly supports" passage of the law, arguing that the border is "partly responsible for decades of harmful burdens on highly skilled citizens in several countries, including many Intel employees."
Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons point to a bipartisan framework on immigration and condemn "attacks on asylum seekers"
Meanwhile, Microsoft's general counsel tweeted that the tech giant has "long supported the #EagleAct and its key provisions to remove state employment (EB) restrictions and increase fairness in the job creation process." green card".
However, it is not clear whether the tech group's support will be able to swing between the Democratic and Republican opposition.
Immigration hawks strongly opposed the bill, arguing it would cause Indian and Chinese nationals to dominate the immigration system and encourage more applications. Meanwhile, Heritage Action last week highlighted concerns about national security threats posed by members of the Chinese Communist Party.
Journalist Pablo Manriquez reports that the Republican leadership has spoken out against the bill, while it is unclear how much the Democratic caucus agrees with the bill.
Last week, Rep. New York Democrat Yvette Clarke warned in a letter to members of the Congressional Black Caucus that eliminating state borders without appropriate visa upgrades "would lead to a lack of immigration opportunities for immigrants hoping outside of the state to those" from these African and Caribbean countries. ".
"In my opinion, this law is a failure," he wrote, "and I cannot support efforts that will perpetuate the current inequalities in our immigration system." I think we can do better."
The White House released a statement supporting the bill.
"As currently written, these changes will take effect during a nine-year transition period to ensure that no country is barred from accepting visas until certain country restrictions are removed," the government office said in a statement. And the White House budget. supported, saying the bill would improve the immigration system and "reduce the burdensome effects of high numbers of immigrant visas."
