Last week I sent out a newsletter warning that a deal is being worked out on Capitol Hill to pass a large H-1B increase. Since then, things have been silent in the media but that doesn't change the fact that there is still a substantial effort to pass through an increase. Unfortunately there is only circumstantial evidence that a deal is being negotiated but I thought I would share with you what I know so far.

Bill Gates is going back to Washington DC next week to lobby for an increase. If there wasn't a deal before, there will be when Gates throws his money around. His timing can't be coincidence—right after the big primary and just about when Congress critters go groveling for campaign money for the next election.

I have communicated with Roy Beck at NumbersUSA and he assured me that the threat of an H-1B increase is very, very real.

• Compete America sent a letter to Congress urging them to "consider a package of urgent reforms". Compete America is leaving it to the public to guess what's in the care package but one thing for sure is that it will have a demand for an increase in the H-1B cap.
• On February 29, U.S. Representative Joe Baca (D-CA) sent legislation to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Like Compete America, he said he isn't going to allow us to see what's proposed but he gave a few cutesy riddles like for instance: "It will involve visas, but it won't be a path towards amnesty, it will not be amnesty." Baca had a rather exclusive attitude about sharing the documents — he said if you aren't in the Hispanic Caucus you can't see them!
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and other House Democratic leaders want to poison the enforcement only SAVE ACT by attaching an amnesty amendment to it. There are other things besides amnesty but she won't say what. Do you see a pattern of secrecy developing here?
• There will soon be a mad scramble to secure H-1B visas. They will run out of visas very quickly, and employers are screaming bloody murder about it. They want more visas and they are letting that be known very forcefully.

See stories here:From industry group Compete America - The Alliance for a Competitive Workforce

Letter To Congress

In summary, we are very concerned about the potential for Congress to consider an enforcement-only immigration bill and instead urge the House to consider a package of urgent reforms that will help the U.S. remain the world leader in innovation and serve our economic, national security and other core national interests. Sincerely, Robert Hoffman Co-Chair, Compete America [More]

New Immigration Reform Proposal Being Prepared

Would make illegal immigrants legal residents, supporters say it is 'not amnesty'

By Jim Forsyth Friday, February 29, 2008

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus says it is prepared to introduce a new immigration reform bill later this year which will confront Congress with the tricky issue of legal residency for 12 million undocumented workers in the middle of an election season, 1200 WOAI news reports.

U.S. Representative Joe Baca (D-California), the First Vice President of the CHC, revealed the measure today as he attended a meeting of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in San Antonio.

'We will be coming out specifically with the legislature later on," Baca said. "It will not be comprehensive in nature, but it would include the 12 t0 14 million people who are here in the United States, it will address those individuals working in agriculture, and it will address the DREAM Act," Baca said.[More]

Pro-illegal immigration Dems undermining SAVE Act, says bill sponsor Jim Brown

OneNewsNow - 2/29/2008 9:00:00 AM

House Democratic leaders are working to derail a bipartisan bill that would beef up border security, crack down on illegal aliens and employers who hire them, and reject amnesty.

Representatives Brian Bilbray (R-California) and Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina) are seeking an up-or-down vote on their bipartisan Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act, which has 47 Democrat and 89 Republican co-sponsors. They need the need the signatures of 218 House members on a discharge petition for the vote to occur. The Washington Times reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and other House Democratic leaders want to poison the bill by attaching an amnesty amendment to it.

Bilbray points out the amendment proposed by Representative Joe Baca (D-California) would give illegal aliens a visa for five years so that during that time period Congress could work on passing legislation that would grant citizenship, voting rights, and welfare benefits to the illegal alien population.

"We're talking about 20 million people who've broken the law being rewarded for their illegal activity," he says, "but more importantly, Washington officially announcing to the world that we will reward those who come to our country illegally."[More]