Hiring H-1B visa holders over American citizens

By Frosty Wooldridge

The multi-billionaire Bill Gates pushes for endless H-1B visas that displace American citizens out of jobs.  He favors immigrating high tech workers at lower wages in order to add to his $54 billion financial chest.

New Report Reveals U.S. Tech Firms Favor Hiring Foreigners Despite Ample Supply of American Workers

Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, www.fairus.org discusses what Americans face as our Congress continues to import cheaper labor a many levels to keep Americans unemployed.

“Even amid the bleakest labor market in generations, we are constantly told that American workers are either unwilling or unable to perform certain jobs,” said Stein. “Despite evidence to the contrary, the political class has largely come to accept that American workers will not perform physically demanding labor. Now, a concerted effort is underway to convince the public that Americans are unqualified for intellectually demanding jobs.

“FAIR’s new report, Jobs Americans Can’t Do?: The Myth of a Skilled Labor Shortage, concludes that the United States produces an ample supply of qualified workers to fill science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs. However, business interest-driven immigration and guest worker policies are shutting American workers out of many STEM jobs in their own country.”

Among the key findings of Jobs Americans Can’t Do?:

• The U.S. has an adequate supply of native-born STEM workers to meet present and foreseeable labor market needs.

• STEM industry employers prefer foreign H-1B workers. The Government Accountability Office confirms this finding, stating, “H-1B workers [are] often prepared to work for less money than U.S. workers.”

• As a result, nearly two-thirds of native-born workers with degrees in science and engineering are working in careers outside their field of training.

• Wages for workers with STEM degrees have not kept pace with wages of other college graduates and, in some occupations have actually declined in recent years.

• Petitions for additional H-1B workers are virtually rubber-stamped by the government, with 94 percent of requests approved by the Department of Labor.

“Jobs Americans Can’t Do provides detailed recommendations to reform work-based visa programs and reduce excessive levels of legal immigration to ensure that American workers have a chance to prosper in the 21st century economy,” said Stein. “Read FAIR’s full report, Jobs Americans Can’t Do?: The Myth of a Skilled Labor Shortage at www.fairus.org/h1b2011.”

Senators Have a New Strategy to Fight DOJ Interference in State Immigration Enforcement

“Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and David Vitter (R-LA) recently introduced a bill that would prohibit federal funding for Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits seeking to block state immigration enforcement laws,” said Stein. “The bill bars the federal government from using taxpayer dollars in any lawsuit seeking to overturn, enjoin, or otherwise invalidate existing state immigration enforcement laws.

“This legislation comes on the heels of last week’s DOJ suit against South Carolina’s immigration enforcement law. 

“Meanwhile, the Senators are criticizing the DOJ’s failure to confront jurisdictions that enact sanctuary policies and refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.  Senator Sessions said, “The Justice Department needs to stop going after States that are taking steps in harmony with federal laws to see that our immigration laws actually are enforced and to help end the lawlessness. The federal government should focus on the jurisdictions that are actively undermining federal immigration law enforcement, like Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, Santa Clara and San Francisco Counties in California, and Washington, D.C.””

You may join FAIR at www.FAIRUS.org .

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Frosty Wooldridge is a member of the board at FAIR.