United States to promote immigration reform

 U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Friday made the case for comprehensive immigration reform, citing its importance to U.S. economic competitiveness.

The secretaries participated in a conference call to discuss comprehensive immigration reform with members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, according to a readout of the call.

Approximately 175 people from at least 30 states joined the call, including 80 CEOs and representatives from businesses, local and state chambers of commerce and industry and trade associations.

Locke highlighted two proposed approaches for reforming the current visa system: encouraging top foreign talents who receive a graduate degree in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to remain in the U.S. after they graduate by allowing them to acquire legal permanent residence; and issuing two-year visas to immigrant entrepreneurs whose start-up companies receive investment from a U.S. investor, and giving these entrepreneurs permanent residence if their companies create full- time jobs in the U.S. within those two years.

Duncan emphasized the importance of opening the doors of America's top-notch higher education to more immigrants. He specifically underscored the DREAM Act, a measure to give tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status, as an important part of the administration's comprehensive immigration reform agenda.

Obama had vowed to reform the country's immigration system during his presidential campaign in 2008, which helped him win critical support from an important and still growing constituency - - Hispanic voters. But more than two years passed, those voters did not see what the president had promised them, and are getting impatient and dissatisfied with the administration.

Given an emboldened Republican Party in Congress after the midterm elections, comprehensive immigration reform is almost impossible in the near future.

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