Rep. Lofgren Responds to Administration Immigration Proposal

Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today issued the following statement in response to the Bush administration's announcement on immigration policy.

While I strongly agree with the administration that our immigration system is in desperate need of reform, I am skeptical that this Administration can deliver on its promises.

Simply re-branding the Basic Pilot electronic employment verification program as “E-Verify” will not solve the high error rate that has plagued this program since its inception a decade ago. It is unclear how the Bush Administration plans to avoid the potentially massive lay-offs of American citizens likely to result from the expanded program and defective databases.

I welcome the belated push to complete the exit portion of the US VISIT program. Unfortunately, the Administration's plan fails to address the cyber-security vulnerabilities with this program identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

In addition, I agree with the Administration in recognizing that our employment-based visa system is far too complex and cumbersome. I will evaluate the details of its plan as they are released. Nevertheless, the answer is surely not to weaken protections that assure that American workers are not undercut by a foreign workforce willing to work for less than prevailing wages.

The Administration finally recognizes that it has failed in its duties to administer the immigration laws. We shall see whether a dysfunctional agency that deports an American citizen and cannot keep count of the number of visas issued can effectively implement these proposals.