Share
Virtual Immigration Marchers Head to Washington
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 20:52 — adminABC News-Univision
February 26, 2013
The tech industry wants an expansion of visas for workers in their field, and they're doing what they do best to make that happen: sitting at a desk in an ultramodern office setting and using a laptop to get things done.
A coalition of business and tech leaders that includes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and AOL co-founder Steve Case is backing the "March for Innovation," a virtual march on Washington that will likely take place sometime later this spring. The best part of the march? You can do it from where you're sitting right now. No cold weather, no having to hold up a sign, no eye contact. Just you and your Wi-Fi. The way it should be.
The marchers will sign up now and then mobilize on a yet undisclosed date, which will be pegged to the progress on immigration reform in Congress. That will mean tweets, Facebooking, possibly Instagramming, maybe Vining, probably not MySpacing and a little bit of Craigslisting when all else fails.
Virtual March Will Push for Immigration Changes
Tue, 02/26/2013 - 12:35 — adminNew York Times
February 26, 2013
High-tech leaders including the former heads of AOL and Mozilla are organizing a “virtual march for immigration reform” aimed at pressing lawmakers to enact sweeping changes to immigration laws.
...
The new effort, backed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York’s Partnership for a New American Economy, aims to collect supporters and organize a date this spring for them to flood lawmakers’ offices via Twitter, Facebook and other means.
Entrepreneurs building momentum, changing tactic in pursuit of immigration reform
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 12:05 — adminWashington Post
February 25, 2013
The lobbying campaign to ease immigration restrictions for highly educated foreigners is expanding and evolving, with advocates shifting attention toward a comprehensive deal rather than continuing their attempts to drive through smaller, targeted legislation.
A collection of entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders are launching the latest assault on Monday, building what they hope will grow into a large, online army of immigration lobbyists to take part later this spring in a “virtual march” on Washington. Using various portals on the Internet, their goal is to round up and educate as many people as possible about the economic appeal of attracting high-skilled immigrants, and then launch a social media blitz to appeal to Congress some time in April.
...
“There is no doubt the ground has shifted since the election, and voices who weren’t talking about comprehensive reform are now talking about comprehensive reform,” John Feinblatt, chief policy advisor for Mayor Bloomberg, said in an interview. “People can count heads and count votes, and reality has struck that the most likely solution is to make high-skilled immigration reform part of a comprehensive bill.”
The Virtual March on Washington for Immigration
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 11:56 — adminWall Street Journal
February 25, 2013
This is the year when immigration reform might happen, but leaders in the technology industry distrust politicians enough not to take chances. A group of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists is launching a "virtual march on Washington. They will be using the Internet and social media to argue for making the U.S. more welcoming of skilled workers.
The website launching Monday, www.MarchforInnovation.com, aims to harness the digital activism that last year killed overbroad antipiracy legislation with millions of emails and tweets as well as hundreds of websites that went blank in protest. The immigration-reform effort is the brainchild of the Partnership for a New American Economy, founded by New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. It has support from people like AOL founder Steve Case and venture capitalist Fred Wilson. It will use an online campaigning tool called Thunderclap, which can deliver thousands of Twitter and Facebook posts simultaneously, with the idea of forcing Washington to focus on the issue.
John Feinblatt, chief policy adviser to Mr. Bloomberg, says the idea came from "technology leaders wanting to use technology to change the debate." In the old days, groups would hire a lobbyist. Now the plan is to get millions of people to use the MarchforInnovation site and social media. "The immigration debate focuses on the borders and the 11 million undocumented workers, but not enough on the future flow of workers," Mr. Feinblatt says. "The debate should be about jobs, attracting the best and brightest, and creating a robust legal regime to allow skilled immigrants."
Our Dated Immigration Policies Could Torpedo the Tech Economy
Mon, 02/25/2013 - 11:46 — adminWired
February 25, 2013
It’s an iPad and smartphone world. Yet we’re stuck with an immigration system formed in the age of black-and-white TVs.
Whereas the success of yesterday’s Fortune 500 companies — like U.S. Steel and Amoco — once depended on resources, today’s Fortune 500 companies — like Google and eBay — depend on access to talent. Even so, there’s been no substantive reform of our immigration laws for nearly 50 years. It’s now more difficult than ever for foreign-born workers to come, contribute, and thrive in the United States.
...
We must create an immigration system that fits the needs of a 21st century economy. We must attract and retain the world’s brightest minds and hardest workers. But before we can do that, we need Congress to act.
Silicon Valley in immigration reform call
Sun, 02/24/2013 - 20:22 — adminFinancial Times
February 24, 2013
A coalition of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and social media experts will on Monday launch a campaign for comprehensive immigration reform, which will culminate in a “virtual march” on Washington in April.
...
They are being co-ordinated by the Partnership for a New American Economy, a bipartisan group of mayors and business leaders headed by New York’s Michael Bloomberg. They are launching the March for Innovation on Monday to start building momentum for comprehensive immigration reform, which President Barack Obama has put at the top of his legislative agenda.
Highly Skilled Immigrants a Key to America's Future
Wed, 02/20/2013 - 11:12 — adminFox Business
February 19, 2013
...
Many immigrants who come to the U.S. start new businesses and create jobs. In fact, a 2011 report by the Partnership for a New American Economy found that 90 companies (18%) of Fortune 500 were founded by people who were foreign born. When one includes the children of immigrants, the figure skyrockets to 40 percent. In fact, some of America's best known brands, including AT&T, Budweiser, Ford, GE, Mattel, McDonald’s, P&G, and The Walt Disney Company, were created by immigrants or their children. Additionally, the new generation of technology powerhouses on the Fortune 500 list — Apple, Google, Intel, eBay, Yahoo!, Sun, and Qualcomm — were all founded by immigrants. Further, growing fields, like semiconductors and medical devices, are full of immigrant-founded companies.
American corporations started by immigrants or their children employ more than 10 million people worldwide. Meanwhile, the revenue generated by Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or children of immigrants is greater than the GDP of every country except the U.S., China and Japan, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy report.
...
Immigration law is outdated
Wed, 02/20/2013 - 10:48 — adminCincinnati Enquirer
February 20, 2013
...
There are literally thousands of high-skilled jobs in the United States that need to be filled so our economy can start moving again. Unfortunately, our universities have a deficit of science, technology, engineering and math graduates who are able to take on these roles. We need these foreign-born students to come and fill the gaps. If we don’t allow them to live and work here for U.S. companies, there is no doubt they will move to another country and work for a competing company.
Among these foreign-born students graduating from American colleges, a large number are innovators and entrepreneurs. According to a study done by the Partnership for a New American Economy, immigrants are twice as likely to start new businesses, and economists agree that startups create the vast majority of American jobs. However, these jobs disappear if the graduate cannot get a visa to stay and keep the business running in the U.S. If we do not reform our immigration system, we will continue to lose out on thousands of new jobs every year.
Bipartisan Maine group urges Susan Collins, Angus King to take lead on immigration reform
Tue, 02/19/2013 - 20:05 — adminBangor Daily News
February 19, 2013
Two Republican lawmakers, a Democratic former House speaker, a union member and business representatives joined in an effort Tuesday to pressure Maine’s U.S. senators, independent Angus King and Republican Susan Collins, to take leadership roles in crafting a bipartisan immigration reform package in Congress.
At a State House news conference, the group asked Collins and King to sign onto the immigration reform principles favored by the Partnership for a New American Economy, a national group chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and a handful of other business leaders and big-city mayors.
...
Julian Castro urges Congress to act on immigration: ‘America is watching’
Tue, 02/05/2013 - 16:22 — adminHouston Chronicle
February 5, 2013
At the first immigration-reform hearing of this Congress, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro urged House Republicans to take quick action on family-based and high-skilled visas — and also advocated for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
“America is watching,” Castro said. “Let’s get this done.”
The hearing by the House Judiciary Committee was held a week after a bipartisan group of senators unveiled an immigration reform plan and President Barack Obama urged Congress to act.