New York Times: Immigrants Work On as Bill Dies and Views Divide

The New York Times
Immigrants Work On as Bill Dies and Views Divide
June 30, 2007

THE NEXT STEP

Technology Prepares To Go It Alone

SAN FRANCISCO, June 29 — Lesson learned. Ralph Hellman, a lobbyist for the technology industry, is now preparing to fly solo.

With a tone befitting someone who has endured his share of Congressional battles, Mr. Hellman said technology companies had a better shot at getting what they wanted on immigration by staying away from measures that offered too much to too many.

“Some of the most hardcore opponents of the immigration bill are some of our strongest proponents,” he said of the failed Senate bill. “They really understand our issues, but they didn’t support the comprehensive bill.”

Above all, Mr. Hellman and other technology lobbyists wanted a bill that would have provided more temporary visas for scientists and engineers. Three years ago, a law tripling the number of H1B temporary visas expired, reducing them to 65,000 from 195,000 a year.

The technology field never wanted the visas addressed in the comprehensive bill, Mr. Hellman said. Although the bill would have raised the cap on H1B visas, it did not adequately address the problems of workers who wanted to remain in the United States after their visas had expired.

Looking ahead, Mr. Hellman said technology representatives would act fairly quickly, perhaps creating a new bill for the fall. Where it goes from there, of course, is anyone’s guess.

“We’re patient,” said Mr. Hellman, a senior vice president at the Information Technology Industry Council in Washington. “We’ve been patient for three years.”
LAURIE J. FLYNN