Wednesday, July 2, 2008

George F. Will's June 26 column, "Building a Wall Against Talent," made persuasive arguments for congressional action to sharply increase the current tight caps on green cards and H-1B visas for engineers and scientists. But he omitted one important potential effect of loosening immigration restrictions on highly skilled workers -- reducing the federal budget deficit.

For one thing, fees would probably be imposed on individuals and their employers (the comprehensive immigration legislation called for fees ranging from $320 to $3,500). In addition, high-skilled workers pay more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. This is in contrast to less-skilled immigrants, from whom the fiscal effects are more uncertain.

Attracting and keeping more high-skilled foreign workers would also improve Social Security finances, although obviously not enough to eliminate the program's funding difficulties.

ARLENE HOLEN

Senior Fellow

Technology Policy Institute

Washington

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George F. Will's June 26 column stated concisely and convincingly why our immigration non-policy is such a disaster. We cannot possibly build a high-tech, 21st-century economy by excluding the best-trained scientists in the world and simultaneously incentivizing the unauthorized immigration of millions of unskilled workers by promising legalization after their numbers reach a critical political mass. .

NÉSTOR ENRIQUE CRUZ

Annandale