Immigration

           

Enforce our laws – no sanctuaries – with a taxable, transparent guest worker program

We need “high walls and broad gates.”  In other words, we must seal the border, institute E-Verify to help employers identify illegal aliens, and reform our visa system to provide American industries and farms the labor they require.  Guest workers need to be taxed for crossing the border – thus removing the smuggling market – and for working.  Smarter immigration policy is essential for our future growth and prosperity.  Every visiting engineer earning a six-figure salary creates 8-10 "spin-off" jobs. 

Way Forward

*  Mandate employer use of E-Verify – deporting illegals who have no employer sponsor – and use 10% minimum payroll deductions (on top of payroll taxes) to pay down $5,000 illegal entry fines on guest workers who arrived illegally.  

  • Employers will have to justify their hiring of guest workers by offering their openings to Americans first and would pay $1,000 of the $1,390 H-2B visa petition fee.
  • Guest workers would pay $390 of their H-2B petition fee and then pay regular payroll taxes.  Previously paid income taxes would be credited towards any illegal entry fines.

*  Remove the annual numerical cap on visas issued to high-skilled guest workers.  By 2020, America's economy will need 125 million highly skilled or highly educated workers.  The U.S. education system will only contribute about 50 million of those workers ... we'll be short over 90,000 doctors.

*  Liberalize tourist visa requirements.

*  We must reserve citizenship’s benefits for our citizens while providing earned pathways to legitimate working status and subsequent citizenship. 

  • Multiple studies show that states ultimately benefit from educating their undocumented children via heightened economic activity, increased tax collections, and reduced spending on social programs.
  • DREAM Act children (i.e. only the ones that meet all the particulars) should be eligible for a hybrid in-state college tuition rate that falls below the out-of-state tuition rate, but above the citizens' in-state rate -- perhaps 50% higher than in-state (which is also about 50% less than the out-of-state rate).  So, for the University of Maryland, in-state tuition is $8,655; out-of-state is $26,026.  My proposal would create an "In-State Undoc" rate of $12,983.
  • Undocumented children who earn a degree would then get a worker visa and a subsequent opportunity to earn citizenship.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COCKEYSVILLE PATCH ARTICLE

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Larry Smith Announces 8 Point Plan to End Illegal Immigration and Welcome Guest Workers, January 23, 2012

TIMONIUM, MD…Today Larry Smith, Republican candidate for Congress in Maryland’s Second District, announced his Eight Point Plan for finally addressing the chronic problem of illegal immigration.

“It is time for real leadership on the issue of illegal immigration because our states and communities can no longer bear its financial burden.  As Maryland’s next Congressman, I will work to resolve this issue once and for all by implementing lasting, common sense reforms,” said Smith.  “Above all, we must reserve citizenship’s benefits for our citizens while providing earned equitable pathways to legitimate working status and subsequent citizenship.”

Smith’s Eight Point Plan would hold all parties responsible for their respective roles in this issue.

  • Federal Government:  Uphold and clarify current law
  1. Withhold federal transportation funding from “sanctuary” states that indirectly provide prohibited government benefits to illegal immigrants by refusing to verify their social security numbers.
  2. Limit birthright citizenship to the children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
  3. Deploy various Army and Air National Guard units to civilian border patrol agencies each year, while fully leveraging national intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.
  4. Remove the annual numerical cap on H-1B visas for high-skilled guest workers.  [By 2020, America's schools will provide only about 50 million of the 125 million highly skilled or highly educated workers we will need.  Without help from abroad, we’ll be short over 90,000 doctors.]
  • Employers:  Verify worker eligibility or pay a stiff penalty
  1. Mandate national use of “E-Verify” to verify every employee’s social security number.
  2. Require employers to offer their openings to Americans first and to sponsor their guest workers by paying $1,000 towards each guest worker’s $1,390 H-2B visa petition fee.
  • Illegal Immigrants:  Find employer sponsors or go home
  1. Deport illegals who have no employer sponsor, and use 10% minimum payroll deductions (on top of payroll taxes) to pay down $5,000 illegal entry fines on guest workers who arrived illegally.  Any immigrant who secures a sponsor and then loses his or her job would be given a four month grace period to obtain another sponsor.
  2. Guest workers who enter legally would pay $390 of their H-2B petition fee and then pay regular payroll taxes.  Previously paid income taxes would be credited towards any illegal entry fines.

“Having served our country, I understand how important securing our borders is to our national security.  We need ‘high walls;’ but we also need ‘broad gates.’  Allowing illegal immigrants to hold jobs that Americans could perform is just another form of outsourcing…right here at home.  And yet, every time a guest engineer fills an otherwise vacant high-tech position, some American company increases its output, and another 8-10 ‘spin-off’ jobs are created,” said Smith.  “Smarter immigration policy is essential for our future growth and prosperity.”

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My Plan Dovetails Nicely with Mitt Romney's:

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