Grassroots effort wages Net war against H-1B increases

Grassroots effort wages Net war against H-1B increases
CHICAGO — As the U.S. Senate debates legislation that would nearly double the number of H-1B temporary visas granted to foreign workers annually through fiscal 2003, grassroots opposition to the visa program is growing, in a campaign that is largely being conducted over the Internet. But given the big guns lined up to defend the bill, its opponents fear passage is all but guaranteed.

"We're in a fight we don't have a chance to win," said Richard Tax, vice president of the American Engineering Association. "We're going into this fight with slingshots and arrows. But I still can't understand why a U.S. congressman would vote for something that is so much against American workers."

Lobbying efforts supporting the bill revved into overdrive this past week as officials from various industry organizations signed a joint letter urging passage by the end of the month of S.2045, the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act. The proposed legislation would raise the ceiling on H-1B visas to 200,000 in fiscal years 2001 through 2003. This year, the limit is 115,000.

Signing their names were the presidents of the American Electronics Association; Computer and Communications Industry Association; Consumer Electronics Association; Electronic Components, Assemblies and Materials Association; Electronic Industries Association; Government Electronics and Information Technology Association; Information Technology Association of America; Information Technology Industry Council; Semiconductor Industry Association; Software and Information Industry Association; and TechNet.

Lined up against that army is a sparingly funded, loosely organized militia that is leveraging the Net to get the word out. Late last month, four people led by a mathematician established a Web site at zazona.com. The site, supported by the American Engineering Association and the Programmer Guild, is circulating a petition asking Congress to abolish the H-1B program and curtail immigration.

The group claims that the "shocking state of American job markets in science and engineering is already causing the rising generation of Americans to avoid the noble professions of science and technology altogether."

Organizer Damon Scott became interested in immigration when he was a math professor at Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, N.C.). He was laid off from that job and is currently pursuing graduate work. As signed paper petitions come in via mail, Scott is forwarding copies to members of Congress. The numbers were small at press time, seven days after the site was set up.

"This effort just kind of evolved," Scott said. "Lots of people are doing little things, and this is my contribution to saving American jobs."

Immigration opposed

NumbersUSA.com (Arlington, Va.), which works to decrease immigration overall, has also targeted H-1B. The group has begun forwarding names to Congress to prevent the passage of bills that would raise H-1B immigration quotas.

"We want to help people get their views to Congress," said Roy Beck, director of NumbersUSA.com. "We know American workers don't have much of a voice in Congress. The people who hold sway have large amounts of money."