Contact: Rob Ostrander or Shana Stribling 202.224.5721
Thursday, May 25, 2006

WASHINGTON – Saying it encourages and rewards illegal immigration, U.S. Senator Kit Bond today voted against the Senate immigration reform bill, calling it unfair to those trying to come to American legally.

“While I support immigration through a legal framework, I could not support rewarding those who come here illegally,” said Bond. “Unfortunately, this bill encourages more illegal immigration, overburdens our social services and is unfair to those who are patiently and respectfully trying to enter America legally.”

Bond strongly supported efforts in the Senate to increase border security and enforcement of immigration laws and opposed attempts to reward illegal immigrants.

“The United States faces a serious problem at the border and securing it is critical to our safety and security,” said Bond. “While I support immigration regulated through a legal framework, I do not support rewarding those who broke the law to get here.”

Underscoring his support for legal immigration, Bond successfully strengthened language in the immigration bill to improve the student visa process by preventing U.S.-educated international science and engineering students from being forced out of the country upon graduating, a change necessary for the United States to keep its competitive edge in the global economy.

Visa rules now force many of these highly sought-after high-tech U.S. graduates out of the country before U.S. firms have a chance to hire them or the graduates have an opportunity to start a business here and hire American workers.

“America demands invention and innovation to succeed,” said Bond. “This success requires our country to have the best and brightest minds fueling new products for U.S. workers to manufacture. It is U.S. workers who lose out when employers cannot get the high-tech graduates they need to compete with foreign companies in the 21st century economy.”

Last year, China graduated over 600,000 new engineers, India 350,000 and the U.S. only 70,000, said Bond, noting that 30 percent of those 70,000 were likely international students.