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Mike Quigley on Immigration

Declare Fair and Equal County for Immigrants

Mike has been a strong and tireless advocate for the rights of immigrants in Cook County--and will take that same fight to Congress. He'll stand up to the extremists in Congress who try to use immigrants as scapegoats and whose harsh policies would divide spouses, parents and children. Mike will fight for the rights of families to stay united here in America.

On the Cook County Board, Mike co-sponsored a resolution declaring our community a "Fair and Equal County for Immigrants," which ensures that government services and benefits cannot be denied to a person based on immigrant status.

Mike fought for passage of the Matricula Consular bill, giving many immigrants the chance to open bank accounts and register their children for public school.

Allow more visas for STEM college graduates.

• Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 50,000 visas available to qualified immigrants who:
  1. possess a graduate degree at the level of master's or higher in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a qualifying U.S. research institution of higher education;
  2. have an employment offer from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree;
  3. are the subject of an approved labor certification; and
  4. will receive a wage for such employment that is at least the actual wage paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications.
• Makes unused STEM visas available for other employment-based visa categories.
• Makes available on the DHS website information regarding foreign STEM employers, the number of aliens granted STEM status, and their occupations.

Let illegal alien children attend school.

• Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a US national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence.
• Cancels the removal of conditional permanent resident status of an alien who:
  1. entered the US before his or her 16th birthday and has been present in the US for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act;
  2. is a person of good moral character;
  3. is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and
  4. at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma.
• Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status.

Sponsored bill limiting non-visa entries by country.

A BILL: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive certain requirements under the visa waiver program for an additional 2 years.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, [that] Section 217(c)(8)(A)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187) is amended--
1. by striking 'June 30, 2009' and inserting 'June 30, 2011'; and
2. by striking 'July 1, 2009' and inserting 'July 1, 2011'.

[Section 217(c)(8)(A)(iii), in its pre-amended context, appears below]:
• (8) Nonimmigrant visa refusal rate flexibility
• (A) Certification
• (i) In general: On the date on which an air exit system is in place that can verify the departure of not less than 97% of foreign nationals who exit through airports of the US and the electronic travel authorization system required are in place.
• (ii)The Secretary shall notify Congress in writing of the date on which the air exit system fully satisfies the biometric requirements specified.
• (iii) Temporary suspension of waiver authority: if the Secretary has not notified Congress by June 30, 2009, the Secretary's waiver authority shall be suspended beginning on July 1, 2009, until such time as the Secretary makes such notification.
• (B) Waiver: the Secretary may waive the [rules] for a country if--
• the totality of the country's security risk mitigation measures provide assurance that the country's participation in the program would not compromise the law enforcement, security interests, or enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States;
• the country cooperated with the Government of the United States on counterterrorism initiatives, information sharing, and preventing terrorist travel.