University Leaders Urge Washington to Move on Immigration Reform
Date: June 26, 2012
“As leaders of universities educating the creators of tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs, we call on you to address a critical threat to America’s preeminence as a global center of innovation and prosperity: our inability under current United States immigration policy to retain and benefit from many of the top minds educated at our universities.”
No one understands the importance of foreign-born scientists and engineers to American innovation better than university leaders, whose institutions cultivate ideas and inventions that propel our country forward. In conjunction with “Patent Pending: How Immigrants Are Reinventing The American Economy,” more than 150 university presidents and chancellors, including President David J. Skorton of Cornell, President John L. Hennessy of Stanford and President Jean-Lou Chameau of Cal Tech, sent a letter to President Obama and Congress calling for a bipartisan action towards getting top international students green cards upon graduation. “As leaders of universities educating the creators of tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs, we call on you to address a critical threat to America’s preeminence as a global center of innovation and prosperity,” the letter stated. “…We ask you to work together to develop a bipartisan solution that ensures our top international graduates have a clear path to a green card, so they can stay and create new American jobs.”
If you are a university leader and would like to pledge your support for immigration reform for STEM graduates, please e-mail [email protected].
