Via Press Release:
Today, a group of conservative business, technology and political leaders announced their newly formed coalition – South Carolinians for Responsible Immigration Reform (SCRIR).
The coalition will ensure that immigration reform becomes a major focus of the Republican presidential primary in the Palmetto State.
As the third nominating contest and first in the Republican-dominated South, South Carolina plays a critical role in the presidential process. Since 1980, all but one winner of the South Carolina primary has gone on to represent Republicans in the General Election.
As presidential contenders descend on South Carolina, SCRIR will provide a platform in which candidates can address America’s broken immigration system and provide concrete solutions for: 1) securing our border; 2) crafting a responsible and practical proposal for dealing with the 11.5 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., and 3) expanding H-1B high-skilled visa programs and reforming high-demand guest worker programs.
Securing the southern border is a hot-button issue for Republicans trying to stand out in the crowded presidential field. Like others, retired U.S. Army Major Bob Barnwell believes candidates need to go beyond talking points when discussing immigration reform.
“Securing the border is the first and most important step in stemming the flow of unregulated immigration and a necessary component of any reform package conservatives can get behind. Nearly every candidate believes we need to secure the border, but they need to provide specifics on how they will address the 11.5 million immigrants that our economy depends upon,” Barnwell said.
“As conservatives, we must always be mindful of the burden we pass on to taxpayers,” said South Carolina Association of Taxpayers President Don Weaver. Referencing a recent study by conservative public policy think tank American Action Forum, he said “deportation amounts to fiscal insanity, costing upwards of $600 billion – enough money to build 49 new aircraft carriers, 4,126 F-22 Raptors or 4,456 new high schools. In addition, the economic cost associated with forceful deportation is one America’s economy cannot bear. If every undocumented individual left America, many industries – agriculture, tourism and construction, in particular – would suffer.”
The study also notes that undocumented immigrants make up nearly 6.4 percent of our workforce; deporting them means cutting our real GDP by 6 percent over 20 years.
SCRIR recognizes the importance of expanding H-1B visas and reforming high-demand guest worker programs in the Palmetto state.
In 2014, more than 50 percent of engineering graduate degrees awarded in South Carolina were earned by foreign-national students – soaring above the national average when it comes to educating foreign-born individuals.
“Expanding our high-skilled visa program is critical for America to stay on the cutting edge of research and development,” said Hal Stevenson, chair of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and owner of Grace Outdoor Advertising. “Let’s fix the system, expand the H-1B program and keep the best and the brightest talent in South Carolina to help create jobs, grow the economy and compete against foreign business, not become America’s competition.”
SCRIR will hold Republican presidential contenders accountable for developing practical, economical avenues to address the immigration issue as they come through South Carolina.
Chalmers Carr, president and CEO of Titan Farms in Ridge Springs said, “Our agricultural economy, including farms like mine, depends on immigrant workers who are in very short supply. If farmers – like myself – are going to have access to authorized workers, we need immigration reform, especially a complete overhaul of the H-2A agricultural guest worker program. This would enable us to supply safe, high-quality products at affordable prices to consumers here in the United States and abroad. Republican candidates should make immigration reform one of their top issues and must have a comprehensive plan to fix this issue.”
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