Current legislation usefully reduces numbers. But irresponsible politicians and pundits will prevent a full Canadian-style reorientation to favoring immigrants with skills and cultural compatibility such as English proficiency, or giving consideration to guest workers, before the inevitable backlash compels a total cut-off.

[Page: S17791]

Gregory Fossedal is founder and CEO of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, Arlington, VA.

Immigrants pay $25 billion more in federal taxes than they use in services, according to an Urban Institute estimate. Preliminary data on patents, small business startups, and city and state unemployment all indicate immigrants generate net output and jobs. For a smaller budget deficit we should run a people surplus.

Some want to `skim the cream'--letting in lots of engineers and millionaires, but fewer family members, refugees and `low-skilled' immigrants. Tempting, but
the brilliant Indian and Chinese programmers working for Microsoft often have wives or husbands or parents. Many American executives need an affordable au pair: And the George Soroses or Any Groves of tomorrow often have nothing when they come. They bus tables or clean hotel rooms before they build Fortune 500 companies. It's a mistake for Vice President Al Gore to try to out-think capital markets. Why should Sen. Alan Simpson be smarter than the labor market?

We should sharpen the programmatic distinction between being in the U.S. and being a U.S. citizen. Make it easy to work or travel--but confer government benefits on citizens, not on people who merely happen to be here (a change included in the House welfare reform). This would end the shibboleth that immigrants are costly, and ease legitimate concern that America is losing its English-speaking core. Then there would be support for the reform we really need--to let in more immigrants.

Barbara Jordan chairs the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform.

It is because we benefit from lawful immigration that reform is necessary. The bipartisan USCIR recommends a comprehensive strategy to deter illegal immigration: better border management; more effective enforcement of labor and immigration laws; benefits policies consistent with immigration goals: prompt removal of criminal aliens. Most illegal aliens come for jobs, so reducing that magnet is key. Employers need tools to verify work authorization that fight fraud and discrimination, reduce paperwork and protect privacy. The most promising option: electronic validation of the Social Security number all workers already provide after they are hired.

A well-regulated legal immigration system sets priorities. Current policy does not. More than one million nuclear families are separated, awaiting visas that will not be available for years. We recommend using extended family visas to clear this backlog. Unskilled foreign workers are admitted while many of our own unskilled can't find jobs. We recommend eliminating this category. A failed regulatory system prevents timely hiring of skilled foreign professionals even when employers demonstrate an immediate need. We recommend a simpler, less costly system based on market forces. We still have a Cold War refugee policy. To maintain our commitment to refugees, we should rethink our admissions criteria.

These reforms will further the national interest.

Scott McNealy is chairman and CEO, Sun Microsystems Inc., Palo Alto, Calif.

Sun Microsystems is an American success story, a company that has benefited profoundly from the employment of highly skilled legal immigrants. Founded in 1982 by individuals from three countries--Vinod Khosla (India), Any Bechtolsheim (Germany), and Bill Joy and myself (U.S.)--today Sun has more than $6 billion in annual revenues and more than 15,500 employees world-wide. Our latest technology effort was headed by an Indian national and worked on by about 2,000 employees from around the world.

While illegal immigration is a problem that needs to be addressed, there are very real benefits to the U.S. economy from the employment of highly skilled legal immigrants.

The legislation that is moving through Congress today, if approved, will hurt Sun,
and the industry.