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May 22, 2013 10:41 pm GMT

Join CrunchGov's Town Hall With @CoryBooker On Immigration For #iMarch Right Now

MFI_gradient_logoSome of the Internet’s most notable personalities are bringing attention to the need for immigration reform in a 36-hour social media marathon, The March for Innovation. It’s an issue we know our readers care about, so we’re thrilled to give you the opportunity to join part-time superhero, full-time mayor of Newark, definitely-maybe Senate candidate, and one of The Most Innovative People In Democracy, Cory Booker, in a rousing town hall. Mayor Booker and I will be answering questions on Twitter and responding to a few reader questions in our comments (officially begins Noon PT). Background As I’ve written about before, the United States definitely has a costly tech-talent shortage, which can only be filled by attracting the best and brightest from around the world. Despite near unanimous support for more high-skilled immigrants, the United States Congress could not move forward without a comprehensive package that included all foreign-born workers. A set of proposed drafts that will eventually become a single comprehensive bill is currently winding its way through both chambers of the Congress; sticky issues on agriculture workers, border security, gay rights, and an abusive high-skilled visa system threaten to derail any progress at all. How To Influence As Senator Jerry Moran (CrunchGov Grade: A) told me, policymakers really do respond to public pressure, especially social media. The March For Immigration isn’t about advocating a particular position, but about letting Congress know that the electoral consequences of failing to pass a bill will be greater than passing an imperfect one. To participate in the discussion, comment below and/or tweet Booker (use hashtag #iMarch). Talk Amongst Yourselves Here are a few very important questions that citizens should be asking Is immigration reform a voting issue for you? If so, why? If you have a personal story, please tell us on Twitter or in the comments. Do you believe that high-skilled immigrants create or take jobs from Americans? One large union, the AFL-CIO, has supported a 90-day hiring wait period to force employers to seek out Americans first (calling the tech industry “greedy”for opposing it). This waiting period has consequences; for the first time in decades, the U.S. is bleeding high-skilled talentbecause immigrants don’t feel welcome. Immigrants, over the long run, have founded extraordinarily profitable companies, such as Google and PayPal, so the question is complex. Should rights for foreign-born same-sex couples be included? Recently, the Senate rejected a provision to grant

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