U.S. Senate moves forward with the vote on immigration

Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch

This week the U.S. Judicial Commission aims to approve the historical project of the immigration bill to strengthen border while at the same time offering a path to citizenship for millions of people, but the panel must first resolve remaining disputes.

One of the disputes involves modifying a plan that seeks to provide immigrant visas to highly skilled employees who are wanted by the high-tech industry, but it faces opposition from the unions.

This draft of the bill increases the availability for these visas, but includes restrictions intended to ensure that U.S. workers will have the first opportunity to work. Companies like Silicon Valley believe that these restrictions are an annoying pressure in order to soften them up.

The deciding vote would be in the hands of the Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, since he’s on the side of the high-tech industry, while the Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, defends the position of labor. Lawmakers and lobbyists have tried to find a deal to get the support of Hatch for the overall bill, but without dismissing Durbin.