House Passes Herseth Amendment to Eliminate Visa Lottery

HOUSE PASSES HERSETH AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE VISA LOTTERY

Legislation To Remove Randomness from Immigration and Enhance National Security Included in Border Control Act

December 17, 2005, Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives last night passed legislation introduced by Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth (D- SD) and Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to make our immigration policy less random and enhance our national security. This bipartisan Goodlatte/Herseth amendment legislation was passed as part of H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The amendment would eliminate the visa lottery program from the Immigration and Nationality Act, in order to make the administration of our immigration laws more consistent and fair.

"National security is too important to allow this institutional randomness in our immigration policy." Herseth said. "The visa lottery injects a level of unnecessary and irresponsible uncertainty into the immigration process. My amendment is a practical provision that will make our nation safer, while preserving the existing procedures for qualified immigrants with ties to an employer or family member lawfully residing in the United States. These relationships ensure new immigrants have a stake in our nation's future and continued success. These relationships are absent under the visa lottery program."

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http://www.house.gov/herseth/press_12172005_visa.html