Reps. Castro, Peters Lead Effort to Clear Green Card Backlog

Press Release

Today, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Scott Peters (CA-52) led 71 other colleagues in a letter to President Obama, urging him to take concrete actions to help clear the green card backlog, improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, and provide a critical shot in the arm for innovation and job creation.

"The United States provides top-notch educations to smart folks from around the world, and our economy stands to benefit from their brilliance after graduation," said Congressman Castro. "Using his authority, President Obama can help eliminate the backlog of green card applications, retain talent educated in America, and enhance our nation's ability to lead in today's global economy."

"If we want the best and brightest from around the world, who we are educating at American universities, to stay here and start or join innovative ventures here in the United States, we must fix this broken system," Rep. Peters said. "President Obama can take simple steps today to recapture these unused visas, and help grow the economy and create American jobs."

Under the current, broken system, over 200,000 applications from people who qualify for green cards have been delayed due to bureaucratic error. That has unnecessarily hampered our economic growth, keeping families separated and making it more difficult for entrepreneurs to keep the talented individuals they need to grow their businesses here at home.

Source