Attorney Glorily Lopez in D.C.
Immigration lawyers met with
Wis. congressional delegates

    “This was an important opportunity for the Wisconsin AILA Chapter to make the case for much-needed reform of federal immigration law,”
Lopez said.  “We feel we made a positive impact about how our country’s broken immigration system is adversely affecting families and
businesses in Wisconsin.”
    According to Lopez, who is also the principal attorney at Lopez Law Group, LLC, an immigration and nationality law firm in Madison,
Wisconsin, Congress must enact legislation to reform the employment-based H-1B visa system, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign
professional workers on a temporary basis. This fiscal year, the U.S Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) expects to receive a volume of applications in excess of the 65,000 annual cap. “The blackout on H-1B visas would create an 18-
month restriction on access to new H-1B visas and put Wisconsin businesses at a severe disadvantage,” Lopez said.
    In addition, AILA members urged the Wisconsin congressional delegation to pass legislation to allow U.S. businesses to hire additional
temporary foreign workers.  This would include passing the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, which would extend the exemption
of returning temporary workers from the 66,000 annual cap.  “This short-term relief is especially important to Wisconsin’s seasonal businesses,
such as summer resorts and landscaping companies, so that they can get the temporary workers they need in time for this spring and summer.”
Finally, AILA members advocated for legislation that would provide a path to earned legalization for undocumented immigrants.  This path
to legalization would require them to learn English, pay back taxes, and undergo thorough background checks. “Encouraging undocumented
immigrants to come out of the shadows would not only uphold core American values, but would also protect our national security,” Lopez
said.
    The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice,
advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and
enhance the professional development of its members. For more information, call Atty. Lopez at (608) 270-5550.
    On April 3, 2008, Atty. Glorily A. Lopez, vice chair of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Immigration
Lawyers Association (AILA) and other AILA Wisconsin Chapter members, met with the Wisconsin congressional
delegation and their staffs in Washington, D.C. to advocate for immediate immigration reform as part of AILA’s
National Day of Action.
    Lopez and other AILA members met with Congressman Paul Ryan and also went to the offices of Congressmen
Ron Kind, Tom Petri, Steve Kagen, Tammy Baldwin, Gwen Moore, and Senators Herb Kohl, and Russ Feingold.