On October 27th a group from the German American Chamber of Commerce, French American Chamber of Commerce and British American Business Council gathered for a Lunch & Learn, hosted by Green and Spiegel. Immigration attorneys, Jonathan Grode and Ralf Wiedemann’s topic, “The Future of Business Immigration”, was extremely topical and informative. We learned that the last large immigration reform happened in 1986 and while the policy of immigration hasn’t changed too much, our perception and the attitude of those issuing the visas has. Jonathan also pointed out that there is a strong migration of employees leaving the State Department. This “brain drain” is negatively affecting all aspects of the governmental arm, as those with years of experience and knowledge are no longer employed and the Department of State is desperately trying to fill the vacancies. While one would think regardless of who is employed, they have certain laws to follow – which is true to an extent. Congress implemented the Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965, but it is the State Department’s responsibility to interpret the Act and implement regulations. Those interpretations can change as those in power at the State Department do. This is what is creating the uncertain environment that is felt within the world of immigration today.
Another point we touched upon, was the Executive Branch’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from a business standpoint. We were left with the question – how will the lay-off of 800,000 DACA workers in March 2018 affect the economy?
It was a fascinating conversation and lively discussion by the attendees who asked many questions and voiced concerns with this ever-evolving topic. As the immigration environment continues to change, we look forward to Lunch & Learn again with Green and Spiegel.
