An open letter to Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Division of Homeland Security, Carlos E. Iturregui, Chief, Office of Policy & Strategy, Citizenship & Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The United States Congress and President Bush and all U.S Agencies involved in immigration policy.

I see that the visa cap has been lifted for baseball and hockey players, and is likely to be lifted for fashion models. Is it possible for the cap to be lifted for the highly skilled who are willing to reside, work, start a business or teach in certain designated worst case American inner cities? In these places an abundance of abandoned homes, factories, warehouses and vacant lots and a dearth of employers speak loudly, and are all the testimony Congress needs to know that not nearly enough Americans can be found to fill vital roles in the inner city.

Current immigration policy regarding skilled labor is actually contributing to and aggravating the situation, advancing the deterioration in many cities and impeding regeneration. Since businesses who receive H1b workers are always located outside distressed cities, usually in suburban office parks, skilled workers are steered away from their historic destination, the city as melting pot and economic engine, and into the suburbs. I know the INS must react to policy initiated in Congress. I don't know how much of a role the INS has in creating or influencing policy. I see that Carlos Iturregui's title is, Chief, Office of Policy & Strategy, Citizenship & Immigration Services. I see hope in the words "Policy" and "Strategy." I already know all of you are sympathetic to this issue. The time has come to do something about it.

In cities the size of Camden , a skilled population as small as 5,000 could have a catalytic and regenerative effect, serving as a magnet for high-tech companies and indigenous skilled workers. The purpose of this letter is to request that the INS review skilled labor policy to see if it indeed hurts or fails to benefit inner cities, or has unintended consequences that actually damage cities by inadvertently favoring and distributing skilled labor only to well off cities and towns, and suburban office parks. Does the actual geographic distribution unintentionally result in a form of racial or economic segregation, violating court precedence establishing  "separate is not equal," cutting off minorities and the poor in certain areas from participating in higher levels of economic activity and employment?  If a new visa is needed to offset an imbalance in current policy to adjudicate unintended consequences to inner cities, please do so.

If the INS finds that current INS policy does indeed result in a unintended inequitable distribution of skilled labor what can it do to remedy the situation? In addition, I would like to offer this proposal, ( The 4-U.S. Visa) as a test remedy, if the INS decides a remedy is necessary. If the INS ascertains that current policy does not have these negative consequences, I still respectfully request that the INS consider developing policy that could direct a percentage of the skilled labor applying for visa's into communities where it is most needed. 

The matter is urgent. Many cities, such as Camden, are in a state of crisis. Many inner cities are in a state of  "quiet riot", a mass rage turned inward as residents try to cope with a sense of helplessness in the face of big government policies that clearly work against their interests and progress. Before modern immigration policy, the city was the first stop, the first rung for skilled immigrants on the upward mobility ladder. Everyone in the cities benefited from their presence, including less educated Americans. Cutting inner city Americans off from this traditional benefit and segregating economies has had terrible consequences.

The INS could be the cavalry that saves our cities.

 This issue can and must receive an urgent priority that resolves this dilemma within the current session of Congress, and considered outside the broader immigration debate, considered as a small bill isolated from all other bills and issues, since there is little disagreement on either side of the aisle that this countries inner cities need an influx of skilled human capital.

With all respect and well wishes,

Michael McAteer