Mayor says Immigrants are New York City’s economic engine

Last week during a speech at CUNY Graduate Center, New York City Mayor Bloomberg said that New York needs more immigrants.

“Immigrants are why New York City became America’s economic engine. In these tough times our city needs more immigrants, not fewer.”

In his bid for re-election Bloomberg outlined four priorities that he would implement in the next four years. According to the Epoch Times, the plan will maximize economic contributions of immigrants, help immigrant children achieve, integrate immigrants into neighborhoods and civic life, and protect immigrants from exploitation.

For more on Bloomberg’s plan to support immigrants in New York City, see his office’s piece titled “Immigrants: The Lifeblood of New York City” by linking here.

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Lack of H-1B Visas affecting New York City’s Global Standing?

From Greg Siskind’s blog:

Businesses Say New York’s Clout Is Emigrating, With Visa Policies to Blame

By PATRICK McGEEHAN and NINA BERNSTEIN
Published:
March 24, 2008

New York officials have long taken pride in the city’s status as a global gateway. But lately, senior executives of some of the country’s biggest corporations, like Alcoa, have been complaining that American immigration policies are thwarting New York’s ability to compete with other world capitals.

Every big employer in the city, it seems, can cite an example of high-paying jobs that had to be relocated to foreign cities because the people chosen to fill them could not gain entry to the United States. >>read on

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