Dear Editor:
Regarding Kim Mensah's question, are students immigrants? While students may have a nonimmigrant visa, that doesn't mean they don't intend to immigrate. In fact, the recent change to H1-B allowing 20,000 foreign graduate students to be exempt from the H1-B cap turns the presumption of nonimmigrant intent by students on its head.
Aside from the technical definition of "immigrant", the press and pro-immigrationists in general have been using the term "immigrant" to include those with nonimmigrant visas (such as students or visitors, people who have overstayed), illegal aliens who entered without inspection, legal permanent residents, and virtually anyone who was not born in this country. Oppose illegal immigration and you're labeled "anti-immigration", not "anti-illegal immigration".
Ali Alexander
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