Immigration's New Rules

Senators ranging from Democrat Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts to Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia announced today that they had reached a deal on comprehensive immigration reform, according to the New York Times. The paper says that the deal would fundamentally shift the focus of U.S. immigration policy away from helping families bring additional family members into the country. In the future, a prospective immigrant's chances of gaining legal entry into the country would be greater if he or she was well educated, well versed in technology, or otherwise had job skills that are highly prized by American employers.

The Times quoted Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, as saying that the proposed new rules "would free up thousands of green cards in the future for people who meet our economic needs, while still allowing members of the nuclear family to come to this country."

What do you think? Should America's immigration policies be re-worked to draw more skilled workers?

Mike Hofman was previously editor of Inc.com and a deputy editor at Inc. magazine, which he joined in 1996. The site was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media in 2010, and was named the best business website by Folio Magazine. In 2006, Hofman was part of a team of writers nominated for a Webby Award for best business blog. He lives in New York City. @mikehofman