WASHINGTON, January 28, 2014 – Marlene M. Johnson, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, issued the following statement on President Obama's State of the Union address:
"We commend President Obama's continued commitment to reforming our nation's outdated immigration policies. This year's State of the Union address once again acknowledges that immigration reform remains a top priority for the nation. NAFSA supports creating a commonsense immigration process that serves our current and future needs. We urge Congress to act swiftly to enact legislation that expands our ability to attract the world's talented students and scholars to our colleges and universities, strengthens our economy, and reclaims the values that make this nation a land of opportunity, equality and freedom for all.
"Our most recent economic study determined that international students and their families contribute $24 billion to the U.S. economy and create or support 313,000 jobs. Without reform, the United States risks losing the economic, academic and cultural contributions from these globally mobile students as they turn to other countries with friendlier immigration policies.”
Read more about NAFSA's priorities for immigration reform at www.nafsa.org/113thcongress.