U.S. Policy on Immigration

I was pleased to see your editorial “Bush vs. Clinton: What Would Be Best Immigration Policy?” (Oct. 26). Immigration policy has been almost totally ignored by the presidential candidates.

The editorial properly places the issue of immigration against a broader background of trade agreements, foreign policy and the need for economic development in Third World countries. As an attorney who worked for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service prior to entering private practice, I believe that the steps advocated by The Times would go a long way toward solving some critical immigration problems.

However, there is one important immigration issue which was not mentioned in the editorial. The United States, and Southern California in particular, relies heavily on legal immigrants who are employed in professional jobs in the areas of research, high technology, biotechnology and health care. The amount of red tape and the bureaucratic requirements involved in obtaining a simple working visa for a foreign-born professional has increased dramatically in the past few years. So has the legal liability imposed on U.S. employers who hire such workers. Restricting legal immigration in this way does nothing to help control the problem of illegal immigrants.

Before Congress passes any new legislation regarding immigration, perhaps it should consider repealing unnecessary laws which are already on the books.

CARL SHUSTERMAN, Los Angeles