Atlanta attorney Chandler B. Sharma bitterly criticized
at the monthly Indian Professionals Network dinner Aug. 10 HR 1915, a bill in
the U.S. House of Representatives which seeks to limit legal immigration, as an
attack on American constitutional and family values.

If passed the measure would have “a negative and damaging
impact on families and businesses,” said Mr. Sharma, a U.S. citizen who
immigrated from India in the 1960s and now specializes in immigration law. “The
bottom line is that you are not welcome in this country.”

Mr. Sharma encouraged the 70 or so attendees to contact
24 selected members of Congress, in addition to Georgia’s Congressional
delegation, to voice their objections to the bill authored by Lamar Smith
(R-TX), who chairs the House immigration committee.

Form letters for business owners and for employees
seeking visas for family members were available at the dinner at the Maharaja
Restaurant in Tucker.  Also attending were members of various local
Spanish-speaking and Arab organizations.

Mr. Sharma looked back to the 1960s when, he said,
“Indians were a prized catch and the country looked forward to receiving
educated people.”

But U.S. attitudes hardened in the 1970s, he said, when
many Americans felt that foreigners were taking away jobs.  “Now political
opportunists are blaming the ills of society on illegal and legal immigration,”
he added.

Mr. Sharma provided a detailed summary of the proposed
restrictions affecting employment and family unification.  He said that
employment related visas may be reduced by one-third including the elimination
of special categories designed to attract people deemed vital to the national
interest.  “We will lose scientists, engineers, investors and businessmen to
the global economy,” he added.  “We can’t afford to lose all that brain power.”

He also said that all family based immigration could be
cut from its annual limit of 480,000 to 330,000 and called the proposal an
attack on united families which undermines “a cornerstone of America.”

“The family and employment regulations are cleverly
tucked away in the 300 pages of the bill and members of Congress can’t afford
to read every page,” he added, encouraging the attendees to send the letters
without delay.

For more information, Mr. Sharma may be reached by
calling the offices of Smith, White, Sharma & Halpern, P.C. at (404)
872-7086; fax, (404) 892-1128.