Abraham fights back against ads from 'hate group'

LANSING (AP) - The leader of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based anti-immigration group, said yesterday that U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham has unfairly criticized FAIR as a "hate group."

But Abraham says ads by FAIR are distorting his record on immigration. "I think it's more of a character assassination and smear campaign than having substantive discussion about an issue," Abraham spokesman Joe Davis said.

Last month, FAIR began running radio ads in the Detroit area alleging that a bill co-sponsored by Abraham (R-Mich.) would "import hundreds of thousands more foreign workers to take American jobs." Television and newspaper ads have been added since then.

The bill - which already has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and soon will be considered by the full Senate - would temporarily increase the number of visas available to skilled professionals by 297,500 over the next three years.

The bill also would set aside money from visa fees for training U.S. workers, allow universities to increase the number of students they can bring into the U.S. and increase penalties for fraudulently issued visas.

Abraham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, says the bill is needed because of job shortages in high-tech companies. Abraham has said that U.S. universities are expected to produce less than 25 percent of the information technology graduates the country needs over the next 10 years.

But FAIR challenges the need for foreign workers, saying the bill is simply a way for employers to control costs by using foreign labor. FAIR also contends the bill would take jobs away from Americans.

"These companies seem to think that they have the right to snap their fingers and go overseas and find labor," FAIR Executive Director Dan Stein said. "In the end, this is really an argument about our future."

Stein wouldn't say how much FAIR is spending on the ads or how long they will run. But he said response from a toll-free telephone line indicates the ads are effective.

"We've gotten close to 5,000 calls already on this, that's a pretty good indication that it's hit a soft spot," Stein said.

Stein said only one television station - WJBK-TV in Detroit - has pulled the ad because of concerns over its accuracy. WJBK-TV Vice President Jim Clayton said yesterday that the station initially ran the ad but pulled it because it had two inaccuracies.