I too have had the opportunity to work with many professional & highly competent immigrant workers. These are people I respect. If they are here for jobs which are truly difficult to fill with local talent, and often they are, I have no problems whatsoever. The unemployment rate in Minnesota in the I.T. Field is at 2-3%! 

My only objection is when what I would call entry-level (or nearly so) I.T. Positions, such as the job the guy from India I met was doing, are filled with foreign/imported contractors. When this guy I met was still in India he worked for Dell doing their consumer division hardware support, a department I directly interact with on regular basis in the course of doing my job. He is A+ and Dell Certified. Period. As am I. Period. 

I don't necessarily fault Sen. Klobuchar for introducing this legislation, there is no doubt a need for it. I take issue with Minnesota-based corporations who bypass hiring Minnesotans, when there is clearly Minnesotans who can fill the jobs,  in the name of saving a few corporate dollars - because in the end they are bypassing growing & developing our local talent base & economy. 

I have a friend who left that sane company in Arden Hills, one of her complaints was they were shifting jobs overseas and bringing in workers from overseas - while laying off employees from here. Seeing the writing on the wall, she basically jumped before she was pushed. She moved to another major MN medical technology corporation with offices in Fridley and the northern suburbs. As a contractor, giving up employee status, but she has medical through her husband's employer, so she had that option.

That corporation she moved to has responded to the current economy by closing down operations for a week or two a couple times a year - forced vacation time for their employees. My friend is a contractor so she doesn't even have PTO time to use during these forced downtime weeks. BUT, she says the CULTURE at this company (the work environment) is SO much better, she doesn't even care! 

The point her is employees RESENT when jobs are being taken away from their friends & co-worker to be shipped overseas, or given to immigrant contractors, because they, realistically, fear their job is next. When given the option to take a cut in pay/hours/benefits a loyal work staff will appreciate the fact they still have a job in an economy where their employer is struggling. That gratitude is reflected in the culture of the workplace.

I was recently approached by a recruiter to put in an application for a Desktop Support contractor position with this same medical technology corporation in Fridley where my friend now works.  It was tempting, the hourly pay was more than I'm currently earning...  but I am at employee status with my current employer, with medical benefits, and I don't have a spouse with a benefits plan I could tag along on... MinnesotaCare is not an option if I'm leaving a position which pays at least 50% of the medical premium...

If I did have a spouse w/benefits at his job I would have considered applying for that contractor position.  I understand why they are looking to hire contractors, vs. employees, given the company's struggles (I actually know several other people at that company as well.). 

At the first company I referred to, the one in Arden Hills, they aren't even trying to find locally-based contractors! Jobs were going overseas or to immigrants who came here specifically to fill contractor positions & it is destroying the culture of that company. 

/rant