Most Americans — and both political parties — have come around to the view that attracting skilled immigrants is good for the U.S. economy. The Republican immigration reform principles released this month noted the thousands of foreign students studying at U.S. universities and called for retaining “these exceptional individuals to help grow our economy.” President Obama in his State of the Union address said, “when people come here to fulfill their dreams — to study, invent, contribute to our culture — they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody.” The news that immigration reform may not be progressing this year is bad news for immigrants but even worse news for American companies.