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ANTI-IMMIGRATION GROUPS CONTINUE TO IMPACT MICHIGAN SENATE RACE
Over the past months, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has been running a series of advertisements in Michigan hat are highly critical of Republican Senator Spencer Abraham and his efforts to increase the number of H-1B visas available each year.  While the ads have not made Abraham change his position on visas for skilled temporary workers, it has made him rethink his previous position on the role of third party spending in campaigns. 
According to observers, this campaign is likely to set a record for the most spending by third parties – those that are not directly involved in the race.  So much money is being spent that Abraham has suggested that campaign finance laws dealing with third parties be reformed.  Currently, the laws allow third parties to spend unlimited money in a political race, so long as they do not endorse a candidate.  Abraham has said that perhaps third parties that become deeply involved in campaigns should be subject to the same requirements of disclosing their sources of funding that the campaigns themselves are.  FAIR has spent anywhere between 0,000 and  million on issue ads in Michigan, according to observers. 
The Michigan race is one of the most important in this election year.  Abraham, who is the chairman of the Senate immigration subcommittee, has been a leader on many immigration issues, not just those relating to high-tech visas.  For example, he has been active in calling for delaying the implementation of Section 110, which would call for tracking all entries and exits to and from the US.  Many say this law would bring cross border traffic to a complete halt.  
The situation has gained the attention of the Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott (R-MS).  At a recent meeting with lobbyists from the high-tech industry, Lott called upon them to support Abraham’s campaign.  So far, however, the industry has not come up with a plan to support one of its biggest advocates.  
FAIR claims to favor restricted immigration to protect US workers, and to ensure that the US has resources to provide for the people already here.  However, many view FAIR as a hate group.  FAIR was founded 20 years ago, ostensibly because of concerns about overpopulation.  Memos written by the group’s founder, John Tanton, show that the group may have racist overtones.  According to this memo, English should be the official language, there is a danger of a Hispanic “population explosion,” and the large number of new immigrants who are Roman Catholic is a concern.  Critics of FAIR point out that these are the same concerns expressed by those who opposed the high level of immigration in the early 1900s.