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The Invisible Problem: Bush Makes an Attempt at Immigration Reform

The United States is a nation of immigrants, but that tradition has long been surpassed by a system that everyone agrees is flawed.

More than half a million illegal immigrants come into the country each year, a problem that is no longer just an economic issue, but also a security threat. And undocumented workers have few rights and protections and little access to health care.

What then, is to be done about our porous borders, our dependence on cheap labor, and the millions of illegal workers who live here invisibly?

On November 29, 2005, President Bush painted the broad strokes of his immigration policy proposal, which focuses on border security and legitimizing undocumented workers.

Bush’s plan - better borders

President Bush first emphasized the importance of a secure border, a principle strongly supported by a portion of the Republican party, often called his "conservative base," that believes illegal immigration to be criminal.

To discourage illegal border crossing, Bush would like to return Mexican immigrants to their hometowns, instead of simply escorting them a few miles back across the border.

He also plans to end the practice of apprehending and then releasing illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico simply because there are no available jail cells. This procedure, known as "catch and release," would be prevented through funding for more detention space.

Further, President Bush would like to multiply border-patrol agents to 12,500 and increase surveillance technology, such as remote-control planes that inspect the Mexico-U.S. border. Bush is also in favor of building walls and fences on some areas of the border, though he did not give the details of where and how.

Bush’s plan - legal workers

The second part of President Bush’s plan is a guest-worker program that he first introduced in January 2004. It would temporarily legalize undocumented workers through a three-year work permit offered to any illegal immigrant with a job or job offer. This permit may be renewed at least once and perhaps several more times, depending on Congress’ negotiations.

This guest-worker program does not lead to permanent residency or citizenship, but immigrants would be able to pursue green cards (permanent residency for employees who can prove they have special skills) or citizenship papers while they have the temporary permit.

In his speech, Bush clarified that employers must first offer jobs to U.S. citizens, and if there are no takers, then immigrants may be hired/validated. Bush did not reveal just how this hiring process will work.

The policy begs the question: How can employers prove that no Americans are willing to do the job? Economists point out that if employers paid a fair wage, then American citizens would do the work and illegal immigrants would not be lured over the border.

In effect, Bush’s plan is a method for documenting workers of whom the government has no record and collects no income taxes. Immigrant workers do pay sales taxes, but this plan will require them to pay on earned income as well. Once legal, workers would be have more rights and protections and be able to access health care without the risk of deportation.

Reactions

Since it is such a delicate issue, immigration policy is truly made in the details, and those details remain to be seen. Policy analysts note that Bush has made a habit of introducing vague policies that are then supposed to be sorted out by members of Congress, giving the administration press coverage and an opportunity to broker the final deal.

But Congress is, after all, the body that will eventually determine any immigration policy changes, and since Bush’s plan meets resistance from members of both parties, the plan may be doomed.

Bush’s "conservative base" is against the guest-worker program. They say it gives illegal immigrants a get-out-of-jail-free card or, amnesty. They do not want to grant illegal immigrants amnesty, as Congress did in 1986. And they worry that the plan will do nothing to increase security and stop the hundreds of thousands crossing the border each year.

But some members of both parties praise the guest-worker program. They hold the philosophy that workers who have lived in the U.S. for a long time have contributed to their communities through hard work and paying taxes. They believe that otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants should be given a chance at citizenship.

Clearly, this issue is not strictly partisan, but one that carves up the parties and creates smaller groups. This is illustrated by the fact that Arizona’s two Republican Senators are sitting on opposite sides of the fence. John McCain believes in the guest-worker program while his close colleague, Jon Kyl, has co-sponsored a bill to deny temporary workers citizenship.

Bush’s plan is caught between two powerful forces, those who see the permeable border as a serious security problem that adds to the cost of social programs for the needy, and the business community, which would like to legalize and maintain access to low-wage workers.

The essential worker

Currently, undocumented immigrant workers perform essential labor that Americans are unwilling to perform for low pay. Specifically, the agricultural and restaurant industries depend on migrant workers for efficient labor at very low cost. All Americans benefit from migrant workers -- the inexpensive labor allows farmers and restaurants to keep prices low. American taxpayers, however, pick up the cost of services for undocumented workers below or near the poverty line.

In a 2004 speech, Bush established that immigrant laborers play a vital role in the U.S. economy and suggested that these workers be recognized for their efforts. He is not taking this "compassionate conservative" approach this year however.

President Bush is walking a fine line between the business community and his conservative base of support. Members of both of these groups are angered by the proposal and want what they consider a more substantive solution. They feel the proposal is not serious because it is all-inclusive but incomplete.

And still others believe that his plan is the right approach, a good mixture that both treats the problem and prevents it from becoming worse. What do you think? How would you slow or prevent illegal immigration? How should undocumented workers be treated once they are here? Should we raise wages so that American workers fill these jobs?

What do you think?

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Update Posted on: 12/3/2005