Prior to that, we had "guest worker" programs. There were companies who brought in seasonal workers. I am familiar with the ones who brought in agricultural workers and hotel workers on the East Coast (many from Jamaica, Barbados and Haiti) and agricultural workers on the West Coast (mostly from Mexico).
Most of them just came for the season, went home for the winter, and then came back the next year.
The guest worker programs solved our labor problems and gave money to the people from the poorer countries. But we decided that we shouldn't do that. And now the people who want the wages come illegally (uncontrolled, which they weren't before) and the employers who want them don't have any restrictions on them either.
I firmly believe that these guest worker programs were good for everyone involved, and we need to have them again.
That said, I'm not convinced that I will like every part of the programs that the Bush Admin. is going to propose, but starting to discuss a reasonable guest worker program is a step in the right direction.