[You Dirty Rats]

The guest-worker program was largely ended years ago. This was a mistake.

Sanctions on employers were part of the 1980's immigration law. Nice theory; in practice, there is no incentive for California, for example, to put most of their agricultural sector out of business.

If there was a real guest-worker program, then we would be able to monitor and regulate these workers and they would be more likely to go home when seasonal needs aren't there. "Tightening the borders" means that illegals, once they get here, don't leave for the season -- they risk not getting back in.

[monkeywrench]

Many of the jobs they're taking aren't "seasonal", anymore.

[Mudboy Slim]

"If there was a real guest-worker program, then we would be able to monitor and regulate these workers and they would be more likely to go home when seasonal needs aren't there."

Exactly...the status quo rewards law-breaking by both the immigrant and the employer and must be changed. To allow folks to break the laws while we wink at the problem is ridiculous, and giving amnesty to these law-breakers would simply encourage more of this activity in the future.

FReegards...MUD

[Aetius]

If there was a real guest-worker program, then we would be able to monitor and regulate these workers and they would be more likely to go home when seasonal needs aren't there. "Tightening the borders" means that illegals, once they get here, don't leave for the season -- they risk not getting back in. Also, a real guest worker program would be made up of actual 'guests.' In other words they will go home eventually. The problem with most proposed guest worker programs is that they are acually trojan horses for massive increases in legal immigration. How? Because they allow the guest to gain permanent residency, and then they will of course be able to import their extended family. These phony proposals would also grant amnesty; but their sponsors deny it by pointing out that current illegals would have to pay a fine. Big deal. I just wish the pro-mass immigration crowd would be honest about their agenda; which is to grant amnesty to illegals and massively increase already mass levels of legal immigration. Since they know both of those ideas are unpopular, they instead rely on deceptively titled bills that play on what 99% of people think of when they hear the word 'guest.'