Immigration reform: It didn't work in Europe, and it won't in the U.S.

International Herald Tribune ^ | January 10, 2004 | David Abraham

[jpsb]

It is pretty much the same deal as 86, in 86 illegals were not granting citizenship, they were given the change to get documented and go thru the process. Also as in 86 the public was promised that strict enforcement of the laws would follow. Of course the enforcement never happened, as many millions more invaded. So yea, it's the same crap. The 86 deal only encouraged more to come, this deal will do the same.

Why in the world, when in the middle of jobless economy would anyone propose flooding the USA with cheap labor?

[Zipporah]

"If Bush won't deport illegal aliens do you really believe that he will deport "guest workers" when their time is up?"..you are SO right.. if he doesn't have the resolve or intention now.. why then? Like I've said before and I believe it needs saying again, the guest worker proposal is much deeper than the illegal issue which IMO is extemely important.. this is also a way to circumvent the H-1 Visa program.. All jobs are up for grabs.

[Zipporah]

PING

[janetgreen]

Does the President Bush/Fox proposal address the billions of dollars that American taxpayers are forced to spend each year for medical care, schooling, welfare, food stamps, free breakfasts and lunches, housing assistance for the "poor illegals who only come to work"? Is Vicente going to cough up what he owes us?

[Zipporah]

Does the proposal address those issues? In a word no.. Vicente (dumb as a) Fox is deporting his problems.. the Mexican elite could fix the problems in Mexico but it will cost them $$ .. of course it's better for US to spend our money to do that.. BTW Fox will be on Fox News this a.m... will be interesting.

[txdoda]

No. The immigrant has TEMPORARY legal status as an alien working in the US. >>>>>>

One little 'anchor baby' will permanently end *anything TEMPORARY*.

[leadpenny]

Robert Leiken from the Nixon Center is on C-SPAN's Washington Journal discussing this and taking calls. He said we have more people coming into the US without visas than with visas.

[expatpat]

That is a real problem -- I think the law needs to be changed in that respect. In addition, the INS needs to be totally reformed.

[expatpat]

No question in my mind that any change in immigration law will need to be accompanied by strong action to enforce the law, deporting first undesirables, then illegals not part of the guest-worker program. You can't so it all at once -- it has to be done progressively.

[JustPiper]

BumPing!

doomed from the start: Europe's guest worker programs created as many problems as they solved, and to this day they remain unpopular

[Zipporah]

Just as much of a failure as is the European Union.. a duplicate being proposed by Fox.. NAFTA Plus..< sigh >