[speekinout]

Say there are two options before us. One is maintaining the status quo for the next six months, the other is instituting a guest-worker program now that's available only to people applying in their home countries. Under which scenario would we be worse off than we would be under the other at the end of six months?

There wouldn't be any difference. Many employers would continue to turn a blind eye and keep their illegal employees. The only way to fix the problem is to make it very difficult for illegals to work here.

And, BTW, I don't know if we have a problem with illegal workers from Bangladesh, but we sure do get a lot of Chinese coming here in container ships.

I still think we have to concentrate on the employers, not the illegals. Without employers, the whole stream of illegals - from whatever country - would dry up pretty fast.

[inquest]

There wouldn't be any difference. Many employers would continue to turn a blind eye and keep their illegal employees.

What about on the border? If people have a way of coming here legally to work, they wouldn't be jumping the border, right? And that would be the case regardless of whether or not this same status was extended to illegals in the U.S., because they've already crossed the border.

And, BTW, I don't know if we have a problem with illegal workers from Bangladesh, but we sure do get a lot of Chinese coming here in container ships.

How does that compare to the numbers coming across the Mexican border?