We know an elderly couple who run a small horse-boarding farm a few miles north of the Wisc/IL border. For the past 7 years they have had 1 Mexican worker in charge of cleaning their stables/barns. They know he lives in Illinois, is green carded and speaks decent English. He brings in 2 or 3 other fellows who do NOT speak English and all communication goes through him; whether they are legal or illegal in this country has never been asked. They do very good work and are paid good wages which are not taxed.
I've talked to the headman and know that he has
family here as well as back in Mexico. Over the years he
has made several trips back home to visit. I'd sure like
to ask him what he thinks about the Bush proposal...just to get another view of the problem. Under the ground rules presented by Bush, this man would be eligible since he's been here for quite a while and is gainfully employed. But
how does that apply to his family who live here? Are they
legal as well if Dad/husband has a green card? In all honesty, I don't know enough about the legal/illegal status
of Mexican nationals to make rational decisions...other than the horrible border situation.
A lot of Mexicans are wary of the program because it gets them "out of the shadows" for three years, but then the govt will know who and where they are (supposedly) to go and deport them if they can't get their work permit renewed. As it stands now, legal residents can bring in their spouse and children, but it takes a long time and the relatives have to wait at home for the process to be completed. If Bush pushes the guest worker program through, he'll probably also propose to legalize the wife and kids for the 3-year period.