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Temporary Immigration
January 12, 2004 President Bush wants to create a new class of "temporary" workers in America. As he said in his immigration proposal last week, he expects these workers to spend several years here, and he would offer them incentives to return permanently to their home countries. This is a reasonable idea but unduly limited. It is clear that there are low-skilled jobs that are open, and that there are many eager to come, earn higher wages here and then return. At the same time, some should be able to seek permanent residency. Moreover, the history of guest workers in America is a brutal one, filled with abuse by employers and the government as well as legitimate concerns by American workers. The challenge for the president, the Congress and the leaders of nations that would provide the new class of workers will be to find a better way to serve their needs, ensuring that those who are temporary are given a fair, enforceable deal while offering some portion of them the chance to stay and become permanent. Perhaps the most notorious guest worker program in recent American history involved the "braceros" who arrived to help harvest fields during World War II. Until 1964, more than three million of these workers migrated seasonally to pick vital crops like cotton or sugar beets in the Southwest. On paper, it appeared the braceros were getting a good deal and some actually did fairly well. They were given incentives like promises of transportation, housing and health care. To assure that they would not stay, a part of their salaries was deducted and was supposed to be given back when they returned home. Despite such assurances, many were harassed and discriminated against while they were here and few got back their deducted wages when they went home. By the time it ended, the braceros program had earned its reputation as a form of legalized slavery. For Mr. Bush's plan to succeed, it needs to offer at least some workers a way to stay in America. Mr. Bush is on the right track when he promises incentives - incentives that must actually work this time - for those who want to go back and perhaps start small businesses or buy farms with their earnings. But the president was far less clear about those who do not want to go home. There must be some workable option for such immigrants, especially those who have been here for years, working, raising families and paying taxes. Without an optional path to a green card and ultimately citizenship, many of these illegal immigrants simply won't come forward. Mr. Bush says his first priority when it comes to immigration reform is security, which makes it crucial to figure out the identities of the nation's 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants already here. The president's plan will not entice these immigrants out of the shadows if it simply turns out to be another way of deporting them. Giving illegal immigrants a route to legal status does not mean they should be allowed to jump ahead of those already in the torturously long line for green cards. Most of the bills in Congress will probably add to the long wait for those here illegally. Some proposals even levy a fine for crossing the border without proper documents in the first place. The better packages - like the one from Arizona Republicans including Senator John McCain - encourage temporary employment at the same time they offer some possibility of permanence. Another bill, the "AgJobs" bill, which would start with 500,000 agricultural workers' getting immediate legal status, has already been vetted enough by warring groups to have strong bipartisan support. Some suspect last week's announcement was little more than a sop to Hispanic voters and a prelude to Mr. Bush's visit today to Mexico. He can prove them wrong by putting his shoulder behind the AgJobs package that already has strong support from business, labor, Republicans and Democrats. Then he can expand his temporary worker program to appeal to that same, formidable coalition. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/12/opinion/12MON1.html?ex=1074935100&ei=1&en=58aa86c0f1b59ad5 --------------------------------- Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like! Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy now for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here: http://www.nytimes.com/ads/nytcirc/index.html HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright 2003 The New York Times CompanyLearn how to choose, serve, and enjoy wine at Wine @ MSN. -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
