Thread: How Does Immigration Impact American Labor?

I received a fund-raising call from "Progressives for Immigration Reform", which then sent me a 22-page written report on "The Economic Impacts of Mass Immigration into the United States and the Proper Progressive Response", which you can read below from their website. In their cover letter, they list the "Hon. Richard D. Lamm" as a member of their Board of Directors. Mr. Lamm is a former Governor of Colorado who has written a widely-quoted piece on "how to destroy the United States" (through enforced multi-culturalism). There have been at least 2 other posts about this organization here, and it does not seem to be what you would immediately assume from the organization's name.


How Does Immigration Impact American Labor?

PFIR’s primary focus of concern is the condition of unskilled workers in U.S. society. In an age in which unskilled workers have far too few opportunities opened to them, and in which welfare reform will require thousands more to find jobs, we see no justification to the continued entry of unskilled foreign workers – unless the rationale for their admission otherwise serves a significant interest, as does the admission of nuclear family members and refugees.

Reducing exploitation of foreign workers and suppression of the wages of unskilled American workers violates human rights in the name of profits by greedy, self-serving, private interests. Employer sanctions that were enacted in 1986 must be made to work. A requirement to verify social security numbers must be made mandatory immediately.

Reliance on foreign workers in low-wage, low-skill occupations, such as hospitality, farm, and factory work, provides disincentives for employers to improve pay and working conditions for American workers. This also harms companies that adhere to appropriate labor standards and that pay livable wages.

The presence of large numbers of foreign workers in particular localities presents substantial costs for housing, health care, social services, schooling, and basic infrastructure that are borne by the public rather than the employers who benefit unfairly from the inexpensive labor.

Enforcement must become a reality. Fines for violations of the employer sanctions system must be increased and used routinely. The same for criminal penalties for repeat offenders. By both deed and national publicity, the message must be made clear to the public that illegal migrants will not work in the United States. More worksite inspectors and border patrol personnel should be hired and deployed and greater enforcement facilities put in place.

There must be no amnesties given for those who have illegally entered the United States to work. There have been seven amnesties since 1986 when the first such amnesty was given. These served only to suppress the wages of working Americans and to cause unemployment of the most disadvantaged native-born population.

The admission of foreign workers for temporary work in skilled occupations (e.g., computer programming, technical, and research work) should remain capped at no more than 66,000 workers a year but limited to no more than three years. No private or public institution should use temporary admissions as a long term source of skilled labor. To the degree that such shortages exist, reliance on the expansion of educational and training programs should be the nation’s method of filling such needs.

http://www.progressivesforimmigrationre ... economics/


The Economic Impact of Mass Immigration Into the United States: And the Proper Progressive Response

Download a pdf copy of this Policy Brief
http://www.progressivesforimmigrationre ... cafaro.pdf

Policy Brief #09-2 | December, 2009 Philip Cafaro | Colorado State University

A few years ago, one hot summer day, I spent a morning taking turns with a posthole digger, making holes for a new wooden fence around the house my wife Kris and I had recently bought. I was helping Steve, who does odd jobs when he isn’t working for a small home builder here in Fort Collins, Colorado. Steve is a short, powerful man, pushing 50; bald, with deep blue eyes that light up with laughter when he talks. He drives an old, multi-colored pickup truck that looks like it’s held together with baling wire, but he can fix anything on it himself.

Kris and I had hired Steve to design and build the fence because he seemed like the best choice for a job calling for both creativity and hard physical work. We also knew we could trust him to keep track of his hours honestly and buy several thousand dollars worth of materials without inflating their price.

As we worked that day, Steve talked about how hard it could be to make ends meet working construction. He mentioned a bum knee and a bad back that he was trying to treat himself; he had no health insurance and it wouldn’t take many visits to the doctor to wipe out his profits from this fence job. We talked about the going rates for construction workers. I wondered whether he had ever asked his current employer for a raise, or for health benefits.

“Well, yeah,â€

Yaaaaayyy! I don't know what my political persuasion is exactly so I love that people of different stripes can unite on this issue. I wasn't pleased being labeled conservative due to my stance on illegal immigration. These labels close doors and minds.