Thread: Mexican workers: Senate's immigrantion plan favors illegals

Mexican workers say Senate's immigrantion plan favors illegals
Many had hoped guest labor program would be expanded.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/nationw ... 90232.html

By Traci Carl
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTERREY, Mexico - Congress' new immigration plan was bad news for tens of thousands of poor Mexicans who depend on a U.S. guestworker program for temporary jobs in agriculture and other seasonal work, such as landscaping and construction. Millions of would-be migrants have been holding tight to President Bush's promise that they could one day apply for temporary visas to get a glimpse of the American dream.

At the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, which hands out more temporary visas than any other consulate or embassy in the world, Edmundo Bermudez, a 36-year-old from the northern city of Durango, said the plan rewards those who have already entered the United States illegally, while shutting out those who stayed home hoping to gain legal passage.

He was especially offended by the plan to give preference to migrants with degrees and skills.

"The United States already has enough people with college degrees. Who is going to cut their tobacco?" asked Bermudez, who has been working intermittently in the U.S. for the past eight years. In Mexico, he makes about $10 a day, while in the U.S. he earns almost that - $8 - in an hour.

The proposal, unveiled Thursday in Washington, is devoid of Bush's original plan to grant three-year visas to migrants living in their native countries. Instead, it focuses on securing the border and giving illegal residents a path toward legal residency, while gradually giving preference for new visas to those with advanced degrees and highly specialized skills.

Many in Mexico - and U.S. employers who say they need workers for low-skilled jobs - had hoped Congress would expand the guestworker program and allow more to cross legally.

Millions of would-be migrants have been holding tight to President Bush's promise that they could one day apply for temporary visas to get a glimpse of the American dream.

"My pledge to you and your government, but more important to the people of Mexico, is I'll work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform." President George Bush March 13, 2007 in Mexico.

Millions of would-be migrants have been holding tight to President Bush's promise that they could one day apply for temporary visas to get a glimpse of the American dream.

the plan rewards those who have already entered the United States illegally, while shutting out those who stayed home hoping to gain legal passage.

The proposal, unveiled Thursday in Washington, is devoid of Bush's original plan to grant three-year visas to migrants living in their native countries. Instead, it focuses on securing the border and giving illegal residents a path toward legal residency, while gradually giving preference for new visas to those with advanced degrees and highly specialized skills.

Therein lies the biggest problem. You cannot hand out amnesty in any form without hurting those who are following the rules. Aside from the argument about whether or not legal immigration levels are too high or too low, illegal immigration (and any proposal to legalize those who have broken the rules) ruins immigration for everyone involved - American citizens, legal immigrants, legal guest workers, and all who would like to migrate legally.

Enforce the current laws, deportation by attrition, knock the living hell out of illegal employers, clamp the borders shut..... then we can talk about any changes needed in current legal immigration policy.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Millions of would-be migrants have been holding tight to President Bush's promise that they could one day apply for temporary visas to get a glimpse of the American dream.

"My pledge to you and your government, but more important to the people of Mexico, is I'll work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform." President George Bush March 13, 2007 in Mexico.

Hi Sis,

It's amazing to me that we never hear the stats which Lou Dobbs gave on his show...

2,000,000 legally admitted to the USA yearly
400,000 + their families H1B visas yearly
900,000 other legal employment visas yearly
660,000 student visas yearly - BTW- do you realize that these students take places that AMERICANS and LEGAL immigrant's children can't have because they are there?
455,000 temporary employment transfers

This is ludicrous! The US admits more people legally, than any country or even group of countries in the world. Russia, plus the EU....with a total population 40% greater than the US, admits far less people for all those countries combined per Lou Dobbs.

ENOUGH!

I think that I'm going to start adding these stats to all my contacts with any of my lawbreakers, etc. I have NO problem with LEGAL immigrants, as you know. I think it's time, when we're discussing this AMNESTY bill, that we remind our lawbreakers that we DO KNOW the numbers of folk coming in legally!

It amazes me that there is such a push to allow 12-20 million (or more) illegal aliens here, with the resulting increase in our census...remember the families...and then, on the other side of their mouths, the lawbreakers are oh so worried about the environment, water supply, etc.

Makes no sense.