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Comment: Immigration reform a bilateral effort

Web Posted: 01/18/2006 12:00 AM CST
A.J. Rodriguez
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce


The president and members of Congress are facing the complex challenge of reforming our immigration system.

Although several legislative proposals focusing on enhancing border security, antiterrorism and verification requirements for employers are pending, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believes these proposals are not adequate to address true comprehensive immigration reform.

The Hispanic Chamber has proposed five business and social guiding principles to our Bexar County congressional delegation as it pushes for immigration policy that balances the effects on businesses, trade and our society in general.

Bilateral policy development: We believe to realistically achieve feasible solutions to the complications of immigration reform, a bilateral approach should be developed to facilitate communication and cooperation between the United States and Mexico in creating and implementing new immigration policy with shared responsibility.

Promote circularity and trade: Since the implementation of NAFTA, the United States and Mexico have strived to become better economic partners and have created a framework of cooperation through trade.

The same level of cooperation should be applied for those who desire to work in the United States. Promoting circularity allows the opportunity for legally approved immigrant workers to revisit with families, invest in both economies and feel secure crossing between the United States and Mexico.

Support guest worker programs with optional vehicle for citizenship: We support a comprehensive guest worker program that would relieve pressure on the border and include an option for temporary workers to apply for legal residency if they choose to remain in the United States.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, immigrants accounted for 47 percent of growth in the work force during the 1990s and at least 60 percent from 2000 to 2004. The BLS also projects that net immigration will add 4.25 million workers to the U.S. labor force by 2012, representing a quarter of total labor force growth. A study by the National Academy of Sciences notes immigrants bring in $10 billion worth of labor each year to the U.S. economy and about $7 billion in Social Security and $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes paid.

Border security and enforcement: We discourage any enforcement of immigration law that is not associated with and led by our federal government. We do, however, support efforts to adequately fund and protect our borders from illegal border crossings and to expedite legal border crossings.

Business hindrances, potential discrimination and human rights: Finally, we discourage any policy that has the potential to create a chilling effect on business and trade between Mexico and the United States, that creates unnecessary hindrances or any form of discrimination toward Mexicans and Mexican Americans and, most important, that endangers lives.

Mexico and the United States share a common interest with regard to trade, and both firmly advocate for a healthy economic system. Both countries benefit as a result of trade and are considered significant economic partners, especially since the implementation of NAFTA.

Recognizing the United States is historically rooted by continuous waves of immigration from various cultures, backgrounds and nationalities, we believe true immigration reform must be resolved reasonably, bilaterally and through bipartisanship.



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A.J. Rodriguez is president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Jaymie Balboa, vice president of external affairs, contributed to this commentary.