Another look at the Bush Immigration Reform

I have been thinking more about the presidents immigration reform plan and I am starting to understand it more. To get started let me outline the program that Bush has outlined for us.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A guest worker arrangement under which foreign workers are given special visas to enter the United States to take a specific job which has gone unfilled by U.S. workers. It is a temporary arrangement - the worker is given a 3-year permit, which can be renewed for a not-yet-specified number of times, after which the worker must return to his home country.

The program applies not only to prospective workers abroad, but also to the estimated 8 million illegal aliens already in the United States. Illegal immigrants now working in the country would be deemed filling an employer need by virtue of their employment.

The illegal worker coming forward to join the program will not face deportation for having violated immigration rules. The current employer would not be penalized either.

Those under the program would be allowed to travel freely in and out of the country.

WAGES AND BENEFITS. All workers under the program must be paid at least the legal minimum wage. Social security would also be deducted, and the workers would be eligible for normal workmen benefits under U.S. law.

Then plan calls for creation of special savings accounts for temporary workers to help provide them with a nest egg when they return to their home countries. There would also be other incentives for eventually returning home.

FAMILY ACCOMPANIMENT. Workers under the program would be allowed to bring their immediate family to the country providing they could prove they could support them. The family would also be governed by the temporary residence status of the permitted worker.

CITIZENSHIP/PERMANENT RESIDENCY. The temporary worker program would not be linked to normal permanent residency and citizenship immigration tracks, nor would it be considered an advantage in applying for a green card. Temporary workers who wanted to settle permanently in the United States would have to follow normal procedures already in place.

I think the ultimate plan here is to get illegal aliens to disclose themselves without the fear of being deported. Illegal aliens will actually be rewarded for coming forward because their employers will be required to pay them the minimum wage instead of the 40 to 50 dollars a day that is currently being paid to most day laborers.

The illegal worker coming forward to join the program will not face deportation for having violated immigration rules. The current employer would not be penalized either.

I imagine that a time limit will be set for illegal workers to come forward and if they don�t the employers will get hit with a major fine and suspension of business liscense.

Notice that the plan calls for Social Security will be taken out of the aliens paycheck and a special savings account that will provide a nest egg for the worker. I imagine this nest egg will be some portion of the Social Security deducted but not the full amount. This move will help fund the dwindling Social Security fund and help Americans.


[Edited on 15-1-2004 by BlackJackal]

[Edited on 15-1-2004 by BlackJackal]

If he wants to help Americans deport the uneducated disease ridden illegal aliens! Or just enforce the laws we already have on the books.

In light of homeland (IN)security and the threat of terrorism, this idea is utterly dangerous. These people must be out to destroy our nation from within. I'm convinced that is their multi-generational plan.

Thanks for this thread, Black. Cause, I truly wanna understand the Bushies thinking, still its impossible to do.

We have to get tougher on the border, no doubt. But, more importantly, we have to raise the minium wage to a liviable wage. It's $5.15/hour that's basically dooming folk to poverty. It needs to go up at least 3 dollars and that's still too low, but it's a start. Bringing 8 million + workers to work at below a liviable wage will just create more poverty in this country. We can't praise bringing people under the minium wage when the earnings are still beyond brutal. This is just bad policy, and I hope it dies in the congress--if it comes up I'll be mailing my reps and sentors.

Bush's plan is one of the largest pieces of crap in recent memory. He is not treating these ILLEGAL aliens like the criminals they are.

Back the border with the National Guard, and make select spots on the borders where you can immagrate to. Back up the rest with the Guard.

I think this is a conpiracy by Extreme Libs to make the US economy weak and make a good excuse for a commie government. The main stream groups are only concerned with votes. The NeoCons want to stop this, and we should agree with them (not submit) that the border must be reinforced.

Does anyone really think "illegal immigrants" are going to to come forward to sign up for whatever this plan is?

I don't. I think "illegal immigrants" who are already in this country are scared that this is a ploy to get them on paper and send back home. So therefore they will not come forward, leaving the door open for more "illegals" to enter this country.

This whole plan is a bunch of bull!! Bush needs to fix what we have before implementing new crap!.

When we had a strong president, Eisenhower, we had a reasonable approach to illegal aliens, Operation Wetback:

www.tsha.utexas.edu...

Sure it will help Americans......I doubt it. Americans wont be able to get a job because they can still get the illegals cheaper by paying them min. wage. If this plan goes through then Americans will slowly but surely become the minorities of our own country.