The whole immigration debate is really two seperate, thoug related issues that, in my opinion, are being combined in a way to confused the American people. What are the two issues, and why would our wonderful Republican leadership want to confuse the two? More below the fold.
The issues, of course are (1) Border security, and (2) imigrants coming in illegally (or legally, for that matter) and taking jobs away from Americans. The Republicans can have a field day fear-mongering on both these issues to the easily fear-mongered mainstream electorate, while, at the same time pandering to the racist fringe that doesn't want brown people and their Spanish language without having to sound racist or anti-Hispanic. As to the corporate overlords, who
want the flow of cheap labor to contine, this, is indeed a problem for the Republuicans.
As far as I'm concerned, legalizing most, if not all the immigrants, would make the border security problem a lot easier to deal with. Having vistied the southern border recently, it seems that the Border patrol has to expend a lot of it's resources chasing after people who enter illegally who are otherwise not criminals. If these people could just enter leaglly through the extablished ports of entry, the Border patrol and other law enforcement will be able to concentrate on the criminal element (drug smugglers, other smugglers, terrorists, etc.) In addition, if we really came to our senses and decriminalized drugs, the agents at the border crossings could spend their time focusing on real threats to our security, and stop wasting time taking cars apart looking for marijuana.
As far as the effect of immigrants have on our labor markets, the economists seem to think that it's marginal, at least as far as wages, and mainly at the most unskilled end of the labor pool. I think that the effect is on other aspects of working conditions -- people here illegally are a far more docile work force and will put up with things that nobody should have to put up with. If they're here legally, they can join with citizen workers in any struggle against unscrpulpous employers without fear of being deported.
The immigrants who want to come and work, they should be able to apply in their home country, get a criminal background check, and upon successful completion, be given a temproary residence permit. (Immediate family [spouse and minor children] could also be given a permit.) They can then enter the US legally at any port of entry and start looking for work like anyone else. Holders of the temporary permits would have 3 months to find a job, or they would have to return home. They could also be unemployed looking for a job for up to 3 months (the average time people need to find a new job) without having to leave. Permit holders would have to check in on a regular basis with the Immigration Service and let them know address and work situation. The permits wouldbe renewable and, if after a specified number of terms, the permit holder has a stable job or business situation, and the can pass an English and civics test, they should be eligible for citizenship. The main goal of the program should be recruitment of new Americans within the limits of the economic absorptive capacity of the country.
The main thing about this program is that the permission to be resident in the US is tied to the immigrant, not to the employer or job, which is the main failing of the H1-B program or other guest worker proposals. Tying the residency to the employer leads to great leverage on the immigrant owrkers to be docile, and so they are preferable to citizen or permanent resident workers. If the immigrants could tell their bosses to "shove it" the sameway citizens and permanent residenst can, the situation would be better all around.
This plan requires the following additional actions by the government: Increasing the budget for border crossing staffing and facilities to properly accomodate traffic; increased staffing to do background checks for applicants for temporary residence; and increasing staffing for the Immigration agencies to ensure that they can keep track of all the applications, and also so it's convenient for the aliens to report their presence. Long waits in lines and rude survice by understaffed Immigration offices might lead many to circumvent the system.
Splitting the two issues is a good way for the Democrats to approach the problems. They can say they are for secure borders and for the rights of working people.
As for Mexicans, a lot of them have moved into my city, and I can say that the benefits they've brought have far outweighed any problems. So I say, send more Mexicans!