WSJ this morning has an article about Bush’s immigration reform proposals.:
“Mr. Bush’s guest-worker proposal would create a legal means–a renewable three-year work visa–for new immigrants to enter the country and take jobs that Americans don’t want. Illegal immigrants already living here would become eligible for guest-worker status after paying a fine. The plan also would allow for circular migration, which means that farm hands could return home to their families after the harvest without worrying about another life-risking trek back to the U.S. Immigrant workers would enjoy the protection of our labor laws and be able to quit or switch jobs without fear of deportation.”
Many are upset thinking that Mr. Bush is pandering to the Hispanic vote, but the polling numbers simply do not bear out that argument.
Rather the reverse is true; Mr. Bush is actually hurting himself slightly be making this move, among Hispanic voters, who for the most part feel that they got here in legal fashion, and so should others. Likely Mr. Bush knew this going in, so logic suggests he has another motive; The most likely reason, clearly would be…….(here’s that word again) …..Security.
The fact is that the biggest attraction to this plan is the added security that it provides, by means of being a vehicle for tracking people coming into the country. As the Journal points out:
“Valuable homeland security resources are now being squandered chasing down Honduran gardeners instead of more likely terrorist threats. Giving them legal status would let the law-abiding move out into the open and away from possible exploitation by cynical employers or landlords.”
Granted that in this context, the phrase “law abiding” takes on a slightly more moral and less legalistic meaning. Perhaps they should have suggested ‘less threatening” as their catch phrase, yet the point is made.
