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Tougher immigration control and stricter environmental and
food safety regulations are prompting US firms to move farms to Mexico, Brazil,
and everywhere in between. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
In one of the clearest signs yet of Europe's hardening
stance on immigration, on Wednesday the European Parliament approved tough new
rules for expelling undocumented immigrants, among them a provision allowing
member nations to keep migrants in detention centers for up to 18 months.
Foreigners who have been forcibly deported also face a five-year ban on
reentering the European Union. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
Remittances from immigrants working in the US dropped 2.37
percent in the first four months of this year, compared with the same period in
2007, according to Mexico's central bank. Analysts blame a downturn in the US
economy, especially in the construction industry, which employs more than 20
percent of Mexican migrants, and the tightening of US immigration rules –
including jail time in border states and greater state and local enforcement.
See story from
Christian Science Monitor
One important California border city, Calexico, is now
cracking down on non-resident enrollment in the schools. In past years,
residency rules were unenforced because schools benefited from artificially
increased enrollment through additional state money. But concerns about
overcrowding and low achievement have changed local attitudes. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
By the midpoint of this century, America will look much like
California does today as it morphs into a far more racially and ethnically
diverse nation that will owe most of its population growth to immigrants and
their offspring, according to a report released by the Pew Research Center.
By 2050, nearly one in five of the projected 438 million Americans is expected
to be foreign-born, a proportion higher than at any other time in U.S. history.
Whites will lose their majority status, a milestone marked by California nearly
a decade ago. See
story from San Diego Tribune
As the debate over immigration reform continues, more than
half of Latinos in the United States worry that a relative or close friend will
be deported. Roughly half of all Latinos surveyed said the increased public
attention on immigration issues has negatively affected them in one or more
ways. About 41 percent say a family member or close friend has experienced
discrimination in the past five years. This represented a change from 2002,
when 31 percent responded to the same question. See
story from San Jose Mercury News
America's rugged, porous southern border has come to symbolize
a broken immigration system, spawning a political debate especially fraught
with perils. Nowhere is that more evident than in the presidential primary
races. The highly charged immigration issues have tripped up veteran
politicians such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recently appeared to
waffle on whether to grant noncitizens driver's licenses, and Sen. John McCain,
who's backed away from a long legislative history advocating a path to
citizenship for the estimated 12 million to 15 million people who've slipped
over the border or overstayed their visas. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
A new study finds that the children of Hispanic immigrants
rapidly abandon Spanish in favor of English. Though the findings echo the
history of immigration waves in the U.S., experts said, they counter the
widespread perception that Latino immigrants do not assimilate and that their
large numbers are a threat to the English language. See
story from Los Angeles Times
The Senate failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance a
bill that would crack down on employers of illegal immigrants, tighten U.S.
borders, start a new guest-worker program, and set a long path to legality for
undocumented aliens. The defeat almost certainly means the end to any legalization
legislation until after the next federal election.
See vote See story from
Christian Science Monitor
With a crucial vote looming, supporters of the Senate's
immigration-reform bill are redoubling efforts to convince the public – and 15
of their Senate colleagues – that the US will enforce the law. See story from Christian
Science Monitor
Arizona's new law imposes sanctions – the stiffest in the US
– for hiring illegal workers. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
Federal efforts to tighten the border and deport illegal
immigrants are so far insufficient to satisfy states and localities, which are
proposing and passing laws at record rates to take matters into their own
hands. See story
from Christian Science Monitor
The Senate fell 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance a
bill that would have provided U.S. employers with temporary foreign workers,
tightened U.S. borders, and set a long path to legality for America's 12
million illegal aliens. The bill was later shelved. See vote
Senators refused to strip a pending immigration bill of its
section providing America's 12 million illegal immigrants with legal status if
they pay heavy fines, clear criminal checks and meet other requirements. See vote
Fewer people are trying to sneak across the US-Mexico border
although enhanced security may explain only part of the decline. A slowing US
economy, resulting in fewer jobs, is discouraging immigrants from slipping into
the United States, according to some experts. History suggests that the
reduction is a precursor to a US economic downturn. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
Tougher immigration enforcement, a tighter border with Mexico,
a strong economy with low unemployment and higher-paying jobs, and a decline in
the traditional pattern of workers migrating south to north in the USA's
harvest season are restricting the worker pool, growers say. See
story from USA Today
Legal immigrants are seeking American citizenship in surging
numbers. See
story from Christian Science Monitor
Along US-Mexico border, there are not enough hands for the
harvest and labor prices are going up. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
On US-Mexico border, illegal crossings are dropping and
there is evidence that the National Guard troops are having a deterrent effect. In one
busy sector, the attempt rate has dropped 62 per cent. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
With a newly empowered Germany at the helm, the European
Union is making surprising strides toward expanding legal immigration into the
bloc as a whole for the first time. EU justice and home affairs ministers
announced their intent to create new temporary visas with African countries.
The initiative – essentially a guest-worker program – comes at a crucial time
for Europe, which has been overwhelmed with record numbers of immigrants, and
may see a new wave this spring. Officials hope to promote a pattern of
"circular migration" – likely offering sending countries incentives
to make sure their nationals return home and instituting penalties if they
don't. See
story from Christian Science Monitor
Just a small fraction of America's health care spending is
used to provide publicly supported care to the nation's undocumented
immigrants, according to a RAND Corporation study. Overall, immigrants to the
United States use relatively few health services, primarily because they are
generally healthier than their American-born counterparts, according to the
study by the nonprofit research organization. See story
from Medical News Today
While growth is slowing almost everywhere in the developed
world, three factors are powering the US population toward the 300 million
mark. Couples are having enough babies to replace themselves. People are living
longer. And the biggest reason: Immigration to the US has sharply increased in
recent decades. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
The US Senate passed the Secure Fence Act of 2006
authorizing the construction of a 700-mile fence along the US-Mexico border. See vote
The crackdown on immigrants empties in Stillmore, Georgia
has hardened views on both sides. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
By most economic measures Nafta has been a success. Millions
of Mexican families who were lower middle class or working class have made the
leap to middle class security. This can be measured in new houses, new cars, private
schools for their children, vacations taken together and the number of iPods
school children enjoy. But for an equal number of Mexicans, Nafta has not only
passed them by, it has hurt them. U.S. farm subsidies have rendered obsolete Mexican farming,
and millions of farmers have lost their livelihoods. It is this Nafta failure
that it driving illegal immigration. See
story from New California Media
Although countries like the US tend to regard immigration as
strictly a domestic concern, there is a growing international focus on the
subject of the benefits and detriments of international migration. A UN
conference on the subject has been developed but it is doubtful that any
concrete proposals will occur in the near future. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
One product of the political controvery regarding immigration has been an increasing movement to
outlaw aspects of Hispanic culture. See story from
Christian Science Monitor
The implementation of the Senate's version of immigration reform would be complex logistically. See story from Christian Science Monitor
As hard as it was in the Senate to pull together a winning coalition on immigration reform, getting to "yes" with the House - in a form that can again pass both bodies - will be even tougher. But it's not impossible. Even before the Senate completed work on its immigration bill, House Republicans were signaling an openness to compromise, as long as the final legislation maintains a focus on border security. See story from Christian Science Monitor
In a rare show of bipartisan, election-year cooperation, the Senate passed landmark but contentious immigration legislation that would tighten security on United States borders while allowing guest workers to enter the country and giving millions of illegal immigrants a path toward gaining U.S. citizenship. See story from Washington Post See vote chart
It is very difficult to estimate the actual number of illegal immigrants presently in the US. See story from Christian Science Monitor
President Bush won crucial backing on immigration from the Senate, which rejected a call to secure the nation's borders before tackling other concerns such as citizenship for millions of men and women in the country illegally. See story from MSNBC See vote chart
The Senate endorsed a chance at citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants by rejecting an amendment deleting this provision from the bill and also voted to build about 600 kilometres of triple-layered fencing along the Mexican border in increasingly emotional debate over election-year immigration legislation. Taken together, the votes gave fresh momentum to legislation that closely follows President George W. Bush's call for a major overhaul of the country's troubled immigration system. See story from Associated Press See fence vote chart See legalization vote chart
The Senate also voted 64-32 to levy a $750 fee on illegal immigrants who apply for citizenship and $100 for each dependent. The proceeds would be used to reimburse state and local governments, hospitals and other institutions that provide health, education and other services to illegal immigrants. See vote chart
The House adopted an amendment denying homeland security funding to any state or locality with a "sanctuary policy" for illegal immigrants. Such policies enable illegal immigrants to report crimes and appear as witnesses without having their status reported to federal authorities. See vote chart
Immigration has also put the spotlight on the advantages and disadvantages of bilingual education. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Several countries are harsher than the United Stated in their treatment of illegal immigrants and their employers. A study of immigration laws in six countries found that all but Brazil have criminal penalties for illegal entry and presence within their borders. In four of the countries - Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Egypt - employers can be jailed for up to three months to up to three years for hiring illegal immigrants. See story from Associated Press
As US lawmakers gear up for more debate this week on whether to grow the guest worker program as part of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, immigrant-rights advocates warn of problems with the current guest-worker system. They point to widespread cheating and abuse of migrant workers that continues due largely to lack of US government oversight of corrupt firms, and say this should be addressed in any upcoming guest-worker legislation. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Mexico's president offered to crack down on smuggling at a recent summit with President Bush. But close to 100 smuggling gangs are still operating in plain sight of Mexican law enforcement. See story from Associated Press
Most analysts agree that the United States can't stem the flow of illegal immigrants until it resolves to do one thing: punish employers who hire them. See story from Christian Science Monitor
As the legislative battle over immigration heats up, federal immigration officials stormed light manufacturing facilities in Atlanta and 41 other US locales, arresting more than 1,100 suspected illegal immigrants as well as people believed to have hired them. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Environmental groups are split regarding immigration policy. Many greens skirt the issue. They're opposed to population growth, but aren't necessarily anti-immigrant. See story from Christian Science Monitor
America's churches are weighing in on the immigration debate. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Frustrated by congressional inaction and pushed by rising anger at home, legislatures across the country are debating a variety of tough new restrictions on illegal immigrants. See story from Los Angeles Times
Immigration has become an increasingly contentious political and social issue around the country. Concerns over terrorism, identity theft, and the national methamphetamine epidemic (which is fueled by Mexican drug cartels and Hispanic gangs operating far from the border) are part of the picture. But some observers warn of an upsurge in "nativism" - the kind of anti-immigrant feeling that has swelled at other times in US history. See story from Christian Science Monitor
A recent study released by a Washington, D.C. group says the majority of undocumented Mexicans who come to the United States are gainfully employed in Mexico and failure to find work isn't the No. 1 reason they leave. But others note that the study fails to take into account meager wages earned in Mexico. See story from Santa Cruz Sentinel
Foreign ministers from Central America backed their Mexican counterparts yesterday in a call for legalization of undocumented migrants in the U.S. and the passage of guest worker programs. At a meeting in Mexico City, the ministers slammed the Border Protection Act, which wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to fight illegal immigration, stating that immigrants, regardless of status, should not be treated like criminals. See story from Hardbeat News
When Congress returns to the unfinished business of immigration, lawmakers will be trying to reconcile sometimes conflicting public attitudes on an issue that has become a crusade to some conservative Republicans but has defied effective solutions over the past three decades. See story from Washington Post
Some undocumented workers are returning home for the holidays even though the journey back will be more difficult. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Over the past decade, international migration has been growing as a consequence of the increasing integration of world economies and the changing needs in both the countries of destination and the countries of origin. According to the U.N. Population Division, there are now almost 200 million international migrants. In October 2005, the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) released its final report. In it, the commissioners write that: "the international community has failed to realize the full potential of international migration and has not risen to the many opportunities and challenges it presents." See story from One World Net
The immigration controversy has moved into the higher education arena. A new lawsuit charges that out-of-state students in California have unfairly paid higher rates than undocumented students living in state. See story from Christian Science Monitor
The Republican-controlled House approved legislation to get tough on illegal immigrants and those who hire them but side-stepped President Bush's call for an immigrant guest worker plan. Republicans portrayed the measure as an ambitious plan to fortify the country's porous borders while Democrats denounced it as harsh and mean-spirited.
A coalition of business organizations, religious groups and immigrant advocates were aligned against the bill and turned their hopes to the Senate, which is considering an array of more comprehensive measures that include the guest worker concept.. See story from Knight Ridder See vote
Experts disagree about the desirability of an immigration policy which encourages high levels of immigration. Some economists argue that there is little relationship between increased immigration and lower wages. They maintain that higher high school graduation levels of native Americans create a shortage of labor for low end jobs that must be filled by immigrants. But others say that there has to be a relationship between immigration and wage stagnation. See story from Fox News
Most undocumented workers from Mexico had jobs there before they entered the United States, according to a new report. That conclusion undercuts a long-held explanation for illegal immigration: that people can't find work at home. Instead, undocumented Mexican immigrants are driven here by a complex assortment of factors, including higher wages, better working conditions and a chance to reunite with growing networks of families who settled in the United States before them, according to researchers with the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington. See story from Knight Ridder
It's been a cornerstone of American law since shortly after the Civil War: Children born in the United States become citizens, even if their parents are here illegally. Now some conservatives are taking aim at that birthright. See story from Knight Ridder
The U.S. Border Patrol has announced a change in the so-called catch-and-release-policy, whereby illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico, captured at the U.S.-Mexico border were automatically released to await a court hearing. Very few ever show up for their court hearing and disappear into the underground of illegal workers in the United States. See story from Voice of America
Poor coordination between two border security enforcement agencies has resulted in systematic failures to stop, remove and investigate illegal immigrants entering the country, a federal report says. See story from Associated Press
The militia-style Minutemen have developed a new tactic in their populist fight against illegal immigration - photographing immigrants and their employers at day work pick-up sites. See story from ABC News
A record number of illegal migrants have died while trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States, say US customs officers. At least 464 had died in the past year to 30 September, they said. The figure is a 43% increase on the previous year. See story from BBC
The US has vowed to stop every single illegal immigrant entering the country, by recruiting 1,000 extra agents and increasing the use of unmanned drones. See story from BBC
For a small but growing number of Mexicans the promised land of "El Norte" means life above the 49th parallel. And while the US is fortifying its borders and tightening entry requirements, Canada is putting out the welcome mat. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Sidetracked by hurricanes and Supreme Court nominees, the Senate will not take up comprehensive immigration legislation until next year. See story from Fox News
The Bush Administration urged Congress to enact a three-point immigration plan that includes tougher security at the border, aggressive interior enforcement and an immigrant guest-worker program much like the controversial one the president first proposed nearly two years ago. See story from Christian Science Monitor
At a time when Latino immigrants are expected to form a big part of the Gulf Coast reconstruction labor pool, the Department of Homeland Security has temporarily suspended sanctioning employers who hire workers unable to prove their citizenship, essentially allowing contractors to hire undocumented workers. That move followed President Bush's Sept. 8 decision to lift in Katrina-hit areas the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay at least the average regional wage. Bush says it will hasten one of the world's largest reconstruction efforts. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Illegal immigrants are increasing despite tighter border security and now outnumber foreigners moving to the United States legally as immigration in general has been picking up, tracking the reviving American economy and improving jobs picture. Immigration - both legal and illegal - topped 1.5 million people in 1999 and 2000, according to the report. The number of people entering the United States then plummeted to 1.1 million people by 2003, the same level as in 1992. Immigration bounced back to 1.2 million in 2004, but it is difficult to say whether the recent upswing is part of a new trend. See story from San Francisco Chronicle
An Idaho County is suing several local agricultural businesses under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act claiming that illegal immigrants are costing their county millions of dollars in medical and welfare benefits. See story from Fox News
The record death toll continues to climb for would be immigrants along the Arizona border. See story from USA Today
America's border policy has complicated relationships with both of its neighbors. In particular, Mexicans complain that the linking of border drug crime (which is fueled by American drug demand) with economic-related illegal immigration is unfair. See story from the Economist
Officials at the local level are taking some novel actions to enforce immigration laws in response to growing public concern regarding the issue and the failure of the Bush Administration to seriously address the issue. See story from Christian Science Monitor
There has been a significant increase in non-Mexican illegal immigrants coming primarily from Brazil and Central America. Unlike Mexicans, these immigrants are not deported when apprehended. Instead they are allowed to move about the country freely pending a deportation hearing which they most often do not attend. This "catch and release" policy results from inadequate detention facilities and serves as a beacon for additional prospective immigrants. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Regardless of age, legal status or insurance coverage, immigrants, on average, receive about half the health care services provided to native-born Americans, according to findings released yesterday that immediately fueled the debate over tightening immigration policies. See story from Washington Post
The Bush Administration is laying the groundwork for prioritizing guest worker immigration reform by developing a broad business coalition, wooing Latino voters, and marginalizing anti-immigrant sentiments within the party. Tancredo See story from Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants from Mexico are staying longer and are more likely to bring their families to the United States as a result of stepped border security. See story from Associated Press
Officials at the local level are taking some novel actions to enforce immigration laws in response to growing public concern regarding the issue and the failure of the Bush Administration to seriously address the issue. See story from Christian Science Monitor
There has been a significant increase in non-Mexican illegal immigrants coming primarily from Brazil and Central America. Unlike Mexicans, these immigrants are not deported when apprehended. Instead they are allowed to move about the country freely pending a deportation hearing which they most often do not attend. This "catch and release" policy results from inadequate detention facilities and serves as a beacon for additional prospective immigrants. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Regardless of age, legal status or insurance coverage, immigrants, on average, receive about half the health care services provided to native-born Americans, according to findings released yesterday that immediately fueled the debate over tightening immigration policies. See story from Washington Post
The Bush Administration is laying the groundwork for prioritizing guest worker immigration reform by developing a broad business coalition, wooing Latino voters, and marginalizing anti-immigrant sentiments within the party. Tancredo See story from Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants from Mexico are staying longer and are more likely to bring their families to the United States as a result of stepped border security. See story from Associated Press
Officials at the local level are taking some novel actions to enforce immigration laws in response to growing public concern regarding the issue and the failure of the Bush Administration to seriously address the issue. See story from Christian Science Monitor
There has been a significant increase in non-Mexican illegal immigrants coming primarily from Brazil and Central America. Unlike Mexicans, these immigrants are not deported when apprehended. Instead they are allowed to move about the country freely pending a deportation hearing which they most often do not attend. This "catch and release" policy results from inadequate detention facilities and serves as a beacon for additional prospective immigrants. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Regardless of age, legal status or insurance coverage, immigrants, on average, receive about half the health care services provided to native-born Americans, according to findings released yesterday that immediately fueled the debate over tightening immigration policies. See story from Washington Post
The Bush Administration is laying the groundwork for prioritizing guest worker immigration reform by developing a broad business coalition, wooing Latino voters, and marginalizing anti-immigrant sentiments within the party. Tancredo See story from Los Angeles Times
Undocumented immigrants from Mexico are staying longer and are more likely to bring their families to the United States as a result of stepped border security. See story from Associated Press
To help prevent death and deportation, the Mexican government has published a guide that advises its citizens on the intricacies of sneaking into the United States. It also gives tips on how migrants should conduct themselves after reaching the streets of the promised land. The 31-page pamphlet, "Guide for the Mexican Migrant," has infuriated some American politicians and citizens who say the Mexican government is effectively encouraging a criminal activity that is fraying the American cultural fabric and draining state and local municipalities. See story from New York Times
Homeland Security Michael Chertoff pledged to tighten border security but also called on Congress to approve a guest worker program that would make it easier for foreign workers to enter the country legally. See story from Los Angeles Times
The owners of hotels, farms, restaurants and retail stores who hire illegal workers, never widely punished to begin with, now face a negligible risk of being penalized. From 1993 to 2003, the number of arrests at work sites nationwide went from 7,630 to 445, and the number of fines from 944 to 124. About 7 million illegal immigrants worked in the United States last year, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a research organization. See story from Los Angeles Times
The nation's undocumented immigrant population surged to 10.3 million last year, spurred largely since 2000 by the arrivals of unauthorized Mexicans in the United States, according to a new report from the Pew Hispanic Center. See story from Associated Press
Congressional action on President Bush's "work permit" proposal does not appear likely. See story from Associated Press
Immigration legislation passed by the House would allow the federal government to complete a controversial fence on the border with Mexico, regardless of environmental concerns, and force the states to make sure they're not granting driver's licenses to illegal aliens. See story from Associated Press See vote
Illegal immigration as well as legal immigration is continuing at an unprecedented pace and is reason for concern for economic and security reasons. The economic concerns involve the cost of government services and the competition that immigrants pose to the domestic job market. The security concerns involve the ease in which terrorists can enter the country as well as increasing illegal immigrant criminal behavior. The positions of Bush and Kerry are similar and differ from public opinion on both legal and illegal immigration. See story from Christian Science Monitor
The massive illegal immigration wave of Mexicans to the U.S. has caused a secondary wave of internal immigration within Mexico to fill the jobs abandoned those going to the U.S.. See story from Christian Science Monitor
More than 8,000 farmworkers brought to North Carolina under a federal guest worker program signed a deal for union representation, and the group said it would drop a five-year boycott of a major pickle company. See story from Washington Post
This summer, Italy has once again been horrified as boatloads of exhausted refugees limp into its ports, having set out, mostly from the coast of Libya in North Africa, hoping to sneak into Europe. Once immigrants penetrate Italy or Spain by sea from North Africa, the new arrivals are free to spread through 15 other European countries. Italy wants Europe to draw up a common immigration policy, creating joint European border patrols, immigrant quotas, and strict asylum guidelines. But with immigration an increasingly politicized issue across Europe, individual countries are unlikely to reach rapid consensus. See story from Christian Science Monitor
Department of Homeland Security announced that it planned to give Border Patrol agents sweeping new powers to deport illegal aliens from the frontiers with Mexico and Canada without providing them the opportunity to make their case before an immigration judge. See story from New York Times
Mexicans making short trips across the border who have passed security checks will be allowed to visit the United States for up to 30 days instead of the current three-day limit. See story from Associated Press
The United Nations appealed for governments to allow immigrants to become full members of society, in a major report that said nearly 1 billion people around the world belong to minorities suffering from discrimination. See story from Associated Press
At the bottleneck of human smuggling here in the Sonoran Desert, illegal immigrants are dying in record numbers as they try to cross from Mexico into the United States in the wake of a new Bush administration amnesty proposal that is being perceived by some migrants as a magnet to cross. See story from New York Times
The current wave of mass legal and illegal immigration is inextricably linked to the erosion of the middle class in the U.S., and continued high levels of immigration will endanger the role of the middle class in facilitating the upward mobility of the nation's poor, according to a study released today by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). See Press Release from American Federation for Immigration Reform
After nearly four years of decline, apprehensions of undocumented immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border are rising sharply - which may indicate a new wave of illegal immigration. See story from Christian Science Monitor
If there are fewer rides at the county fair this summer, or if the manager at the seaside hotel seems a bit frazzled, be kind. Thousands of employees whom businesses usually count on to get them through their peak tourist season aren't being allowed into the country this year. See story from Christian Science Monitor
The jobs that lure Mexican workers to the United States are killing them in a worsening epidemic that is now claiming a victim a day, an Associated Press investigation has found. Though Mexicans often take the most hazardous jobs, they are more likely than others to be killed even when doing similarly risky work. See story from Associated Press
President Bush proposed some of the most sweeping changes in immigration policy in almost two decades, calling for an expanded guest-worker program and the ability for millions of undocumented immigrants to receive legal status. Under the plan, undocumented workers who gained temporary-worker status would enjoy the rights and protections of legal workers. They could also apply for green cards, which convey permanent residency and, potentially, citizenship. Under order to qualify, the workers must have a job offer and the employer must show no Americans wanted the job. The workers must return to their home countries at the end of the term. Dependents of the temporary workers would be allowed in the US if the workers could prove they could support their family. The workers would be allowed to move freely back and forth between the US and their home country. See story from Christian Science Monitor
In proposing an expansive guest worker program Wednesday, President Bush endorsed a view that some economists have been promoting for years: Undocumented immigrants have become an essential, perhaps inextricable, part of the U.S. labor force. And by conveying legal status on millions of people already toiling in the background of the U.S. economy, analysts said, Bush's plan could ease labor shortages, improve working conditions and perhaps shore up wages paid to previously illegal immigrants. The longer-term impact of Bush's proposal could cut two ways. If the plan results in a substantial increase in foreign workers flowing across U.S. borders, it could create more competition for low-end jobs, put downward pressure on wages and potentially displace some native- born workers. At the same time, it could reduce the price of many goods and services consumed by everyone in the country. "There will be winners and losers," said James Smith, senior economist at the Rand Corp. think tank in Santa Monica and chairman of a 1997 National Research Council study on the impact of immigration. "The losers will be low-skilled domestic workers. The winners will be the rest of us." See story from Los Angeles Times
Led by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, prominent advocates for migrants called for more countries to ratify a UN Convention designed to protect the rights of some 175 million migrants and their families worldwide. Migrants are often consigned to the least desirable jobs, denied services such as health care and access to education for their children, and in many countries are subject to physical attack and abuse, based on ethnic or racial discrimination. See story from One World Net
While the news media have been filled with reports of crackdowns on Arab visitors, Latin Americans who are in the United States illegally have been able to mount an open campaign to not only turn around immigration law, but also to gain benefits enjoyed by American citizens. See story from Newhouse News Services
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