Guest Workers

Immigration Conflict

On February 25, 2006, tens of thousands of pro-immigration rights advocates and immigrant workers, both documented and undocumented, marched in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Phoenix. On May 1, 2006, demonstrations took place again in major cities in the United States, drawing millions of immigrant workers and activists demanding the legalization of undocumented workers and the eventual granting of citizenship status. These protests were in response to a bill passed by the House of Representatives that called for restrictive enforcement of immigration regulations. Based on this bill, it would be a felony to work illegally in the United States. The bill also called for more severe punishment of employers of illegal immigrant workers, and it proposed to erect 700 miles of fences along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Lawmakers were at odds with the Bush administration's proposal to create a guest worker program for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Opponents of this proposal called this an amnesty program that rewarded illegal entry of U.S. borders and weakened the control of borders required for national security. They argued that it had the effect of encouraging illegal immigration.

Although this immigration debate was tied largely to the 2006 midterm election, the issue of whether the United States needs guest workers has been a standing hot topic in the political landscape in the states. The debate is particularly intense this time around because of concern about national security in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The concern about illegal immigration is not confined to the United States. It has been a concern for European countries as well, including France and Germany. Increasingly, countries in the Middle East, as well as many newly developed countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, also are facing the dilemma of the control of guest workers.

There are several reasons to oppose the importation of guest workers and the legalization of illegal immigrants. Opponents argue that guest workers take away jobs from Americans, lower average wages, drain social services, inundate public school systems, exploit health care services, engender racial/ethnic conflicts, create a marginalized population in society, and threaten national security. In particular, opponents are concerned about how the legalization of undocumented immigrants will change the demographic landscape of U.S. society.

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