Our nation is currently experiencing an immigration crisis. Since 1990, the number of undocumented persons in the country has almost tripled, from approximately 4 million to an estimated 11 million persons today. From 300,000 to 500,000 new arrivals enter each year and reside in the United States without documentation, a large majority of whom work in vital sectors of our nation’s economy, such as agriculture, construction, and service. At the same time, the U.S. government has spent nearly 25 billion dollars since 1993 to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. During that period, the number of Border Patrol agents has tripled, and, tragically, more than 2,700 migrants have died in the deserts of the American Southwest.

Will a new legalization program simply lead to more illegal immigration?
No, not if the new program contains all the appropriate elements and is implemented properly. In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which legalized many of the undocumented population. However, that legislation did not address “future flows” of immigrants by making necessary changes to the employment-based and family-based immigration systems. The creation of a temporary worker program with protections and more family reunification visas will help stem illegal immigration by providing legal avenues for migration. Illegal immigration will be slowed when we address the root causes of migration, including sustainable economic development and fair trade and economic policies that take into account the plight of low-skilled workers. Only policies which address global economic inequities will provide the long-term solution to forced migration.

Is not an “earned legalization” another term for “amnesty?” Does not an “amnesty” reward illegal behavior and penalize those who are waiting in line legally?
No, an “earned legalization” is much different than an “amnesty.” An amnesty is a giveaway or forgiving of a debt. For example, the 1986 IRCA legislation can be considered an amnesty because it provided legal permanent resident (LPR) status to undocumented migrants simply by virtue of their presence in the United States. An “earned legalization,” as defined in the S.1033 (McCain/Kennedy) bill, requires undocumented workers to “earn” permanent status by working over a six-year period before qualifying for LPR status. It also requires the payment of a fine and English language capability. Thus, illegal behavior is not rewarded with a ‘free pass,” –those here outside the law would be required to pay their debt and earn the right to remain. Moreover, S.1033 would streamline the family reunification system and other employment categories so that those waiting in line will receive LPR status before those in the earned legalization program. Under this scenario, undocumented workers would not “ jump the line” over those who have played by the rules.

Would an influx of foreign workers, including those currently in the United States, take jobs away from U.S. workers?
Studies show that immigrant workers are employed in jobs in industries that do not attract sufficient U.S. workers. For example, over 80 percent of agricultural workers are foreign-born, while the majority of laborers in the meatpacking and poultry industries are foreign-born. Over one-third of all dishwashers, janitors, maids, and cooks are foreign-born. The Department of Labor has predicted that the U.S. will experience a labor shortage in many “unskilled job categories” by as early as 2008. By legalizing the undocumented workforce, wages for all workers increase because the undocumented are better able to organize and assert their rights in the workplace. After the IRCA legalization in 1986, for example, real wages for the immigrant population increased by 14 percent.

What about public resources? Doesn’t increased immigration place stress on public resources?
First of all, undocumented immigrants are barred from receiving any federal means-tested benefits and the large majority of legal immigrants are barred from such benefits for five years after their arrival. Undocumented immigrants are eligible for educational services for children and emergency health-care services. Studies find that after an immigrant works for a year there is a net benefit to the state and national economy because of taxes, Social Security taxes, and the “sweat equity” that immigrants contribute to the economy. Foreign workers and their families also contribute to the economy through their purchasing power, which adds billions to the economy each year.

Information from The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Migration and Refugee Policy www.usccb.org/mrs/mrp.shtml

Also See: Common Myths about Undocumented Immigrants - www.nclr.org