Backing Guest Workers: Cornyn could break immigration logjam

Dallas Morning News | Editorials:

“What kind of temporary ‘guest worker’ program will Republican [Senator Arlen] Specter include? That's the big question. Almost surely, he will allow foreign workers to apply for a work visa. But will he require illegal immigrants to return home and apply for permits? Conservatives cry that, yes, he should, otherwise illegal immigrants will receive amnesty. Reformers like John McCain say no – otherwise illegal immigrants won't sign up and we'll never solve our illegal immigration problem.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

I fail to understand why a requirement for illegal immigrants to return to Mexico to apply for guest worker status would satisfy anyone.

Are illegal immigrants going to receive preferential consideration for their applications for the guest worker program? If yes, that's amnesty, whether they have to return to Mexico first or not.

If no, why would illegal immigrants risk rejection by applying for the program at all, even if it does not include a requirement to return temporarily to Mexico?

The issue of requiring a temporary return to Mexico during the application process is a red herring. The more important question is how many guest workers is the United States going to accept? If it's significantly more than the eleven million illegal immigrants here now, then immigrants will put up with whatever bureaucratic red tape the government invents. But if the total is limited, don't expect those already here to participate in the program. The risk of rejection will see to that.