Illegal Immigration: Mexican Guestworker Program Not the Answer

With no foolproof method of neutralizing the high number of illegal aliens crossing our U.S. borders, citezens of America can't help but to question the future welfare of it's low income population. Another potential threat to the future wellbeing of America's lower class is the Bush Administration's proposal of a Mexican Guestworker program. For a president who spent millions of tax dollars to enhance homeland security, pardoning these would be guestworkers who currently reside illegally sends a mixed and contradictory message to the public. The combination of a potential Guestworker program and a border patrol system that seemingly lacks efficiency could result in an economy forced to accomodate the occupational needs of illegal immigrants. Are American citezens capable of adjusting to a system that rewards illegal immigrants for their low work wages? Those in support of Mexican Guestworker programs claim that only the lowest paid American workers would be adversely affefted. With that in mind, it becomes all too clear that this potential program is blind to the prosperity of American citezens who rely on low income jobs.

Inevitabely, the question arises; do America's lowest paid citezens deserve the right to occupy our nations low income jobs? Under the assumption that not every low income job is occupied by one of America's poorest citezens, it is reasonable to conclude that our nations lowest paid citezens are in no way "entitled" to low income job opportunity. However, providing guest worker status' for illegal immigrants under the notion that they will occupy our nations low income jobs eliminates the equal opportunity that only a native of America should be entitled to. Aside from eliminating low income job opportunity from U.S. citezens who need it the most, this pardoning of illegal immigrants is nothing more that a one way road to inevitable failure.

Americas low income population would be forced to conform to an even lower standard of living, as a result of increased job competition from guest workers. These guest workers would, in essence, fulfill the role of what is currently the low income population. This could only result in a negative outcome for citezens of America who currently occupy our country's low waged jobs. With no hope of finding work and the possibility of poverty or even homelessnes lingering, how would these victims of the system support themselves? With no potential source of income, many of those affected by job loss might resort to crime as well as relying on the government as a means of support. The amount of money that Americans pay to support this country's low income population would skyrocket as a result of the poor becoming poorer. Ultimately, every American citezen who pays taxes would be affected by this proposal.

In order to thoroughly comprehend the concept of illegal immigration and the impact that a potential pardon of theseimmigrants might have, one has to take into consideration that education, economic mobility and welfare use of the illegal immigrants that currently reside in this country. Doing this establishes a solid foundation for comparison of current illegal immigrants and their economic contributions to society. The Center for Immigration Studies reports that nearly two-thirds of adult Mexican immigrants have not completed high school, compared to fewer that one in ten natives. Also reported by the CIS, Mexican immigrants now account for 22% of all high school dropouts in the labor force. If expanding the number of citezens that have not completed high school creates efficient "job opportunity", then perhaps the values and interests which drive our nations economy must be questioned.

What if no illegal immigration amnesty is reached? Would the wellbeing of our nations low income population remain in jeopardy? With no potential resolutions in the near future, those citezens currently occupying our nations low waged jobs will continue to compete fiercely with millions of illegal immigrants. Enhancing border patrol is by no means free of flaws. It establishes nothing more than a temporary solution to a seemingly permanent program.

Ultimately, the predicament will only continue to flourish untill the incentive behind illegal immigration is terminated. This incentive lies in the hands of the American Businesses who unlawfully hire illegal immigrants for their low wages. The American government, which lacks a reliable way to verify the eligibility of illegal immigrants hired by American businesses, has to take drastic measures to ensure that proper enforcement is established at worksites. Untill these businesses are forced to hire only natives of America, the low income population of this country will only continue to lose the job opportunity that they constitutionally deserve. America has to alter its perception of both illegal immigrants and the low income population. Punishing the American businesses who demoralize both immigrants and members of the low income population through unlawfully employing immigrants is the first step towards a resolution.