Mark Krikorian asks:
Which Mexican workers does the president think will go home when the “temporary” visas expire?
My guess is that holders of temporary visas will be removed from this country if they overstay because the problem will be small enough to effectively police. I firmly believe that any sane employer will take a valid temporary visa holder for a job over someone who is illegal when both are available for work at the same salary.
In other words, the temporary visa program creates a situation where the benefit of being illegal (you get to work in the US with employers willing to look the other way) largely disappears. The highly shrunken pool of employers willing to hire illegals can be effectively policed and punished appropriately. Those who stay anyway will be few enough that we can hunt them down and deport them. It's not that they won't want to stay, it's that who will hire them when there's no benefit to hiring an illegal over a legal?
One final point to mention. I do know illegals who have gone home. They came, made "enough" money, and departed in order to start their own business all in accordance with their plans hatched before they got across the border. It does happen, even under current law. Under the president's plan, it'll happen an awful lot more and they won't have to sneak over the border to do it.
Posted by TMLutas at March 4, 2005 02:42 PM