FAIR
Special Interests Big Winners in White House Immigration
Thu Jan 8 18:35:02 2004
64.140.158.146

Special Interests Big Winners in White House Immigration Plan

January 7, 2004

American Workers Will Pay a Hefty Price, Says FAIR
http://www.fairus.org/Media/Media.cfm?ID=2340&c=34

(January 7, 2004 -- Washington, DC) The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) called President Bush's proposal for a massive guestworker program and sweeping amnesty for illegal aliens an extravagant election year gift for special interests, charged to the account of American workers and taxpayers. The broad outline of the immigration initiative, formally unveiled today, essentially cedes control over U.S. immigration policy to low wage employers and the immigrants themselves, charges FAIR.

Under the president's proposal, employers would be able to seek workers in other countries who are "willing" to work at whatever wages the employers determine. In addition, nearly all of the estimated 9 to 11 million illegal aliens living in the U.S. would receive amnesty and be reclassified as guestworkers and put on the path to U.S. citizenship. The plan also calls for the admission of untold numbers of family members of those amnestied.

"The White House diligently avoided using the "A" word in its announcement," said Dan Stein, executive director of FAIR. "But no matter how much Karl Rove wishes to torture the English language, a program that legalizes millions upon millions of people who have cheated to get into this country, who have cheated by working off-the-books and avoided paying taxes, and have cheated by using billions of dollars in public services is an amnesty.

"In addition to legalizing millions of illegal aliens and countless additional family members, the 'guestworker' provision of this proposal will sound the death knell of the American middle class," Stein continued. "Employers will never again have to compete for workers by offering better pay or benefits. They will simply have to look across the border or across the ocean to find an unlimited supply of workers willing to accept whatever they are willing to pay. Upward mobility, for most American workers, will become something they study about in history class. "While there are concrete proposals in the White House's announcement for employers and illegal aliens, there is more pie in the sky when it comes to enforcement of our immigration laws," noted Stein. "We get vague platitudes about border security, but absolutely no commitments to halt future illegal immigration. The president is proposing an open-ended guestworker program, the most massive amnesty in the history of mankind, but no effective mechanisms to enforce our immigration laws.

"The White House is pandering to ethnic lobbies in the hope of attracting a few more votes in November, and to an assortment of business interests seeking a massive labor subsidy at the public's expense. The only people whose interests are left out of this proposal are the overwhelming majority of Americans who work hard, obey the law, pay taxes, and seek a quality education for their kids," said Stein.

Federation for American Immigration Reform
1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: (202) 328-7004 Fax: (202) 387-3447

RICO Laws Becoming the Last Resort of American Workers (January 6, 2004)
http://www.fairus.org/Media/Media.cfm?ID=2338&c=34

FAIR MEDIA
http://www.fairus.org/Media/MediaList.cfm?c=34

About FAIR

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, non-profit, public interest membership organization of concerned citizens united by their belief in the need for immigration reform. Founded in 1979, FAIR believes that the U.S. can and must have an immigration policy that is non-discriminatory and designed to serve the environmental, economic, and social needs of our country.

FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest—more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.

With more than 70,000 members nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative. Our grassroots networks help concerned citizens use their voices to speak up for effective, sensible immigration policies that work for America’s best interests.

FAIR’s publications and research are used by academics and government officials in preparing new legislation. National and international media regularly turn to us to understand the latest immigration developments and to shed light on this complex subject. FAIR has been called to testify on immigration bills before Congress more than any organization in America.



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G.W. BUSH
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