U.S. must ease illegal workers into legality

The American economy, particularly in agriculture and construction, has become dependent on large numbers of migrant workers. What's needed is some form of temporary legal work permit for those who come here and then strict enforcement of the immigration laws which are presently being broken.

Two proposed laws address this problem, but in different ways. A bill drafted by Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy seeks to establish a reasonable temporary worker program. A bill proposed by Sens. Jon Kyl and John Cornyn argues for much stricter enforcement. Both goals make sense, but there needs to be an accommodation that would encompass both.

The crux of the problem is the presence of the 11 million illegal immigrants already here. The proponents of both pending bills agree that they have broken U.S. laws and must pay a penalty. But the suggestions for punishment vary greatly. The Kyl-Cornyn bill would require them to leave the country and re-apply for permission to return legally. Sen. McCain snorts that this is totally unrealistic. His bill suggests that they each pay a $2,000 fine and all back taxes, and then have a probationary period of six years while learning English and studying civics before seeking permanent status.

Neither the voluntary departure of 11 million people, nor their enforced deportation, seems likely. Indeed, such an exodus would cause a crisis in some areas of the economy, particularly agriculture.

As Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, writes in the conservative Weekly Standard: "Sooner or later we all will have to face the fact that most of the 11 million are here to stay, and it is in our interest as much as theirs to find a way for them to do so legally. There is simply no practical alternative. The only real question before us is how to structure the transition."

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John Hughes is editor and chief operating officer of the Deseret Morning News. He is a former editor of the Christian Science Monitor, which syndicates this column. E-mail: hughes@desnews.com