What an Amnesty Would Mean

Giving legal resident status to illegal aliens in the 1986 amnesty sent a message abroad that the United States was incapable of—or disinterested in—enforcing its immigration law and established the hope for others that they might gain legal residence by illegal entry or visa overstay.

It set off a rush of new illegal entry and encouraged others not to leave at the end of their authorized stay.

It has cost the American taxpayer over $80 billion in net direct and indirect costs.

In depth: More details on Amnesty

Guestworker Proposals:

The Bush Administration is urging the Senate to approve legislation calling for a massive new guest worker amnesty program that includes the reclassification of millions of illegal aliens living in the U.S. as "guest workers."

This push for a vastly increased guest worker program is being promoted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and some in the business community based on the argument America faces a long-term labor shortage and, without access to millions of foreign workers, America’s economic growth will be impeded.

The flood of illegal aliens that led to the 1986 amnesty was largely the product of the guestworker program with Mexico called the Bracero program. Many Mexicans who worked in that program stayed on illegally when the program ended. The result has been the lowering of wages and working conditions in seasonal crop agriculture as well as a dependence on cheap labor rather than investment in mechanization.