Amy Traub

Immigration Policy for the Rest of Us

Reading over President Bush's recent speeches on immigration , it's easy to see where the interests of giant corporations come in: that's the part about a guest worker program to insure a constant supply of low-wage labor in the U.S.

It's also easy to see where the President plays to the fears of his right-wing base: that's the rest of the speech, focused from tip to toe on cracking down and banishing all undocumented immigrants from our pristine shores.

But where do the interests of ordinary Americans come in?

We're just trying to gain or maintain a middle-class standard of living: pay the mortgage, hold onto a job with decent pay and benefits, and hope there's still Social Security around by the time we retire. 36 million immigrants living and working in the U.S. have an impact on our ability to do those things. Shouldn't we be considered in a debate that has so much to do with the future of our country?

But how do we craft an immigration policy that puts the American middle class front and center? I lay out some of my thoughts, and evaluate some of the legislation currently before Congress, in DMI's new paper Principles for an Immigration Policy to Strengthen and Expand the American Middle Class: A Primer for Policymakers and Advocates The report doesn't supplant the important concerns of immigrants' rights advocates, or replace critiques of border security--instead I propose guidelines any immigration policy should include in order to address the needs of the vast majority of Americans who are middle class or aspire to be.

I will be writing on this more as DMI becomes more involved in an argument that is too important to be left just to partisan politics. For now, I'd love your thoughts on the paper.

Amy Traub: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 2:36 PM, Dec 07, 2005 in Immigration
Permalink | Email to Friend