How Would Millions of Guest Workers Impact Working Americans and Americans Seeking Employment?

Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.

"Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, and other distinguished members of the sub-committee. 

My name is Muzaffar Chishti, and I direct the Migrations Policy Institute’s office at New York University School of Law. 

One must assume that the backdrop of today’s oversight hearing is a proposal for a temporary worker (“guest worker”) program that President Bush announced on January 7th of this year. The President’s high profile and well orchestrated announcement has generated considerable controversy. It has been attacked from both sides of the political spectrum for doing “too much” or “too little.” The timing of the President’s announcement may have had something to do with the electoral considerations of this year. But the reaction to his proposal, once again, establishes that immigration reform --complex in any season—is intensely contentious in an election year. The President, it seems, did not need any help from the members of his opposing party to abandon any attempts at legislation this year to pursue his proposal; influential voices within his own party have offered strong opposition. [...]"