Gramm, the aide said, has not drafted a bill as yet. Opponents of such a bill say more effort is needed to ensure that unemployed U.S. citizens are first taken care of before bringing in guest workers. The mayor of one Arizona town said that if a special program were established, there would be a need to set up places for the guest workers to live, where they might be subjected to harsh living conditions. The Urban Institute, a public policy research organization, reported in a study that even though the rationale for a guest worker program is to bring in workers on a temporary basis, these workers tend to stay longer than the host country either desires or anticipates. But the worst indictment against guest worker programs, opponents say, is that they have not served to reduce illegal immigration.
Proponents argue just the opposite.
They see the proposal as a way to stop the flood of illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States to fill jobs. Advocates of such a program also quote Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan's statement that immigration helps hold down inflationary pressures, and argue that the U.S. economy needs Mexican migrant workers, and that these workers should come legally rather than illegally. Legal migration would also ensure full respect for the human rights of migrants, advocates maintain. Gramm said after his meeting with Fox that the bill would allow the United States to maintain control of its borders, while Mexico would gain from the equitable treatment for its citizens. Gramm said he had no doubt that Bush would support the plan.