The guest worker program in the immigration bill is guaranteed not to work. Guest worker programs never work. It’s in the bill because actually letting these people become legal immigrants, then citizens, is politically unpalatable to Republicans. So, once again, political expediency gives us a policy guaranteed to fail. Whatever, I can deal with that–but in ten years time I don’t want to here anyone talking about how the failure of the program is proof that we can never let Latin Americans into the country.
Citizens and prospective citizens are stakeholders. Guest workers are effectively indentured servants. One model is consistent with the American model. It isn’t the one we’re going to pass.