Utah Approves Guest Worker Program for Illegal Immigrants

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Source: ABC

Utah could become the first state in the nation with its own guest worker program that would grant permits to undocumented immigrants and allow them to continue living and working in the state legally.

The measure passed the Republican-controlled state legislature late Friday as part of a bipartisan deal that also includes an enforcement law, requiring police to check the immigration status of suspects in felony or serious misdemeanor cases.

Republican Gov. Gary Herbert praised lawmakers for crafting a so-called "Utah solution" to the state's illegal immigration problem but has not said whether he will sign the bills.

The federal government would need to grant a waiver to allow Utah to permit immigrant workers who would otherwise not be legally present in the United States. Such a waiver would be unprecedented, and it's unclear whether a mechanism exists for the state to request one.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/utah-approves-guest-worker-program-illegal-immigrants/story?id=13071198

[bongbong]

1. Good one!

Will the teabaggers be confused about how to react to this until they get their orders from MSM?
Or will the MSM just completely ignore it?

I predict the answer will be "yes" on both.

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8. Yeah, we can dig a tunnel under Arizona. nt

[pampango]

2. "“Instead of indulging the fantasy that you can drive thousands of people out ..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/us/07utah.html?_r=1

In the first move by a state to extend legal recognition to illegal immigrant laborers, the Utah Legislature has passed immigration bills that include a guest worker program that would allow unauthorized foreigners to work legally in the state. With the immigration package, passed in both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature late Friday, Utah made a sharp break with the hard-line trend in state immigration legislation that has been led by Arizona, which passed a strict enforcement law last April.

Utah’s package includes measures to tighten enforcement against illegal immigrants that echo Arizona’s tough stance — like a requirement that the police check the immigration status of anyone arrested on a felony or a serious misdemeanor charge.

But supporters said the hybrid package offered an alternative to states, including those controlled by Republicans, that are seeking to avoid the costly political polarization and legal challenges that followed Arizona’s law and that also want to recognize the need of some businesses for immigrant labor in spite of high unemployment nationally.n the first move by a state to extend legal recognition to illegal immigrant laborers, the Utah Legislature has passed immigration bills that include a guest worker program that would allow unauthorized foreigners to work legally in the state.

“Utah is the anti-Arizona,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a group in Washington that favors legislation by Congress to grant legal status to illegal immigrants. “Instead of indulging the fantasy that you can drive thousands of people out of your state, it combines enforcement with the idea that those who are settled should be brought into the system.”

Utah seems to have attempted a more comprehensive approach to immigration reform than most other repub-controlled states which have attempting to pass Arizona-style enforcement only immigration laws.

[Hamlette]

5. Sharry seems to have the wrong read on this

while it grants guest worker status, "brought into the system" means without full rights. It's a one way street "win" for employers.

Plus, the bill requires we get a waiver and there is no such thing. We don't even know who to ask for a waiver.

I will say, at least Utah recognized that it loves illegal labor because it is cheap. We have some of the most abusive schemes for "employing" illegals around. (Construction companies set themselves up as limited liability companies and all make all 600 of their workers, most of whom are illegal, "members" of the company which means the take a "share" of the profit. No minimum wage applies, no social security or taxes are paid, they are not even covered by workers compensation because they are not "employees". Utah didn't want to lose its cheap labor so this was a way to look tough but not lose slaves.

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7. We used to call them Braceros in California, but it's the same deal.

Cheap labor for agribusiness is what it's all about; and Mexicans are great, willing workers.

[KamaAina]

12. Seriously. I thought this was a post from 1961.

:eyes:

[jacquelope]

11. Wow, seriously?

That's... that's sinister. If companies learn they can do that the effects all over America could be devastating.

[pampango]

13. Unions and the Progressive Caucus want reform that makes "illegal" workers "legal"

and less exploitable.

It sounds like you know more about this law than I do. And it wouldn't be surprising that a repub-dominated state government adopted a "reform" that favored business over workers.

Sherry does seem to think that this is an improvement over Arizona's "attrition through enforcement" strategy (a tried-and-true repub immigration strategy if there ever was one). I don't really see how Utah can make "illegal" workers "legal", but then Arizona "can't" do what it did either so this may all be a moot point.

It sure would be preferable if the CPC, AFL-CIO and Change to Win could push their comprehensive immigration reform proposal forward, but that's impossible in the House now and repubs will continue to block attempts at it in the Senate, as well.

[Hamlette]

15. actually. . .

I work in the agency that is supposed to run the guest worker program in Utah. The unemployment office. I've read the law a few times and we've had more than a few talks about how it would work. I'm not sure I've seen the final version. We had lots of problems with the first versions. It really isn't a "favor the worker" bill at all but a "favor the employer" bill. Slave labor, my state loves it more than it hates brown people.

As for the LLCs in the construction industry here, there was a bill to effectively fix that but I don't know if it passed. We've warned other states to be on the lookout. The biggest problem was seen in workers comp. "Illegals" are eligible for workers comp but since they are not "employees", no workers comp. They rang the alarm bell first. Probably because they got the first claim.

[Plucketeer]

3. LOL!!!

How will Arizona see this??? :rofl:

[nvme]

4. An interesting compromise BUT

When states start legislating federal immigration policy then we will have fifty different sets of rules. This on the surface may seem good, but it accomplishes the same goal as Arizona. Police should check the backround (wants or warrants) during the course of a proper stop. The problem is when they take on federal powers.

[jwirr]

6. Does anyone know what the policy used during WWII was. Didn't t

they have a similar program? Wonder how that worked out?

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9. This sort of policy is very old in US agriculture. nt

[bluethruandthru]

10. I'm all in favor of a guest worker program.

I'm not sure if this particular one is really workable, though.
I've always believed that many of those who come here illegally are doing so in order to earn money to send back to their families. I don't think they necessarily want to renounce their own countries and become U.S. citizens. Some do...but not all. A guest worker program is fine as long as those workers are paid minimum wage or more and are taxed the same as everyone else, etc. This bill requires guest workers have health insurance! I'm just wondering how these guest workers are supposed to get said health insurance!?!?

[w4rma]

14. Haha, so the most Republican state in the nation passes a cheap labor law legalizing illegal workers

I never want to hear another teabagger attack Democrats on immigration, ever.

[Populist_Prole]

16. As structured I see it as a bad thing. If structured otherwise, cons would NEVER support it

It will put downward pressure on wages. That is exactly why the cheap labor conservatives like it. If the guest workers were not exploitable, the chambers of commerce wouldn't touch the whole program with a 10 foot pole. Can't have one without the other.

Does anybody think there is even the tiniest shred of altruism for the immigrants on the part of those in favor of this program? Hell no. They want their cake and eat it too.