Economic Report of the President

The TWP would allow new foreign workers to come in each year inaccordance with labor market demand. In addition, TWP eligibility would beextended to undocumented workers who were present and working in theUnited States on January 7, 2004, when the President made his announcement.The President also stated that there would continue to be increases inborder security and, under TWP, tough penalties would be imposed onemployers who continued to hire undocumented workers.The President has proposed to more than double the funding dedicated toworksite investigations. In this multi-pronged approach, TWP has manyadvantages. It recognizes that an orderly and legal flow of workers will likelyincrease national security and brings employers and undocumented workersinto compliance with the law. Employers will be able to legally hire theworkers they need once they demonstrate that no willing and able Americanworker is available. Workers will be less likely to lie about their immigrationstatus, rely on false documentation, or work under assumed names. Workerswho abide by the rules of the program will not have to fear deportation. Theywill be able to return home for visits to their families and have their U.S. earningscount toward their future retirement benefits.The challenges for a program such as this are twofold: to ensure thatundocumented immigration does not continue—either in its current form oras temporary workers overstay—once the temporary worker program isimplemented, and to minimize administrative burdens on employers whoparticipate. If the goals of the program are achieved, there should be reduceddemand for undocumented workers, leading to less illegal immigration.ConclusionImmigrant workers range from the seasonal agricultural laborer to theNobel prize-winning scientist. They are the doctors and nurses who serveinner cities and rural areas, the professors who teach in our universities, andthe taxi drivers and hotel workers that travelers rely upon. Immigrants alsofill jobs that simply allow Americans to go to work every day, such ashousekeeping and child care.From an economic standpoint, one important lesson to take away fromhow the Nation has dealt with the unprecedented surge in immigration overthe last decade is the role of U.S. labor market institutions. Flexible labormarkets are important in generating job opportunities for workers, andimmigrants are no exception. The work ethic of U.S. immigrants bolsterstheir economic contributions. Summing up the economic benefits and costsof immigration shows that over time, the benefits of immigration exceed thecosts. Adjustment of the economy and native workers to immigration takestime, however, and the adjustment period can present challenges.Chapter 4 | 115