WASHINGTON, 17 August — “Never bite the hand that feeds you.” That is no doubt what President Bush had in mind when he recently announced that his administration is considering granting amnesty to some 3 million illegal Mexican immigrants residing in the United States.
What he didn’t foresee, unfortunately for his party, is that these 3 million potential voters are traditionally more than likely to vote for a Democratic ticket.
Thus the Mexican amnesty question has drawn applause from Hispanic Democrats, but has many Republicans furious.
Senator Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and a staunch Bush ally, recently told the press he is “absolutely” opposed to any program that would grant amnesty to people who broke the country’s immigration laws.
“Amnesty is a bad policy that rewards illegal behavior and encourages more of it,” he said.
Sen. Gramm said, in an interview yesterday, that amnesty to Mexican aliens would reward lawlessness and encourage further illegal immigration. He has reason to be concerned; his state, which shares a border with Mexico, is enduring a massive illegal immigration crisis.
As an alternative to granting amnesty to illegal immigrants, Sen. Gramm favors what he says Mexican President Vicente Fox also supports: Allowing illegal Mexican immigrants a one-time opportunity to join a guest-worker program.
But immigration observers believe that few illegal workers would sign up for such a program — unless it carries the promise of permanent residency and the right to apply for citizenship. “Why would a Mexican who has been working here illegally for five years sign up for what amounts to his own deportation in three years?” said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates “more generous policies toward immigration and immigrants.”
Illegal immigration is a serious problem in the United States. According to the 2000 consensus, the Hispanic population of the United States grew about 58 percent over the past decade and now makes up 12.5 percent of the total population — rivaling black Americans, formerly the country’s largest minority group.
