Catherwood LibraryILR School

It has been estimated that six to eight million illegal workers will qualify for temporary legal status under the Bush Administration's new immigration proposal. One concern among economists and labor activists is that workers would be tied to the companies that sponsor them and they may be subject to violations of worker rights and low wages. Even with the concerns, many feel it is an important first step in facing the increasing difficult problem of illegal immigration and may be an important source of economic growth. Some U.S. unions support the plan because by providing migrant workers legal status business could not easily pay below minimum wage or ignore payroll taxes and other benefits.