The National Journal quotes CGD research fellow Michael Clemens on immigration policy.
From the article:
"The easiest way for Mexico to offset those losses would be a guest-worker program that offered Mexicans (and anyone else) multiyear work permits in the U.S., argues Michael Clemens, an economist at the nonpartisan Center for Global Development. It would help the U.S. economy by funneling workers into American industries that need more labor, it would help workers who want better-paying jobs, and it would help Mexico's economy, since temporary workers send money home at high rates. Many economists have settled on 300,000 as the magic number of guest-worker visas required to keep the economy churning.
Gutierrez's bill does not create a guest-worker program, at least not initially. It would establish a commission to study the issue and dole out 100,000 work visas a year for three years until the commission made its recommendations. And anyway, a 10 percent unemployment rate and stiff union opposition could make guest-worker programs a tough sell. "It's kicking the can down the road," Clemens said. "It's saying we're not going to settle this."