New School President Bob Kerrey and a panel of leading experts with divergent viewpoints engage in lively debate to hammer out practical, legislative approaches to immigration reform.
Speakers discuss why a legislative solution is critical and what the right legislation would look like. They also examine the McCain/Kennedy Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act and subsequent proposals and discuss which aspects of those proposed solutions are feasible and well thought-out.
Finally, the speakers assess what the new Administration has accomplished in its first 100 days and what it needs to address going forward.
Speakers include: Michael Aytes, acting deputy director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security; Tamar Jacoby, president & CEO, ImmigrationWorks USA, Inc.; Mark Krikorian, executive director, The Center for Immigration Studies; Marshall Fitz, director of advocacy, American Immigration Lawyers Association; Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer, Pew Hispanic Center; and Alec Ian Gershberg (contributing moderator), Associate Professor, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.
Bio
Michael Aytes
Michael Aytes serves as Acting Deputy Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the Department of Homeland Security. Named to this position on April 18, 2008, Mr. Aytes today serves as the Agency's highest ranking official.
Marshall Fitz
Marshall Fitz is Director of Immigration Policy at American Progress. Before holding his current position he served as the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, where he led the education and advocacy efforts on all immigration policy issues for the 11,000-member professional bar association.
He has been a leader in national and grassroots coalitions that have organized to advance progressive immigration policies.
Alec Gershberg
Alec Gershberg (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is an Associate Professor at Milano and a specialist on school governance, education finance, and decentralization both in the developing world and the U.S. He has conducted extensive research on Latin America particularly Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ecuador focusing on the decentralization of power to schools, communities and governments.
More recently, he has worked on similar themes in Egypt, Romania, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He has been a frequent consultant to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Urban Institute.
Tamar Jacoby
Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, writes extensively on immigration and citizenship. She is a leading conservative voice in the media and elsewhere in favor of immigration reform, and works to organize the center-right behind reform proposals taking shape in Washington.
Her 1998 book, Someone Else’s House: America’s Unfinished Struggle for Integration (Basic Books), tells the story of race relations in three American cities—New York, Detroit and Atlanta. The Economist magazine called it "arguably the most important study of race relations in America since Gunnar Myrdal’s An American Dilemma was published in 1944."
A more recent book, Reinventing the Melting Pot: The New Immigrants and What It Means To Be American, was published by Basic Books in February 2004. A collection of essays by a diverse group of authors—academics, journalists and fiction-writers on both the right and the left—it argues that we as a nation need to find new ways to talk about and encourage immigrant absorption in American society.
In addition to her published writings and media commentary, in the past few years she has been working behind the scenes in Washington to help develop immigration policy, writing policy papers, testifying in Congress and working with a range of congressional offices.
Before joining the Manhattan Institute, from 1987 to 1989, she was a senior writer and justice editor for Newsweek, where she wrote weekly articles on criminal justice, the Supreme Court and other law-related topics. Between 1981 and 1987, she was the deputy editor of The New York Times op-ed page. Before that, she was assistant to the editor of The New York Review of Books.
In 2004, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Council on the Humanities, the advisory board of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A graduate of Yale University, she has taught at Yale, Cooper Union and the New School University. She lives in Washington, DC.
Bob Kerrey
Bob Kerrey is president of The New School in New York City.
For twelve years prior to becoming president of The New School, Bob Kerrey represented the State of Nebraska in the United States Senate. Before that, he served as Nebraska's governor for four years.
Bob Kerrey is the author of When I Was A Young Man: A Memoir, published by Harcourt Books (May 2002). He served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, currently leads a five year writing challenge sponsored by The National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges, and is co-chair with Newt Gingrich of The National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care.
Jeffrey Passel
Jeffrey Passel is senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center. A nationally known expert on immigration to the United States and the demography racial and ethnic groups, Passel formerly served as principal research associate at the Urban Institute's Labor, Human Services and Population Center.
Passel has authored numerous studies on immigrant populations in America, focusing on such topics as undocumented immigration, the economic and fiscal impact of the foreign born, and the impact of welfare reform on immigrant populations.
I want to thank you for being the voice of those that can't speak out loud.
The ones that live day after day in the shadows, afraid, with limitations, but hoping and waiting patiently for: The day when we full fill THE AMERICAN DREAM.
"would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"
DR. MARTHER LUTHER KING JR.
"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream."
Tamar Jacoby definetely is not wrong, she is totally right. The expression ''cheap inmigrants'' doesn't fit as a reader wrote - to no descrimination. It's a very bad and unhappy way to talk about hard workers. Why they are cheap? just because came to USA for a better life? how many american citizens nowadays can say that their ancestrors came to US rich and wealthy, just for fun - maybe? Everyone came down here for better opportunities, all were inmigrants. Ilegal or legal, inmigrantes are not cheap or whatever depreciating world define them. Now that is a high rate of unenployement in the country, americans are looking for jobs they would never did before: busboys, dishwashers, taxidrivers, housekeepers, cleaners, gardeners and so on.If they are honest, hard workers and pay taxes like anyone else, what's the problem?
Thank you for clarifying your points. Let’s leave off “meatpacking plant”, “historic migration” and “Canada vs. US economy” debates as less relevant. The problem is that we already have a huge illegal population we need to deal with. Constructive criticism of immigration reform is always great but I wonder what is your solution on immigration issue as oppose to the one Tamar Jacoby advocates? Let’s face it, we cannot deport 10 million of people who have families here back to their countries and retrain them as “professional educated world class citizen” over there.
Mexico is a mess; entrenched in the drugwars it has a long way to go before it will develop its “human capital”. And you’re right government is NOT committed at all. You cannot blame migrant workers for seeking low-paying jobs in the US so they could feed their families back in Yacatan, especially given the demand for these workers here.
You know, you are sooooooooo right. When I stepped off the boat, I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I had all these grand ideas about going to college and grad school. I even worked as a school teacher for TWELVE years -- twelve years I really should have been spending working in a meat plant or cleaning toilets. Meanwhile, an AMERICAN could have had my teaching job.
Meatpacking plant: "Another thought, if the meat packing gets inexpensive labor there isn't any initiative to automate the process." Cheap labor reduces the incentives to automate "regardless" of where you get the actual labor.
US pre-WW2 regarding the influx of immigrants "from Europe". When I was thinking of WW2 I automatically thought of the European nations involved. Bracero project wasn't a good idea considering US animosity towards foreign workers and the their lack of protection from abuse.
Canada and US: I said "Each nation is equal regarding "economy, laws, and technology" there isn't a interest for a Canadian to work in the US." What I meant by equal is the "standards of living" are the same compared to the US and Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...y_GDP_(nominal)
Canada is the 11th. There isn't any incentive for a Canadian to work in the US since a Canadian could find the same type of work in Canada. The trade between Canada and the US is the largest in the world. Canada exports 75% of its exports to the US and imports 65% from the US.
Regarding restaurants: one fact the National Restaurant Association did not offer, wages.
Working in restaurants do not pay a decent wage and offer little benefits to non-salaried employees.
Restaurant Employee Wages and Benefits http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/...-benefits.aspx
Restaurants don't help our economy. Our economy is benefited from external trade. The more we produce that is sold outside of our boundaries helps our economy grow. Restaurants are primly based on our discretionary spending, no extra cash, no extra spending. We don't have to go to restaurants. Considering the mountain of data regarding, high fats, salts, sugars, and processed food it would be better off if we didn't bother eating out.
The reason I brought up immigration from Europe and Canada is these nations had developed to a point where it used its surplus labor. The same will happen in Mexico. The US can't be come reliant on Mexico's excess labor. The other point I had made it is "The young man or woman that could have been trained in creating a professional educated world class citizen is washing dishes or making a beds." If Mexico was fully committed in developing its human capital it would outstrip the need for remittances. The worker that Mexico lets leave its shores to the drudgery of unskilled labor is a waste. Also consider the hardship the immigrant must endure, separated from family/country, limited worker protection, substandard living conditions, and lack of civil protection in the host country. US and other countries that create these unskilled labor jobs are just ignoring the inevitable investments of automation.
Tamar Jacoby is WRONG.... Here is a woman who loves paying illegals to clean her house, cut her grass and cook her meals. It saves the Jew money in her rich secure self-gratifying world. The kid that wouldn't kill chickens for $15/hr and moved home, is a stupid example, since different parameters are determining his need or want to work. The border guard that would be upset if he stopped a gardner from entering America, b/c of the war on terror. All of these points she makes are lousy examples that don't support her BOGUS argument. What about all the illegal children that are born here and become citizens that put a huge burden on our health care and public school system. Billions upon billions of welfare, food stamp dollars have thrown California into bankruptsy. Another 20 million hispanics are watching south of the border waiting to come over when amnesty is passed by the messiah so they can get on the gravy train too. Tamar Jacoby got her's! Yea, the rich benefit with cheap hired help. I LOST A CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA that I had grown from 1981 to 2003 when I couldn't compete with illegal workers under bidding me and eventually putting me out of work. Thousands of white construction contractors like me lost their business's, b/c we played by the rules, with being licensed, having liability insurance, carrying workmen's compensation for our workers. Our higher costs and the government's lack of controlling and regulating the construction industry forced us to close down our business's. The illegals helped the developers pocket more profits and exploit illegal cheap labor, which wasn't passed on to the consumer, look at the rise in real estate prices from 1985 to 2005. The argument liberal's take is a policy that favors undocumented workers over it's citizens. What other country in the world treats it's people as second class citizens like our government does? It really makes me sick... SHAME ON YOU MENTALLY DISEASE'D LIBERALS...
on meatpacking plant - Obviously, the policy of enforcing hiring standards would drive wages up, but I highly doubt that illegal immigrants are the reason for the automation halt. I suspect that if technology is right, automation process on the long run is less expensive than cheap labor of immigrants.
on historic migration - In fact, during the WW2 and right after it the need for foreign workers, especially in agricultural sector was urgent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracero) That's how Bracero project was initiated and we can debate on whether it was successful or not.
on US and Canada - these economies are not equal. While US is still the world largest, Canada is not even in top 10.
on restaurant - "I don't see how restaurants help our economy" - restaurant industry is one of the largest private sector employer (http://www.restaurant.org/research/ind_glance.cfm) - here's the answer to your reasonable doubt.
on Mexico - remittances that Mexicans living in US send back to their home country are close 20 billion annually, which is a significant boost for the Mexican economy.
The example Tamar Jacoby's regarding the Mechanic and the meat packing plant. If the plant didn't have illegals working in the plant wouldn't that drive wages up? Since they are unable to get jobs the plant would have to offer wages that are in par with the living cost of an US citizen.
Another thought if the meat packing gets inexpensive labor there isn't any initiative to automate the process. What if the plant developed a means of automation that required no workers. The same goes with vegetable and fruit pickers if farms automated the process then there wouldn't be any need for unskilled laborers.
In regards to historical labor migrations. US history pre-WW2 the US had need for foreign workers experienced and inexperienced. Once this nations stabilized after WW2 the need to migrate to the US wasn't necessary. Probable because of the sudden loss of population. What is the rate of migration from Canada to US? Each nation is equal regarding economy, laws, and technology there isn't a interest for a Canadian to work in the US.
The busboy and the dishwasher. I don't see how restaurants help our economy. Doesn't Mexico suffer for every time a Mexican is employed in a low wage job isn't Mexico's future burden. The washing dishes, construction, gardening, or home care that person will not be around to help in increasing Mexico's position in the world. The young man or woman that could have been trained in creating a professional educated world class citizen is washing dishes or making a bed.
@cjboland I wouldn't believe that Americans are willing to take on "dirty" jobs such as dishwasher unless you'll provide a credible source. It makes no sense to look for a job that pays as much or sometimes even less than welfare, unless you're illegal.
member. 
