Of Labor and Borders: Temporary Workers and North American Integration.

The 110th U.S. Congress has a good chance of passing immigration reform legislation before the end of 2007. A Temporary Worker Program (TWP) is widely expected to be included in whatever legislative package is enacted. This would potentially "soften" the U.S.-Mexico border by enabling millions of individuals to be eligible for work in the United States and possibly eventually also earn US citizenship. This paper will examine some of the potential impacts of this policy on US border security practices as well as the larger North American integration project. By using historical and contemporary data, the paper examines the checkered past of temporary (or "guest") worker programs, both in the United States and Canada. It asks two research questions: (1) will a TWP truly ease security pressures on the US-Mexico border, including undocumented migration flows and policing measures?; and (2) how will a TWP affect the larger bi-lateral and trilateral relationships in North America?In answering these questions, the paper will assess some of the policy issues associated with a TWP and migration reform. It argues scholars and policymakers need to understand immigration, including any potential TWP, in the larger context of free trade, globalization, and economic integration, not solely as a labor issue. A labor accord is a necessary step for further economic integration and as a competitiveness measure. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]