Worker shortages are here and they are going to get worse! Many American elected officials have recommended creating a guest-worker program to address issues of illegal immigration and worker shortages. History has shown that such programs do not work. On August 4, 1942, the United States created the Bracero program to keep American agriculture productive. Most Braceros were underpaid, overworked, harassed, and housed in poor living conditions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a national organization of business owners, has cited a shortage of American workers in hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and construction. They argue that guest-worker programs curb unauthorized immigration by giving those workers a legal means of staying and working in the United States.
The problem with a guest worker program is that it does not protect the worker from abuse and does not consider the worker who wants to stay. What is needed is Temporary Resident Status which provides flexibility and protection in work, and the possibility of becoming a Permanent Resident.