What’s in the Business-Labor Deal on Immigration?

In the 2012 US presidential election, Latino voters threw their growing weight behind democrats and President Barack Obama. Chastened Republicans have now joined a new bipartisan push for immigration reform. US legislators, once polarized over immigration, must satisfy numerous groups: Americans who worry about competition for jobs; farmers, ranchers and managers in need of workers; and immigrants who hope to join a path toward citizenship, both those inside and outside the country. In developing reforms, senators asked the US Chamber of Commerce and a major union, the AFL-CIO, to negotiate on allowing low-skilled migrant workers into the country. A new class of W visas will be created, with the proponents avoiding the term “guest workers,” reports Matthew Yglesias for Slate. Subject to caps, the proposed visas would be flexible, provide for good wages, and allow holders to petition for permanent status and switch jobs. The proposal requires approval by the full US Senate and House of Representatives. – YaleGlobal