Forget the stalled debate in Congress. State legislatures are already
barreling ahead on immigration legislation. And the choices could not
be more stark.
While some states are embracing criminalizing undocumented
immigrants, other states are embracing progressive policies that will
boost wages for all American workers and solve the root causes of
low-wage immigration.
The real fear by most Americans is that immigrants are driving down
wages for existing American workers. However, rather than further
punish exploited immigrant workers in the underground economy, many
state leaders recognize that a better solution is to end the exploitive
conditions that make hiring lower-paid immigrants so attractive for
employers in the first place.
