Immigration Policy

* Re “Hits and Misses on Immigration,” editorial, June 13: I’d like to point out that the commission agrees with your editors in calling for “an immigration system flexible enough” to meet the national interest under changing circumstances. Our fact sheet notes: “The commission recommends that admission levels be authorized by Congress for a specified time period (e.g., three to five years) in order to ensure regular periodic review and, if needed, change by Congress.”

Regarding the commission’s strong and unanimous recommendation against any return to a bracero-type guest worker program, the commissioners will of course have a complete explanation of their reasoning in a full report later this year. But I would point out the 1992 conclusion of the Commission on Agricultural Workers, which stated flatly: “Neither an extension of the RAW [Regional Agricultural Workers] nor any new supplemental foreign worker programs are warranted at this time.” The Commission on Agricultural Workers included the participation of the grower industry in California, Texas and Florida, and examined all available evidence in some detail. This commission found no evidence that has arisen in the past two years to overturn the earlier conclusion. Yet there is abundant evidence that guest worker programs lead to substantial illegal immigration as well as to the exploitation of workers.

SUSAN MARTIN, Executive Director

Commission on Immigration Reform

Washington