Your questions. Experts’ answers

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How have U.S.-Mexico relations been affected?
Q: How has the Mexican government reacted to the U.S. plan for immigration, and how has U.S. diplomacy toward Mexico changed in the face of the immigration debate?

-- Cambri Hilger, Orange, Calif.

Border security expert Neville Cramer responds:

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A: According to recent media reports, in 2006, legal and illegal immigrants sent an estimated $24 billion dollars to family members in Mexico. Aside from oil, this represents one of Mexico’s largest sources of revenue. Considering this fact, why would Mexico do anything substantive to stop illegal immigration to America?

Mexican government representatives have been quite clear about where they stand on “comprehensive immigration reform.” They are very much in favor of any program that will allow illegal aliens from Mexico to stay and work here. Whether it is a “Z” visa scheme, “legalization,” “regularization” or “amnesty,” Mexico is supportive of it.

On the other hand, Mexico strongly opposes any solution that will realistically prevent Mexicans from crossing the border illegally (securing the border technologically and significantly increasing detention capabilities). Mexico also adamantly opposes an employment eligibility verification program and employer sanctions, as these initiatives will truly curtail illegal immigration.

Despite media reports of successful immigration agreements between U.S. and Mexican diplomats, they are nothing more than insignificant “window dressing.” President Bush and Secretary Condoleezza Rice can stand with their Mexican counterparts and shake hands all day -- the bottom line is Mexico has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by sending millions of their citizens here, legally or illegally.

After spending six years in INS as the special agent in charge of overseas enforcement, I have little faith in our diplomatic efforts to achieve anything worthwhile when it comes to preventing illegal immigration from Mexico. Some may disagree with me, but I speak from personal experience.

Why doesn't visa program meet agriculture's needs?
Q: The agriculture industry is one of the key lobbying groups pushing for "comprehensive reform" and opposing limits on the "guest worker" program. Don't H-2A visas already meet the requirements for agriculture? There are no limits on the number of H-2A visas. Isn't this the legal way agriculture should be hiring their foreign labor now? However, it requires they actually prove they couldn't find American labor and it sets conditions for pay and treatment of workers that agriculture doesn't want to meet. Why aren't the churches and other protest groups such as United Farm Workers fighting to get agribusinesses to provide the pay and protections of the H-2A visa program? This program seems to fully address two major points of the immigration debate: the claims that they are blocked from bringing in enough labor legally and that they are doing jobs Americans won't do. If the businesses are required to meet the pay and other conditions of the H-2A program for American workers, I believe they would be able to fill a good percentage of the jobs with American workers. Am I interpreting this visa program correctly?

-- Wallace Johnston, New Albany, Ind.

Immigration attorney Daniel M. Kowalski answers:

A: While it is true that currently there is no "cap" on H-2A visas, and that H-2A workers are entitled to significant rights and protections, employers must deal with three separate bureaucracies -- the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State -- and invest significant time and effort securing H-2A visas and workers, discouraging many employers from using the system. Moreover, the legal protections "enjoyed" by H-2A workers are on paper only, and often honored in the breach, if at all.

Blatant violations of H-2A laws and regulations regarding wages, working conditions and housing have been reported for years, but the federal government has almost no enforcement resources, leaving employers free to abuse workers, and workers afraid to report abuse for fear of deportation.

In 2007, the Southern Poverty Law Center issued a comprehensive 50-page report on guest-worker programs entitled "Close to Slavery," thoroughly documenting the shortcomings and abuses in the system, and suggesting recommendations for reform.