Immigration_NN1 and_CC the_AT Unions_NN2 The_AT very_JJ idea_NN1 that_CST unions_NN2 would_VM endorse_VVI legalizing_VVG illegal_JJ immigrants_NN2 ,_, as_CSA the_AT country_NN1 's_GE two_MC big_JJ labor_NN1 federations_NN2 did_VDD this_DD1 month_NNT1 ,_, strikes_VVZ some_DD as_RG absurd_JJ ._. 
Americans_NN2 have_VH0 a_AT1 hard_JJ enough_DD time_NNT1 competing_VVG with_IW cheap_JJ foreign_JJ labor_NN1 ._. 
Why_RRQ undercut_VVI them_PPHO2 within_II our_APPGE own_DA borders_NN2 ?_? 
Especially_RR with_IW millions_NNO2 of_IO citizens_NN2 losing_VVG their_APPGE jobs_NN2 ?_? 
These_DD2 questions_NN2 deserve_VV0 an_AT1 answer_NN1 since_CS the_AT bad_JJ economy_NN1 will_VM only_RR strengthen_VVI the_AT stiff_JJ winds_NN2 of_IO opposition_NN1 that_CST President_NNB Obama_NP1 will_VM have_VHI to_TO fight_VVI if_CSW he_PPHS1 is_VBZ going_VVGK to_TO win_VVI the_AT sweeping_JJ immigration_NN1 overhaul_NN1 he_PPHS1 has_VHZ promised_VVN ._. 
Legalization_NN1 was_VBDZ already_RR politically_RR treacherous_JJ thanks_NN2 to_II the_AT tireless_JJ work_NN1 of_IO restrictionists_NN2 who_PNQS have_VH0 spent_VVN years_NNT2 denouncing_VVG illegal_JJ immigrants_NN2 as_CSA harmful_JJ to_II the_AT country_NN1 's_GE health_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 have_VH0 long_RR compared_VVN the_AT undocumented_JJ to_II invaders_NN2 and_CC parasites_NN2 ;_; it_PPH1 's_VBZ a_AT1 very_RG short_JJ distance_NN1 from_II there_RL to_II scabs_NN2 ._. 
To_TO understand_VVI why_RRQ that_DD1 view_NN1 is_VBZ misguided_JJ ,_, it_PPH1 helps_VVZ to_TO remember_VVI that_CST the_AT country_NN1 has_VHZ largely_RR bought_VVN that_DD1 argument_NN1 and_CC spent_VVN decades_NNT2 and_CC billions_NNO2 to_TO seal_VVI the_AT border_NN1 as_RG tightly_RR as_CSA possible_JJ ._. 
It_PPH1 stages_VVZ raids_NN2 to_TO pull_VVI people_NN off_II assembly_NN1 lines_NN2 and_CC out_II21 of_II22 their_APPGE beds_NN2 and_CC cars_NN2 ._. 
It_PPH1 has_VHZ added_VVN hundreds_NNO2 of_IO thousands_NNO2 of_IO prison_NN1 beds_NN2 to_TO hold_VVI illegal_JJ immigrants_NN2 and_CC enlisted_VVD local_JJ police_NN2 officers_NN2 to_TO enforce_VVI federal_JJ laws_NN2 ._. 
It_PPH1 has_VHZ done_VDN everything_PN1 it_PPH1 can_VM to_TO make_VVI illegal_JJ immigrants_NN2 miserable_JJ in_II the_AT hope_NN1 that_CST they_PPHS2 will_VM abandon_VVI their_APPGE jobs_NN2 ,_, houses_NN2 and_CC citizen-children_NN2 and_CC tell_VV0 everyone_PN1 back_RP home_RL to_TO forget_VVI about_II America_NP1 ._. 
And_CC how_RRQ has_VHZ that_DD1 worked_VVN ?_? 
It_PPH1 has_VHZ n't_XX ._. 
The_AT agricultural_JJ work_NN1 force_NN1 is_VBZ still_RR overwhelmingly_RR undocumented_JJ ,_, as_CSA are_VBR the_AT workers_NN2 doing_VDG other_JJ dirty_JJ or_CC dangerous_JJ jobs_NN2 in_II places_NN2 like_II hotels_NN2 ,_, carwashes_NN2 and_CC restaurants_NN2 ._. 
Soaring_JJ unemployment_NN1 has_VHZ hit_VVN both_RR skilled_JJ and_CC unskilled_JJ workers_NN2 hard_RR ._. 
But_CCB laid-off_JJ construction_NN1 workers_NN2 have_VH0 not_XX been_VBN lining_VVG up_RP to_TO plant_VVI onions_NN2 or_CC pick_VV0 tomatoes_NN2 ,_, and_CC a_AT1 hidden_JJ population_NN1 of_IO 12_MC million_NNO undocumented_JJ immigrants_NN2 has_VHZ not_XX begun_VVN a_AT1 mass_JJ exodus_NN1 anywhere_RL ._. 
Nor_CC have_VH0 the_AT forces_NN2 of_IO global_JJ economic_JJ migration_NN1 magically_RR adjusted_VVN to_TO fit_VVI the_AT American_JJ mood_NN1 ._. 
Thousands_NNO2 of_IO workers_NN2 still_RR cross_VV0 the_AT border_NN1 ,_, although_CS the_AT numbers_NN2 are_VBR down_RP --_NN1 a_AT1 sign_NN1 of_IO the_AT downturn_NN1 ,_, particularly_RR in_II home_NN1 building_NN1 ._. 
When_CS the_AT economy_NN1 recovers_VVZ ,_, the_AT flow_NN1 will_VM revive_VVI ._. 
(_( Economic_JJ forces_NN2 are_VBR dynamic_JJ ,_, even_CS21 if_CS22 our_APPGE immigration_NN1 policies_NN2 are_VBR not_XX ._. )_) 
The_AT unions_NN2 ,_, at_RR21 least_RR22 ,_, understand_VV0 that_CST there_EX is_VBZ a_AT1 better_JJR way_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 see_VV0 immigration_NN1 reform_NN1 as_II an_AT1 issue_NN1 of_IO worker_NN1 empowerment_NN1 ._. 
If_CS undocumented_JJ immigrants_NN2 undercut_VV0 wages_NN2 and_CC job_NN1 conditions_NN2 for_IF Americans_NN2 --_NN1 and_CC many_DA2 do_VD0 ,_, by_II tolerating_VVG low_JJ pay_NN1 and_CC abuse_NN1 and_CC bolstering_VVG an_AT1 off-the-books_NN2 system_NN1 that_CST robs_VVZ law-abiding_JJ employers_NN2 and_CC taxpayers_NN2 --_NN1 it_PPH1 is_VBZ because_CS they_PPHS2 can_VM not_XX stand_VVI up_RP for_IF their_APPGE rights_NN2 ._. 
"_" Workers_NN2 do_VD0 n't_XX depress_VVI wages_NN2 ._. 
Unscrupulous_JJ employers_NN2 do_VD0 ,_, "_" said_VVD Terence_NP1 O'Sullivan_NP1 ,_, president_NN1 of_IO the_AT Laborers_NP1 '_GE International_JJ Union_NN1 of_IO North_ND1 America_NP1 ._. 
Unemployment_NN1 in_II his_APPGE industry_NN1 is_VBZ above_II 21_MC percent_NNU ._. 
Nearly_RR two_MC million_NNO construction_NN1 workers_NN2 are_VBR out_II21 of_II22 work_NN1 ._. 
So_RR what_DDQ does_VDZ Mr._NNB O'Sullivan_NP1 want_VVI ?_? 
Reform_VV0 that_CST allows_VVZ immigrants_NN2 to_TO legalize_VVI ._. 
"_" If_CS we_PPIS2 can_VM free_VVI them_PPHO2 so_CS they_PPHS2 can_VM come_VVI out_II21 of_II22 the_AT shadows_NN2 ,_, we_PPIS2 can_VM not_XX only_RR improve_VVI their_APPGE lives_NN2 ,_, but_CCB all_DB workers_NN2 '_GE lives_NN2 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ._. 
Eliseo_NP1 Medina_NP1 ,_, the_AT international_JJ executive_NN1 vice_II president_NN1 of_IO the_AT Service_NN1 Employees_NN2 International_JJ Union_NN1 ,_, agreed_VVD ._. 
"_" First_MD and_CC foremost_JJT ,_, this_DD1 is_VBZ an_AT1 economic_JJ argument_NN1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ._. 
Making_VVG the_AT pro-union_JJ case_NN1 for_IF reform_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX necessarily_RR going_VVGK to_TO be_VBI easy_JJ ._. 
Even_RR as_CSA immigration_NN1 has_VHZ changed_VVN the_AT face_NN1 of_IO many_DA2 American_JJ unions_NN2 ,_, hostility_NN1 to_II foreigners_NN2 remains_VVZ a_AT1 problem_NN1 among_II some_DD of_IO the_AT rank_NN1 and_CC file_NN1 ._. 
Mr._NNB Medina_NP1 said_VVD union_NN1 leaders_NN2 were_VBDR going_VVGK to_TO have_VHI to_TO work_VVI hard_JJ to_TO make_VVI members_NN2 understand_VVI that_CST false_JJ populism_NN1 was_VBDZ not_XX on_II their_APPGE side_NN1 ._. 
"_" You_PPY may_VM not_XX want_VVI to_TO do_VDI this_DD1 because_CS you_PPY like_VV0 Jose_NP1 Rodriguez_NP1 ,_, "_" Mr._NNB Medina_NP1 said_VVD ,_, "_" but_CCB this_DD1 affects_VVZ you_PPY ._. 
Your_APPGE standard_NN1 of_IO living_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX going_VVGK to_TO improve_VVI ,_, and_CC you_PPY 're_VBR not_XX going_VVGK to_TO be_VBI in_II a_AT1 stronger_JJR position_NN1 to_TO solve_VVI your_APPGE problems_NN2 as_CS31 long_CS32 as_CS33 you_PPY have_VH0 all_DB of_IO these_DD2 people_NN out_RP there_RL without_IW any_DD rights_NN2 --_NN1 without_IW any_DD ability_NN1 to_TO contribute_VVI ._. 
Things_NN2 will_VM only_RR get_VVI worse_JJR ,_, not_XX better_RRR ._. "_" 
