Robert Scheer

Robert Scheer is a syndicated columnist and former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. In the viewpoint that follows, he contends that illegal immigrants do not depress wages or create unemployment for American workers, but in fact are a boon to the U.S. economy. He calls for an amnesty or legalization of the status of currently illegal workers as a way of improving their situation and keeping labor standards in America from eroding.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why has the AFL-CIO, a labor union, reversed its prior opposition to illegal immigrant labor, according to Scheer?
2. Why does the author support the increase of the minimum wage?
3. What benefits would a general amnesty for undocumented workers bring, as explained by Scheer"

Time to cheer the much-maligned illegal...