ORIGINAL: Doggie
Another option might be a "guest worker" program, but that has it's own potential for abuse and the medical care problem remains
You are old enough to know that's the way it used to be? Seasonal guest workers used to be issued work visas which allowed them to work in the United States. These visas were typically issued to migrant farm workers. They were allowed to work on farms during the harvest season after which they returned to Mexico. They had access to the same medical care as everyone else. As the employers (usually farmers) typically provided them with room and board, they were able to take most of their wages home. Migrant farm workers living in Mexico made enough working for 3 or 4 months to live year round in Mexico.
Immigration laws were enforceable. Central American guest workers were required to obtain a passport and work visa with a yearly expiration date. That is the same thing I had to do when I worked as a civilian in Europe. Drivers had to carry an international driver's licence issued in the home country, just like Americans living in Europe and Europeans visiting the United States.
It is only when politicians began pandering to the illegal alien vote that the problem got out of hand,.
You are quite correct in your remembrances. I'm not sure I agree with your diagnosis of why and when the system broke down i.e. politicians seeking to earn the "illegal alien vote". That seems to be a bit of a stretch. I would lean more towards employers wanting to have illegal labor to exploit with below minimum wage pay, no benefits, and poor working conditions. Then I would see the politicians looking the other way to get their campaign contributions from these employers.
