In this sixth installment of the “Border Views” video series, Veronica Vargas Stidvent, director of the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, discusses why the traditional left-right political breakdown doesn’t apply on immigration issues, the impact of undocumented workers on unemployment, and the influence and reform of birthright citizenship in U.S.
Stidvent served as assistant labor secretary in the George W. Bush administration. She worked on an array of labor issues including immigration reform, worker health and safety, and job training.
Watch two more videos with Professor Stidvent from the sixth installment of “Border Views”:
- Video 1: Stidvent discusses why the traditional left-right political breakdown doesn’t apply on immigration issues and how the unusual alliances make reform difficult.
- Video 3: Stidvent discusses the potential effects of eliminating birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants.
About the video series
As Americans continue to debate immigration reform, border enforcement and Arizona’s recent legislation, experts from The University of Texas at Austin are offering their viewpoints on these issues through a series of online videos.
Each week, “Border Views” has showcased a different faculty member discussing such topics as the history of illegal immigration, the pros and cons of the Arizona law, the unusual political alliances that have developed around this debate and the media’s role in covering it.
Visit the “Border Views” main page for a complete lineup of our experts’ videos.
Resources for People
It would seem like if we allowed undocumented workers in our work force, that means we will have less jobs for the other legitimate documented workers, hence that can contribute to the unemployment numbers. But being a "big brother" to the world as the US has always try to be, I guess we have to take in the good and the bad. Everyone wants to come to the US for a better life, we should give them a chance to make it. I'm sure if you survey some of the richest people in the US, you might be able to find 1 or 2 who started out as an undocumented worker.