In a June 21, 2007 interview on CNN, Sanders was most worried about the “economic implications” of the guest worker programs.

“If poverty is increasing and if wages are going down, I don’t know why we need millions of people to be coming into this country as guest workers who will work for lower wages than American workers and drive wages down even lower than they are now,” he said.

The bill would have legalized more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and created a temporary worker program, while strengthening punishments against employers who hired workers illegally and strengthening border security. At the time LULAC executive director Brent Wilkes said it would “separate families and lead to the exploitation of immigrant workers,” but if this worried the Vermont senator, he didn’t bring it up with Dobbs.