Fred supported immigration and guest workers when he was in the Senate:

Thompson Voted For a Temporary Guest Worker Program For Agricultural Workers. In 1998, Thompson supported legislation to help illegal immigrant farm workers temporarily stay in the U.S. The bill is “similar to the guest worker program supported by Bush.” The bill stipulated that if there are insufficient US workers to fill the number of positions offered by a specific employer, the attorney general shall admit enough foreign workers to fill these positions. It would also require the attorney general to conduct a study on whether the workers should depart the country upon the completion of their stay. [Newsmax.com, 6/6/07; CNS News, 6/5/07; Senate Vote #233, 7/23/98, S2260]

But Opposed Dealing With the Problems of Illegal Immigration:

Thompson Voted Against Creating An Agency To Deal With Employers Who Hire Illegal Workers. Thompson voted against authorizing $100 million to establish with the Immigration and Naturalization Service an Office for the Enforcement of Employer Sanctions to levy fines for employing illegal aliens and to educate employers about the law and ways to prevent employment discrimination. [Senate Vote #99, 5/1/96, S1664]

Thompson Voted Against Establishing Programs to Verify That Employees Are Legal.

Thompson voted against killing an amendment that would have taken out sections of the 1996 Immigration bill that establishes pilot programs to verify that newly hired employees are eligible to work in the United States and the sections that prescribe national standards for birth certificates and drivers’ licenses. [Senate Vote #101, 5/1/96, S1664]

Fred gets “C” grade from Americans for Better Immigration.

According to the New York Post, “Americans for Better Immigration- a group that advocates deportation of illegals and a stronger border- rates Thompson an overall “C.” [New York Post, 6/13/07] link

His actions don’t match the rhetoric:

Thompson: Illegal Immigrants Already in the US “Aren’t as Much as a Concern.” Fred Thompson identified the major problem of immigration to be future illegal immigrants by saying “The 12 million [illegal immigrants] here aren’t as much as a concern as the next 12 million after that” at a Lincoln Club of Orange County speech. [Politico, 5/5/07]
h/t