 "We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot," says Bush By Jeffrey Thomas January 24, 2007
"We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals," Bush said. "And we need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country - without animosity and without amnesty." Bush asked Congress to create "an immigration system worthy of America - with laws that are fair and borders that are secure." Estimates of the number of illegal immigrants in the United States vary widely. The Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group, calculates an unauthorized population of 11.5 million to 12 million as of March 2006, based on Census Bureau information and other data. Bush said he was doubling the size of the Border Patrol and funding new infrastructure and technology to secure the border. In 2006, he sent approximately 6,000 National Guard members to assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers and building patrol roads. But the president said that the border could not be secured without a temporary worker program that would "take the pressure off" and leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers, criminals and terrorists. Workers who violated the terms of the program would become permanently ineligible for a U.S. permanent resident card, or green card, and U.S. citizenship, according to a White House fact sheet. Bush continues to oppose any automatic path to citizenship or any other form of amnesty on the grounds that such measures would reward lawbreaking and be unfair to those who waited their turn for citizenship or still are waiting to enter the country legally. The president's plan also features enforcing immigration laws at work sites and providing employers with the means of verifying the legal status of their workers. The Bush administration has broken with past practice of imposing modest fines on employers who hire illegals, according to the White House fact sheet. The administration has increased the number of arrests in work site enforcement cases, doubled federal resources for enforcement and now wants Congress to create a new, tamper-proof identification card for every legal foreign worker so that businesses can verify the legal status of their employees. Experts believe the chances of immigration reform passing in the new Democratic-controlled Congress are good. Some of the Republican lawmakers who favored a "get-tough" policy rather than immigration reform were defeated in the November 2006 elections. But comprehensive immigration reform still will require bipartisan compromise, particularly on the details of a guest-worker program and a route to a legal immigration status for unauthorized immigrants already in the country. The new Senate leadership made a bipartisan commitment to tackle comprehensive immigration reform when Congress convened January 4, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introducing a "sense of Congress" resolution that the House and Senate should pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Senator Edward Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts who now chairs the key Senate subcommittee on immigration, welcomed "the President's renewed commitment to comprehensively reform our nation's broken immigration system" and expressed agreement with the principles Bush set forth. "The President has been a leader on this issue and I am hopeful that he will continue his efforts with members of his party so that we can pass legislation that will solve the problem once and for all," Kennedy said in a statement released January 23. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, a Democrat and the new chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims, likewise promised January 23 to work "in a bipartisan manner to enact practical, lasting immigration reform that works for our country."
Related Information: President Bush's Plan For Comprehensive
Immigration Reform The White House In Focus: Immigration Tonight, President Bush Will Call On Congress To Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President believes that America can simultaneously be a lawful, economically dynamic, and welcoming society. We must address the problem of illegal immigration and deliver a system that is secure, productive, orderly, and fair. The President calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve without animosity and without amnesty the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote assimilation into our society. All elements of this problem must be addressed together or none of them will be solved. 1. The United States Must Secure Its Borders Border Security Is The Basic Responsibility Of A Sovereign Nation And An Urgent Requirement Of Our National Security. We have more than doubled border security funding from $4.6 billion in FY 2001 to $10.4 billion in FY 2007. We will have also increased the number of Border Patrol agents by 63 percent from just over 9,000 agents at the beginning of this Administration to nearly 15,000 at the end of 2007. We are also on track to increase this number to approximately 18,000 by the end of 2008, doubling the size of the Border Patrol during the President's time in office.
The Administration Is Increasing Infrastructure Investment At The Border. We are expanding detention capacity and developing rapidly deployable fencing technology that will be rolled out this year. In addition, the President is committed to building hundreds of miles of integrated, tactical infrastructure along the Southern border, which includes vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting to help detect, deter, and prevent people from entering our country illegally.
2. We Must Hold Employers Accountable For The Workers They Hire In A Sharp Break From The Past, The Administration Is Addressing The Illegal Employment Of Undocumented Workers With A Tough Combination Of Criminal Prosecution And Forfeitures. Previously, worksite enforcement relied on a combination of administrative hearings and fines. The fines were so modest that some employers treated them as merely a cost of doing business, and employment of undocumented workers continued unabated.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Include The Creation Of A New, Tamper-Proof Identification Card For Every Legal Foreign Worker So Businesses Can Verify The Legal Status Of Their Employees. A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. We will also work with Congress to expand "Basic Pilot" an electronic employment eligibility verification system and mandate that all employers use this system. 3. To Secure Our Border, We Must Create A Temporary Worker Program America's Immigration Problem Will Not Be Solved With Security Measures Alone. There are many people on the other side of our borders who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. This dynamic creates tremendous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone cannot stop. As We Tighten Controls At The Border, We Must Also Address The Needs Of America's Growing Economy. The rule of law cannot permit unlawful employment of millions of undocumented workers in the United States. Many American businesses, however, depend on hiring willing foreign workers for jobs that Americans are not doing. To Provide A Lawful Channel For Employment That Will Benefit Both The United States And Individual Immigrants, The President Has Called For The Creation Of A Temporary Worker Program. Such a program will serve the needs of our economy by providing a lawful and fair way to match willing employers with willing foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans have not taken. The program will also serve our law enforcement and national security objectives by taking pressure off the border and freeing our hard-working Border Patrol to focus on terrorists, human traffickers, violent criminals, drug runners, and gangs. The Temporary Worker Program Should Be Grounded In The Following Principles:
4. We Must Bring Undocumented Workers Already In The Country Out Of The Shadows Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Account For The Millions Of Immigrants Already In The Country Illegally. Illegal immigration causes serious problems, putting pressure on public schools and hospitals and straining State and local budgets. People who have worked hard, supported their families, avoided crime, led responsible lives, and become a part of American life should be called in out of the shadows and under the rule of American law. The President Opposes An Automatic Path To Citizenship Or Any Other Form Of Amnesty. Amnesty, as a reward for lawbreaking, would only invite further lawbreaking. Amnesty would also be unfair to those lawful immigrants who have patiently waited their turn for citizenship and to those who are still waiting to enter the country legally. The President Supports A Rational Middle Ground Between A Program Of Mass Deportation And A Program Of Automatic Amnesty. It is neither wise nor realistic to round up and deport millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. But there should be no automatic path to citizenship. The President supports a rational middle ground founded on the following basic tenets:
5. We Must Promote Assimilation Into Our Society By Teaching New Immigrants English And American Values Those Who Swear The Oath Of Citizenship Are Doing More Than Completing A Legal Process They Are Making A Lifelong Pledge To Support The Values And The Laws Of America. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, our history, and the ability to speak and write the English language. Every new citizen has an obligation to learn the English language and the customs and values that define our Nation, including liberty and civic responsibility, appreciation for our history, tolerance for others, and equality. When immigrants assimilate, they advance in our society, realize their dreams, and add to the unity of America. New Citizens Need Guidance To Succeed. The Office of Citizenship is creating new guides for immigrants and introducing a new pilot civics examination designed to foster a deeper understanding of civic virtues and the founding ideals. The President's Task Force on New Americans is fostering volunteerism through volunteer.gov and exploring partnerships with local organizations. Public libraries and faith-based and community groups will be encouraged to offer English language and civics instruction to immigrants who are seeking to make America their home. (end fact sheet)
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