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WASHINGTON - Addressing one of the most contentious issues in the nation, President Bush on Monday promised to “fix the problems created by illegal immigration” and said he would start by sending 6,000 National Guard troops to support security efforts along the U.S.-Mexican border.
“We do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that,” the president said in a rare prime-time televised address from the Oval Office.
Bush said he was not going to “militarize” the 2,000-mile long border with Mexico and that Guard troops would not be involved in “direct law enforcement activities.”
Instead, he said, the Guard would support the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads and providing training. The Guard’s support, he said, would last for a year and then be reduced as more Border Patrol agents and technological aids are added.
The president pledged other efforts to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration, and he said he opposed “amnesty” for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
But he restated his support for a controversial guest worker program that would “match willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs Americans are not doing.”
Rounding up millions not ‘wise’
Bush addressed the nation on the burning topic as the Senate resumed consideration of a broad bill that would beef up border security and create a temporary worker program; senators are expected to vote on their legislation in the next two weeks.
The House passed an immigration reform bill late last year that doesn’t include a guest worker program and focuses more strongly on law enforcement and border security measures.
Bush made it clear on Monday that he wants a bill with a guest worker program.
He said Monday, “It is neither wise nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border.
“There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation.”
He said illegal immigrants who want to stay should be able to apply for citizenship after paying a meaningful penalty, paying their taxes, learning English and working in a job for a number of years.
“What I have just described is not amnesty,” he said. “It is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.”
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, said after the speech that he still disagrees with the president on his approach to immigration reform.
The United States should secure the border first and create a worker documentation system before taking any other steps, particularly ones that are “essentially amnesty,” Coburn said in an interview.
He said he would oppose the Senate bill in its current form because it allows people who “broke the law” to get a path to citizenship.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., did not address the guest worker program in his own response to the president’s speech.
Hastert said, “Our nation has changed since the terrorists attacked our people in 2001. We know the importance of being vigilant with our border security. The House has passed strong legislation that will strengthen our borders and protect American citizens. I hope the Senate acts soon, so that we can agree to strong legislation.“
Issue at critical point
After building for years, the immigration issue seemingly has reached a critical point with much of the public. Oklahoma lawmakers have said recently that they are barraged with questions and comments about it at their town hall meetings.
Illegal immigrants have staged rallies in Oklahoma and many other states in recent weeks to call for immigrants’ rights, but there also have been protests denouncing illegal aliens.
Bush, facing heat from his own party’s lawmakers and from the GOP’s conservative base around the country, sought Monday to cool some of the rhetoric.
“We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value, no matter what their citizenship papers say,” the president said.
Bush acknowledged illegal immigration “puts pressure on public schools and hospitals, strains state and local budgets and brings crime to our communities. These are real problems.”
But, he said, “We must remember that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are decent people who work hard, support their families, practice their faith, and lead responsible lives. They are a part of American life, but they are beyond the reach and protection of American law.”
Guard stretched thin?
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said that for years, “the Bush White House has been willing to look the other way as our immigration laws have gone un-enforced.”
The Bush administration did not target employers hiring illegal immigrants or add the necessary border guards or detention facilities.
Reid praised the National Guard’s performance overseas and at home, but said the president has “overtaxed, over-used and under-funded this critical national security resource.”
“It is ironic that in January his White House was talking about cutting 17,000 guardsmen,” Reid said. “Now he’s asking them to do even more.”
Responding to criticism that the Guard is already stretched too thin, Bush said Monday, “It is important for Americans to know that we have enough Guard forces to win the war on terror, respond to natural disasters and help secure our border.”
Steps for employers, border security
In his speech, Bush defended some of the actions he’s taken in his presidency, saying funding for border security had been increased by 66 percent, the Border Patrol had grown from 9,000 to 12,000 agents and that 6 million people who entered the country illegally had been captured and sent home.
Tonight I am calling on Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border,” the president said.
Bush also called for holding employers accountable.
“It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally,” he said. “Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility.”
To protect the border, he said, “we are launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history.”
“We will construct high-tech fences in urban corridors, and build new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas. We will employ motion sensors, infrared cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent illegal crossings. America has the best technology in the world and we will ensure that the Border Patrol has the technology they need to do their job and secure our border.”