Fact Sheet: Fair and Secure Immigration Reform

Today, President Bush proposed a new temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing U.S. employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs. The program would be open to new foreign workers, and to the undocumented men and women currently employed in the U.S. This new program would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of hiding and participate legally in America's economy while not encouraging further illegal behavior.

President Bush also asked Congress to work with him to achieve significant immigration reform that protects the homeland by controlling the borders; serves America's economy by matching a willing worker with a willing employer; promotes compassion for unprotected workers; provides incentives for temporary workers to return to their home countries and families; protects the rights of legal immigrants while not unfairly rewarding those who came here unlawfully or hope to do so. This legislation must also meet the Nation's economic needs and live up to the promise and values of America.

America is a welcoming nation, and the hard work and strength of our immigrants have made our Nation prosperous. Many immigrants and sons and daughters of immigrants have joined the military to help safeguard the liberty of America. Illegal immigration, however, creates an underclass of workers, afraid and vulnerable to exploitation. Current immigration law can also hinder companies from finding willing workers. The visas now available do not allow employers to fill jobs in many key sectors of our economy. Workers risk their lives in dangerous and illegal border crossings and are consigned to live their lives in the shadows. Without harming the economic security of Americans, reform of our Nation's immigration laws will create a system that is fairer, more consistent, and more compassionate.

Principles of Immigration Reform -- The President's proposal is based on several basic principles:

Protecting the Homeland by Controlling Our Borders: The program should link to efforts to control our border through agreements with countries whose nationals participate in the program. It must support ongoing efforts to enhance homeland security. Serve America's Economy by Matching a Willing Worker with a Willing Employer: When no American worker is available and willing to take a job, the program should provide a labor supply for American employers. It should do so in a way that is clear, streamlined, and efficient so people can find jobs and employers can find workers in a timely manner. Promoting Compassion: The program should grant currently working undocumented aliens a temporary worker status to prevent exploitation. Participants would be issued a temporary worker card that will allow them to travel back and forth between their home and the U.S. without fear of being denied re-entry into America. Providing Incentives for Return to Home Country: The program will require the return of temporary workers to their home country after their period of work has concluded. The legal status granted by this program would last three years, be renewable, and would have an end. During the temporary work period, it should allow movement across the U.S. borders so the worker can maintain roots in their home country. Protecting the Rights of Legal Immigrants: The program should not connect participation to a green card or citizenship. However, it should not preclude a participant from obtaining green card status through the existing process. It should not permit undocumented workers to gain an advantage over those who have followed the rules.

President Bush does not support amnesty because individuals who violate America's laws should not be rewarded for illegal behavior and because amnesty perpetuates illegal immigration. The President proposes that the Federal Government offer temporary worker status to undocumented men and women now employed in the United States and to those in foreign countries who have been offered employment here. The workers under temporary status must pay a one-time fee to register in the program, abide by the rules, and return home after their period of work expires. There would be an opportunity for renewal. In the future, only people outside the U.S. may join the temporary worker program, and there will be an orderly system in place to address the needs of workers and companies.

American Workers Come First: Employers must make every reasonable effort to find an American to fill a job before extending job offers to foreign workers. Workplace Enforcement of Immigration Laws: Enforcement against companies that break the law and hire illegal workers will increase. Economic Incentives to Return Home: The U.S. will work with other countries to allow aliens working in the U.S. to receive credit in their nations' retirement systems and will support the creation of tax-preferred savings accounts they can collect when they return to their native countries. Fair and Meaningful Citizenship Process: Some temporary workers will want to remain in America and pursue citizenship. They should not receive an unfair advantage over those who have followed the law, and they will need to be placed in line for citizenship behind those who are already in line. Those who choose the path of citizenship will have an obligation to learn the facts and ideals that have shaped America's history. Reasonable Annual Increase of Legal Immigrants: A reasonable increase in the annual limit of legal immigrants will benefit those who follow the lawful path to citizenship.

A more prosperous economy -- for America. The program would allow workers to find jobs and employers to find workers, quickly and simply. A more secure homeland -- to improve the efficiency and management of all people who cross our borders. It is in the interest of the Nation, and each community, to identify foreign visitors and immigrants and make clear the nature of their intentions. A more compassionate system -- to protect all workers in America with labor laws, the right to change jobs, fair wages, and a healthy work environment.

Border Patrol has increased from a strength of 9,788 on September 11, 2001 to 10,835 on December 1, 2003. Between ports of entry on the northern border, the size of the Border Patrol has tripled to more than 1,000 agents. In addition, the Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. The Bush Administration's Operation Tarmac was launched to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. President Bush announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies

"Today, President Bush proposed a new temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing U.S. employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs."

The Federal Government used to have a program in which an employer could not hire an alien until he had advertised the position and had considered American workers for the position which was open. I know somebody who worked in a government agency which was charged with monitoring this program. He told me that virtually NEVER was any American who was referred to such a position EVER hired - and a lot of them paid VERY WELL. Gnerally, he said, the company was run by nationals of a particular ethnic group who used this program as a way to import friends or relatives into the American Labor market.

"The program would be open to ......to the undocumented men and women currently employed in the U.S."

This program will be open to illegal invaders who have violated our borders and laws and are rewarded for their line-jumping with an American job.

"This new program would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of hiding and participate legally in America's economy while not encouraging further illegal behavior. "

HUH!!!!??? Do they take us for TOTAL idiots???? This amensty program was used before and it ENCOURAGED further illegal behavior - MORE ILLEGAL INVADERS!!

"President Bush also asked Congress to work with him to achieve significant immigration reform that protects the homeland by controlling the borders;"

He can't do it NOW. Why should we believe things will change at all??

" serves America's economy by matching a willing worker with a willing employer;"

Wrong. It matches one law-breaker - the illegal invader - with another law-breaker - the opportunistic employer.

" promotes compassion for unprotected workers;"

How about compassion for American citizens who are watching our country - a melting pot of many nations, being turned into a nation of one predominant ethnic group - Hispanic? How about all those LEGAL aliens who filled out their forms, paid their fees, waited in line, and are now being callously shunted aside by Bush for PURELY political benefits??

" provides incentives for temporary workers to return to their home countries and families; "

HOW IN THE WORLD WILL IT ACCOMPLISH THAT??? This provides an incentive to bring those relatives BACK here and wait for the NEXT "AMNESTY"!

"protects the rights of legal immigrants"

It VIOLATES the rights of legal immigrants by rewarding those who violate the laws they have been forced to comply with in oder to come here legally. This is NUTS!!!

"This legislation must also meet the Nation's economic needs and live up to the promise and values of America."

The promise of America is equal opportunity under law. This legislation rewards illegal aliens - specifically Mexican Illegal Aliens.

"America is a welcoming nation, and the hard work and strength of our immigrants have made our Nation prosperous."

And those immigratn were, for the ost part, legal immigrants who OBEYED OUR LAWS. Not foreign invaders who violate our borders.

" Current immigration law can also hinder companies from finding willing workers. The visas now available do not allow employers to fill jobs in many key sectors of our economy. "

Then they can lobby to have the laws changed so more LEGAL aliens can come in here - from ALL OVER THE WORLD - NOT JUST MEXICO!!!!

"Workers risk their lives in dangerous and illegal border crossings and are consigned to live their lives in the shadows."

HUH!!!??? These border crossings should be MORE Dangerous do FEWER illegals can violate our borders.

"Protecting the Homeland by Controlling Our Borders: The program should link to efforts to control our border through agreements with countries whose nationals participate in the program. "

Like MEXICO??? SInce when has Fox done ANYTHING to help America??

"When no American worker is available and willing to take a job, the program should provide a labor supply for American employers. It should do so in a way that is clear, streamlined, and efficient so people can find jobs and employers can find workers in a timely manner."

Read above what I said about prior program like this. Nationals from another country will use it as a loophole to bring in more people from their own country. There will be NO job for which an American will be suitable under this program - including high tech and well-paid jobs.

Temporary Worker Program

"President Bush does not support amnesty because individuals who violate America's laws should not be rewarded for illegal behavior and because amnesty perpetuates illegal immigration. The President proposes that the Federal Government offer temporary worker status to undocumented men and women now employed in the United States and to those in foreign countries who have been offered employment here."

This is beaurocratic DOUBLE-TALK.

This whole prgram is BALONEY. It has the paw-prints of Karlville Rove all over it.

The American public should be up in outrage over this. E-mails, letters, faxes, mass-meetings, should be the order of the day. The Administration is betraying us and America to court the votes of a group of Americans for whom this is not even a major issue - legal Hispanic citizens - and pander to businesses who want cheap labor or an excuse to bring in their families from another Country.

TANCREDI FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!

He has an (R) by his name.

I may start a truck farm or maybe a nursery so I, too can cash in on the cheap labor glut.

Seriously, I guess millions of third world McJob seekers will drive all wages down, and undo any advances that working people have made in the last hundred years. Businesses hiring these poor-dumb-bastards (PDB's) pay no insurance, causing them to also drive up everyone else's health care costs.

There is a nursery (trees and plants, you know) near here with shacks built down a dirt road, junk cars lining the "yards", all the accoutrements of the old fashioned coal mining outfits. By the time they collect the rent and utilities, the PDB's working there clear next-to-nothing.

Campaign contributions must be the main reason this man is pulling this s--t. He has promises to keep. He also seems to like bitch-slapping conservatives every month or so.
In the name of grid-lock and peace, I'm voting third party or not at all. I hope he is defeated in November.

In order to collect social security retirement payments you need 10 years of covered employment with at least $1600 of credited earnings in each year to count. In order to qualify for disability payments under social security, you need at least 5 years of credits within the past 10 years.

Many of these people will never qualify under either of these categories, but under the new program they will make payments into the system during their employment here. I suspect that their payments into the system, which start with the first dollar earned, even if the person fails to earn the minimum for credit, will exceed the amount paid out to them as a group, even if qualified benefits are paid to Mexican residents.

Also note that some of these people have used multiple IDs in the past. This practice serves to divide their work history and further reduce the possibility of meeting minimum qualifications for benefits.

My wife worked for a few years at miniscule wages in college, and was exempt from social security in her later career (municipal) and so had less than 7 years time and trivial earnings credited when I retired from IBM. She took part-time work as a clerk, and later as a telemarketer, to barely qualify (11 years) for a retirement benefit a couple of years ago. She received less than $300 per month, until I retired and she began collecting the spouse benefit on my record, which nearly tripled her check.

Even ten full years of low-wage work will not earn much of a benefit, and I doubt that many of these guest workers will get even that far.

Bush's Immigration Reform Proposal: a lot of flowery language, penned by politicians who don't want to appear racist, don't want to be criticized for doing nothing, and don't want to face the down to earth, ugly truth. Between the United States and Mexico, there is a tremendous cultural and economic disparity that drives this one way flood of humanity into the US, and billions of $$$ in the opposite direction. These new laws will be broken, and new rules will be ignored, and they will not change a thing.

This is just more stalling until the "facts on the ground" make any real solution impossible. We have 10 to 13 million illegal aliens in this country now. Reagan's amnesty plan encouraged more illegal immigration, despite its good intentions. Learn from this. There are NO incentives in Bush's proposed reforms for anyone who can get into this country illegally, live here, and work here without government interference, and without paying taxes, to suddenly join the taxed and regulated lower classes of the US workforce, when they can get ALL the benefits without doing so. There is no realistic provision for controlling future illegal immigration in this reform, no effective border control, no punishment for not signing up for this kind of economic legitimization, and no reason not to call it eventual "amnesty". Certainly, nothing in this proposal will discourage more and more illegal immigration. Why should it? It was not designed to.

What it was designed to do is put this issue on the back, back, burner for another few years, at least 3 to 6. The election will go by, with this very serious and rapidly boiling over issue will have a "temporary" lid on it. But it won't fix anything, rather, it will convince Vincente Fox that he can tweak and moan and get his way with our government, and he can look forward to dumping his social and economic problems on us, and reaping the benefit of hundreds of billions of money sent to Mexico from illegals working in the US, for years to come. Fox would benefit greatly if he could "immigrate" another 15 million or more illegals into the United States, and reap the benefits of billions more in "sent back" dinero. His problems too would cool off, and head for that back burner. As long as there are tables to bus, lawns to mow, and tomatoes to pick, this precarious and shaky compromise will endure.

But come the 2010 census, and the factoring in of new methods of estimating the ever growing number of illegal aliens in this country, the illusion of "a problem solved" will go "poof". We will wake up to the news that that 10 to 13 million has become 25 to 30 million and growing at an ever increasing rate, and it will be way too late to do anything to fix it. The pretense of "jobs that Americans won't do", and the "immigrants only want a chance to work hard" will mean little or nothing when California and other border states' budgets and busted beyond repair and result in total default by enormous infrastructure and social costs, ever spiraling upward. The old days of the 90's will seem like a golden age. The specious logic of "they are the economic backbone of our economy" will seem like a bad joke. All because of the inherent capability of our politicians to miss the point and avoid necessary action. It will be too late, simple as that.

The counter to my above criticisms is the "knee jerk", in the form of the question, "So, what do you want to do? Deport millions of people, arrest them off the street, put them in holding camps until we can bus them over the border?" My answer is, no... it is too late for that, thanks to too many weak "leaders" shunting this problem off into the future, combined with too many strident anti-American leftists, who see their victory and power in a radically changed cultural and national demographic reality. What can be done is to put the brakes on immigration, all immigration, until the government can realistically regain control, which it does not have now. Without control of our borders, our claim to national sovereignty would become a fiction, as it is rapidly becoming now. And no, we do not need more illegal immigrants to act as "the backbone of our economy". Let's get our immigration laws in order, and have them obeyed for once. Let's absorb, educate, and merge with the immigrants already here, as they are probably not ultimately going back. But, it is our country and its citizens that should come first, and it is the citizens of America, and only Americans, who should determine what those immigration laws, visa regulations, quotas, and penalties for breaking those laws should be. Never the corrupt government of a country desperate to unload its social and economic problems, regardless of who or where they are.

Perhaps solutions to the vast economic, cultural, and social, disparity between Mexico, the third world, and the America can be changed, bringing those 3rd world countries into the 1st world of the 21st Century, but without question, the solution is not to degrade the US to 3rd world economic status. I would much rather find ways of helping Mexico reform and enrich its economy and people, than simply treat them as we currently do the homeless, which is enabling their misery rather than helping them up. The potential for disaster is at our doorstep, and we cannot afford to make the well worn mistake of "playing pretend" with reforms and programs that cannot achieve what they promise. Face reality, and get control of our borders. Or the voting populous of citizens in this country... will take it back.

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