THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Earlier this week, I spoke to you from the Oval Office to lay out my vision for reforming our Nation's immigration system. And on Thursday, I went to Arizona to visit with the men and women of the Border Patrol. I wanted to get an update on their efforts because a secure America depends on a secure border.
I believe America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. We must enforce our laws while honoring our proud immigrant heritage. So I support comprehensive immigration reform that will accomplish five clear objectives.
First, America must secure its borders. Since I became President, we've increased funding for border security by 66 percent, hired thousands more Border Patrol agents, and caught and sent home about 6 million illegal immigrants. Yet, we have much more work to do.
So this week I asked Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border. We'll hire thousands more Border Patrol agents. And to help these agents do their jobs, we will deploy advanced technologies such as high-tech fences in urban areas, infrared cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles. We'll also draw on the expertise of state and local law enforcement in our border communities and give them new resources and training so they can help secure our border.
Putting these new resources in place will take time. To help during this transition, up to 6,000 National Guard members will be deployed to our southern border. They will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance and communication systems, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads, and analyzing intelligence. The support of Guard personnel will allow Border Patrol agents to use their skills to focus on securing the border.
Second, to secure our border we must create a temporary worker program that provides foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter our country for a limited period of time. This program would reduce pressure on the border, meet the needs of our economy, and allow honest immigrants to provide for their families while respecting the law. And it will help us make certain we know who is in our country and why they are here.
Third, we need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire by creating a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility. The system should include a new tamper-proof identification card for every legal foreign worker. This card would help us enforce the law and leave employers with no excuse for breaking it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.
Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants who are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully, and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.
Some people think any proposal short of mass deportation is amnesty. I disagree. There's a rational middle ground between automatic citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation. Illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty, pay their taxes, learn English, and work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship -- but approval will not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law.
Fifth, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot by helping newcomers assimilate into our society. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for our flag, and the ability to speak and write in English.
We will work to ensure that every new citizen fully embraces our common culture. When immigrants assimilate, they will advance in our society, realize their dreams, renew our spirit, and add to the unity of America.
Congress is now considering legislation on immigration reform. That legislation must be comprehensive. All elements of this problem must be addressed together or none of them will be solved at all. The House started the debate by passing an immigration bill, now the Senate should act by the end of this month, so we can work out the differences between the two bills, and Congress can pass a bill for me to sign into law.
We should approach this debate with confidence. America has shown before that we can enforce our laws and uphold our values, and we will do it again. Our Nation honors the heritage of all who've come here because we trust in our country's genius for making us all Americans, one Nation under God.
Thank you for listening.
It's not amnesty, it's citizenship for a "meaningful penalty" of $200. /sarcasm
Yep. That's what they want. Come here in an orderly fashion for a limited period of time.
If that's the case, a lot of illegals should be leaving any day,now.
Sr. Presidente, here is what the American people want you to do.
Secure our borders.
Deport illegal aliens.
Prosecute those who hire them.
No amnesty.
English is our national language.
Please note, Jefe, that guest workers are not on the list. Let's figure that out after we end welfare then see how many foreigners we need to work in the US. OK? Gracias a utd.
This Skinner must be a D U troll.
"But the nation needs to provide a way for illegals to stay, he said."
Uh, I think we've been doing that for the past 20 years.
NO middle ground, NO middle ground, stop ALL social services NOW, fine ALL business hiring ILLEGALS, I don't care what it costs, SEND THEM ALL BACK, if there are no jobs and no FREE housing, money, healthcare etc. they will leave on their own, I am sooooooo sick of this nonsense, I thought Bush had testosterone......what has happened to him??? he's acting like a lib/dem, he's weak and I'm disgusted with him on the ILLEGAL immigration issue.
Bush: "To secure our border we must create a temporary worker program.."
Sorry, one is not contingent on the other. To secure our Border, America, is dependent on NOTHING ELSE but the willingness to do so.
Excerpts from President Bush's speech to illegal immigrants:
Good afternoon my illegal friends. Welcome to Motel Six. Stay as long as you want and drinks and dinner are on me... err, the American Taxpayer.
Feel free to breed as fast as you want. Because we need more diversity amoung our people here in Texaco, err, Mexico, eer, ah, ... where are we Dick?
And don't forget, you can pick up your $100 gasoline rebate at the door to your hotel room.
(Bush to self... I hope Ted was okay with that grand welcoming sppech)
I didn't bother to listen to Bush's radio address.
I wouldn't be surprised if anywhere in his speech he proclaimed "Si, se puede!"
We have people who have invaded our country, are here illegally and those who want to send them back are extremists? Even here on a supposed conservative site there are large numbers of people who support the law breakers or at least attack those who want to enforce the laws already written.
I'm really tired of hearing him speak on this issue. Every time he does he kills whatever little affection I have for him remaining.
The Middle ground is Enforcement First, THEN we'll talk after you've earned some trust.
Get that through your head Mr. President.
You are no longer trustworthy. Not on this issue. Not when you practice Clintonian speech on the definition of amnesty. If you cared about our trust, you wouldn't have inferred racism or "anti immigrant" as a cause for the outpouring against it. You would understand why we don't trust the Government to act on enforcement. And they'd be willing to prove yourself on the issue first.
What is the logical connection?
"President Bush urged Congress today to find a middle ground between mass deportation or instant U.S. citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living in America."
Middle ground? Would that be - deport 6 million, keep 6 million? How come the middle ground between deportation and 'instant US citizenship' is ... delayed US citizenship. that is more 90/10 than 50/50...
Anyone who stands up and says "it must include legalization/amnesty or nothing at all" is a real opponent of immigration law reform. We can only clean up this mess gradually, but NOT repeating the amnesty/legalization mistake is the first and most important rule to follow in whatever legislation we craft.
We got into this mess because of a failed amnesty in 1986 and 20 years of non-enforcement of immigration law. The only way out of this hole, in terms of both politics and policy, is a gradual, step-at-a-time approach to recover to a position of lawful immigration.
A TRUE compromise would NOT include amnesty/legalization at all, but would secure the border, get employment verification working 100%, and create enough legal avenues for employment-sponsored immigration so we can wean employers off illegal immigrant labor.
Let that be the 'compromise' from the House and Senate - leaving out the third rail of legalizing millions of illegal immigrants - and put it up for a vote in both houses. The only political victory for the GOP can be if we are united, and most conservative Republicans will never support a massive amnesty. Never. So drop it. Quit trying to 'compromise' around a Kennedy bill that gets a 'yes' vote from Schumer and "no" votes from 40 GOP Senators, and get serious about writing legislation that conservatives can rally around.
"President Bush urged Congress today to find a middle ground between mass deportation or instant U.S. citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living in America. "
Dubya, I have a middle ground. We deport some today, some tomorrow, and keep it up until they are all gone.
Send your congrersscritter a brick to let him/her know where you stand on illegal invaders and people who want to profit from them.