Posted on 09/08/2001 8:15:17 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
To: National Desk
Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the White House:
A "Principles Plus" Approach to Migration and Mexico
"We share a lot of principles. We both recognize how important the contribution is to our economy that the Mexican workers have made. We want people to be treated with respect. We both have a mutual and shared responsibility to make sure our border is safe, and that we enforce the border. I hope to come forward with a program that will pass the Congress that deals with guest workers with some sense of normalization. And I would like to do that as soon as possible."
President George W. Bush and President Vicente Fox
September 6, 2001
With new leadership in Mexico and the United States, the time has come to see migration as it truly is, one of the major ties that bind our two countries. How we deal with the movement of people into our country from Mexico must serve the needs of the U.S. economy and other important interests. We must ensure that those here illegally do not gain advantage over those who play by the rules. And we must not forget that the huge majority of Mexicans among us are hard working people who contribute to our communities and economy, and simply want the best for their families.
As a nation that wants its neighbors to be prosperous as well as democratic, we understand Mexico's needs. Mexico wants to make migration a positive contributor to its development, a source of prosperity for Mexican families, new skills and fresh entrepreneurial spirit. We want Mexico to succeed. It is in our national interest for Mexico to succeed.
Since February, a high-level U.S. Mexico working group, chaired on the U.S. side by Secretary of State Powell and Attorney General Ashcroft, has conducted a ground-breaking dialogue on migration and labor issues, and border safety. The working group has covered a lot of ground, and will continue to examine these issues in the months ahead.
The guiding principles for the United States in this historic dialogue of friends and neighbors have been:
-- Humane Approach: Migration between our countries must be safe, legal, orderly, and dignified. The system should be humane, family-friendly, and respect the enormously valuable role immigrants continue to play in building our nation.
-- Protection of American Workers: The immigration system must not disadvantage American workers, while we ensure an adequate labor supply for U.S. employers when American workers are not available.
-- Fairness: The immigration system must be fair. Our most important obligation is to those who follow the rules and abide by the law. The only path is the legal path.
-- Commitment from Mexico: We invite Mexico to join the United States in an authentic partnership to keep our shared borders orderly and safe, and ensure the integrity and success of any new policies.
We are working with Mexico on options for a potential new program for temporary workers. Among other things, it would focus on President Fox's concept of "circularity", the process by which a worker from Mexico works for a specified time in the U.S. to support the family, but also to develop valuable skills, new experience, and a vision to contribute to the modern development of Mexico.
We seek an approach that would rest on a carefully worked out partnership between our two countries that recognizes the contributions undocumented Mexicans are making in the United States and enables us to bring together willing workers and willing employers. This is an issue that will require close consultations with the U.S. Congress and U.S. civil society.
I don't think it's that funny. The above is critical to the long-term future of immigration. If you're really against massive illegal immigration, you should be supporting measures that will end it in the long run, like this.
I just wanted to bring some folks along to see the some of the responses that will build on this thread from the nattering nabobs of negativism.
</sarcasm>
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