Today, President Bush Discussed His Vision For Comprehensive Immigration
Reform. The President calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration
reform to secure our border, improve enforcement of our laws, meet the
needs of our economy, and uphold our highest values. The President also
discussed his proposal for a temporary worker program that rejects amnesty,
allows foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans are not willing to do,
and reduces illegal immigration, smuggling, and crime at the border.
America's Heritage Of Immigration Continues To Shape Our Society. Our
Nation is bound together by liberty and a conviction that all people are
created with equal dignity and value. America is stronger and more dynamic
when new citizens are welcomed. The President has called on Congress to
increase the number of green cards that can lead to citizenship, and he
supports increasing the number of visas available for foreign-born workers
in highly skilled fields. New citizens have an obligation to learn the
customs and values that define our Nation - including liberty and equality
for all, respect for the beliefs of others, justice under the law, and the
English language.
The President's Proposal For Comprehensive Immigration Reform Includes
Three Critical Elements - Securing The Border, Strengthening Enforcement
Inside The Country, And Creating A Temporary Worker Program. These
elements depend on and reinforce one another. Together, they will give
America an immigration system that meets 21st century demands.
Securing Our Border
President Bush Is Taking Action To Increase The Manpower, Technology, And
Infrastructure Needed To Secure The Nation's Border. Since President Bush
took office, funding for border security has increased by 66 percent. The
Border Patrol has been expanded to more than 12,000 agents, an increase of
more than 2,700 agents, or nearly 30 percent. The President's FY07 budget
funds another 1,500 new agents. Agents are being provided with
cutting-edge technology like infrared cameras, advanced motion sensors, and
unmanned aerial vehicles. Protective infrastructure, such as vehicle
barriers and fencing in urban areas, is being installed. Manpower,
technology, and infrastructure are being integrated in more coordinated
ways than ever before.
The Administration's Border Security Strategy Is Getting Results. Since
President Bush took office, agents have apprehended and sent home more than
6 million people entering the country illegally - including more than
400,000 with criminal records. Federal, State, local, and tribal law
enforcement are working together. More than 600,000 illegal immigrants
were apprehended through the Arizona Border Control Initiative last year -
an increase of more than 50 percent over the previous year. The men and
women of our Border Patrol have made good progress - but we have much more
work ahead, and we will not be satisfied until our agents have full control
of our border.
The Administration Is Ending The Practice Of "Catch-And-Release." The
President has set a goal to end "catch-and-release" over the next year.
Most illegal immigrants from Mexico can be returned to Mexico within 24
hours. Non-Mexican illegal immigrants present a different challenge. For
decades, government detention facilities did not have enough beds for the
non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught at the border - so most were released
back into society. They were each assigned a court date, but virtually no
one showed up. The Administration is ending the practice of
"catch-and-release" by increasing the number of beds in detention
facilities by 12 percent this year; the President's FY07 budget proposes
increasing that number by another 32 percent. The Administration is
expanding the use of "expedited removal," which allows us to send
non-Mexican illegal immigrants home more quickly.
We Are Making Progress In This Effort. Last year, it took an average of 66
days to process a non-Mexican illegal immigrant. Now, the process is
taking only 21 days. This has helped us end "catch-and-release" for
illegal immigrants from Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua caught
crossing our Southwest border. Since last summer, the total number of
non-Mexican illegal immigrants released into society has been cut by more
than a third. There is more work ahead, and the Administration will work
with Congress to close loopholes that make it difficult to process illegal
immigrants from certain countries and will continue pressing foreign
governments like China to take back their citizens who enter our country
illegally.
Strengthening Enforcement Of Immigration Laws In America's Interior
The President Is Providing Resources To Strengthen Enforcement Of
Immigration Laws. Since President Bush took office, funding for
immigration enforcement has increased by 42 percent. These resources have
helped agents bring to justice smugglers, terrorists, gang members, and
human traffickers. For example, through Operation Community Shield,
Federal agents have arrested nearly 2,300 gang members who were in America
illegally, including violent criminals like the members of the "MS-13"
gang.
Better Interior Enforcement Requires Better Worksite Enforcement. Last
year, President Bush signed legislation to more than double the resources
dedicated to worksite enforcement. We are working to hold businesses
accountable and crack down on document forgery. Next month, the
Administration will launch new law enforcement task forces in 11 cities to
dismantle document fraud rings.
Creating A New Temporary Worker Program That Would Not Provide Amnesty
A Temporary Worker Program Would Make The System More Rational, Orderly,
And Secure By Providing A Legal Way To Match Willing Foreign Workers With
Willing American Employers To Fill Jobs That Americans Are Not Willing To
Do. Workers would be able to register for legal status on a temporary
basis. If workers decided to apply for citizenship, they would have to get
in line. This program would help meet the demands of our growing economy
and allow honest workers to provide for their families while respecting the
law.
A Temporary Worker Program Is Vital To Securing The Border. Creating a
separate, legal channel for those entering America to do an honest day's
work would dramatically reduce the number of people attempting to sneak
across the border. That would help take pressure off the border and free
up law enforcement to focus on the greatest threats to our security -
terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals. The program would also
improve security by creating tamper-proof identification cards that would
allow authorities to keep track of every legal temporary worker, while
making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to evade the law.
A Temporary Worker Program Should Not Provide Amnesty. Granting amnesty
would be unfair because it would allow those who break the law to jump
ahead of people who play by the rules and wait in the citizenship line.
Amnesty would also encourage future waves of illegal immigration, increase
pressure on the border, and make it more difficult for law enforcement to
focus on those who mean us harm. For the sake of justice and the sake of
border security, the President firmly opposes amnesty.