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In The Press -- What the President is Saying
Bush Calls for Temporary Worker Program, Increased Border Security
Bush Urges Calm, Respectful Discussion of Immigration Reform Bush Calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Radio Address
White House Issues Fact Sheet on Immigration Reform
March 27, 2006
March 25, 2006
2005
November 29, 2005 THE PRESIDENT: First of all, it's good to be back in El Paso. I spent a lot of quality time in this part of the world when I was the governor -- and I appreciate, by the way, the governor, standing with me here. I don't know if you remember or not, but Laura's mother was raised here, so El Paso has always had a special spot in our heart. I want to thank the people that are working the border. We have a responsibility in the government to enforce our border. It's important for national security, it's important for economic security to have a good border security plan. And so the Secretary and I, and the Attorney General - Secretary of State of Texas, Johnny Sutton, the D.A., Congressman Mike Conaway -- we've just taken a tour of this part of the border. And what should be a lesson is that you've got to adjust your strategy based upon the conditions. This is an urban environment. Right over here is Juarez. And people are able to easily come into the border - into Texas, in this part of - in part of the border. And so what you're seeing is, you're seeing a combination of fencing, cameras, infrared, and border patrol agents all doing their job. What we've done is we have boosted the amount of money available to our - to enforce this border. We're adding agents - we've added agents since I've become the President; we're adding more agents as a result of the bill I just signed; and we're adding infrastructure to make the city secure, as well as the rural parts of our border secure. So step one of a border control strategy is increase the resources so the people standing behind me are able to do their job. Step two is when we catch somebody, don't release them. Catch and release has been a long-standing policy of the federal government and we're going to change that. Listen, we've got people risking their lives to do their job here on the border, and there's nothing more dispiriting than to know the person that they have stopped coming into our country illegally is being released back into society. And so we've got a plan for what we call internal repatriation for Mexicans, and we've got a plan for non-Mexican illegal immigrants. And part of that plan is to increase the number of beds available to detain people caught illegally coming into our country. And the second part is for Congress to change the laws that will enable us to have - more likely to have expedited removal. The third aspect of our comprehensive strategy to do our duty and enforce the border is to have a worksite enforcement program. I mean, our employers in America have an obligation not to hire illegal immigrants. Many of those immigrants, by the way, use forged documents. And so we've got a computer system up and running to enable employers to be able to determine whether or not the documents they're being presented are fake or not. We're also increasing the number of agents that will be working in the internal part of the country to find those who've broken the law and bring them to justice. See, we're a nation of law. We're also a compassionate nation. We've got to treat people with respect and dignity. The third aspect of our policy is this: We need to have a rational, temporary worker plan that is not amnesty. Amnesty would be a mistake. Granting amnesty to the people who have come to our country illegally would invite others to come to our country illegally. On the other hand, a temporary worker program would take pressure off our border. When you match willing worker with willing employer on a job Americans won't do, with a tamper-proof card that says, I'm here legally for a temporary basis, it means our border patrol agents won't have to chase people coming here illegally to work, they'll be able to chase criminals and drug traffickers and crooks. What I'm telling you is, we want to make the job of these folks easier. We want to support them. We want to support them with resources, we want to support them with rational policy, so that we can say to the American people, we've done our job - which is enforce this border. I want to thank you very much for the tour, I want to thank you all for your hard work. You bring great pride to the uniform. I appreciate the risks you take on a daily basis. And with the bill I signed, the appropriations bill I signed, and the bills that are going to be working through the House and the Senate, will make it more likely you'll be able to do your job. So it's an honor to be here on the border and I want to thank everybody for showing up.... Q. .... Mr. President, what is the security risk on the border as far as homeland security and terrorism? THE PRESIDENT: Look, there is great risk for people who wear the green. And they know that. And the reason there's great risk is because they don't know whether they're going to encounter some innocent soul just coming to work or somebody trying to smuggle drugs. On our briefing as we came up and down the - came down the border here, I was told about a recent apprehension made by our border patrol agents of people trying to smuggle drugs in. And it's night, you know. And this happened to be in a more rural area, and the chopper had to leave to go refuel. And so we've got people risking their lives out there to stop the trafficking of drugs into our country, and that's dangerous. And so it's dangerous here. I mean, there's no other way to look at it. And that's why these folks need more resources and more agents to help them, and that's what we're providing. And there is lighting up and down this part of the border. We're going to use drones to be able to help enforce the border in rural Texas and in rural New Mexico and rural Arizona. See, it's one thing to add agents, but if you look at the size of this border, you can't add enough agents. What you've got to do is get technology in the hands of the agents so they can better do their job. Slowly, but surely, technology is being employed up and down the border, and that's a key part of our strategy - as well as physical barriers. You see a physical barrier right here. This is good for an urban environment. As you head out into the rural parts of the world, there are other types of physical barriers we can use, such as impediments to vehicular traffic or berming, which is precisely what our strategy is. We've got a comprehensive strategy that says we're going to enforce this border; we're going to prevent people from coming here in the first place. And when we catch people - and, by the way, since 2001, our border patrol have apprehended 4.5 million people illegally coming into the country. But we've got to end catch-and-release. In other words, we've got to end this program particularly for non-Mexican, illegal immigrants. This business about catching people and then letting them back out in the society - it's not fair to those who are working hard and it's not fair to the American people. We're ending the practice. And then I told you we've got to have better interior enforcement, plus a rational worker plan that is not amnesty. That's a very important part of the plan.... Q. Will we ever see a wall here in the border? THE PRESIDENT: You've got a fence here in the border. You're going to have a virtual fence in the border when we bring technology to bear - infrared, cameras, drones. And you've got some of the finest Americans in our country enforcing the border. Ours is a nation of law. People should not be allowed to break the law. So one of the ways to make sure we have a rational border control policy is to make work legal - not amnesty, but work legal - on a temporary basis. People ought to be given a tamper-proof work card, come here and do jobs Americans won't do, and then after a set period of time, go home. And that's what we're going to work with Congress about, a comprehensive plan that will make it easier for these good folks to do their job, which is enforce the border of the United States.
November 28, 2005
Bush Seeks Tougher Immigration Policy, Temporary Worker Program Bush Touts Border Protection, Immigration Reform
October 18, 2005 The bill I sign today supports our ongoing efforts to protect our homeland with $30.8 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal year 2006, an increase of $1.8 billion over the 2005 levels. This bill will help us identify terrorists seeking to enter our country, safeguard our cities against weapons of mass destruction, and better prepare the federal government to respond to catastrophic attack. The bill also includes $7.5 billion in vital funding to address the serious problem of illegal immigration.... We've got to strengthen security along our borders to stop people from entering illegally ... we must improve our ability to find and apprehend illegal immigrants who have made it across the border. If somebody is here illegally, we've got to do everything we can to find them. And thirdly, we've got to work to ensure that those who are caught are returned to their home countries as soon as possible.... To stop illegal immigrants from coming into the country, we've increased manpower, we've upgraded technology, and we've improved the physical barriers along our border.... Since I've been in office, we've increased funding for border security by 60 percent, and we've hired more than 1,900 new Border Patrol agents. We've employed new technology to help our agents do their job -- from unmanned aircraft, to ground censors, to infrared cameras. We've made better use of physical structures to help our agents do their job. We've taken steps to complete a 14-mile fence running along the San Diego border with Mexico. Stopping people from crossing our borders illegally is only part of the strategy. The other part of our strategy is enforcing our immigration laws. Since 2001, we've increased funding for immigration enforcement by 35 percent. We've added nearly 1,000 new agents and criminal investigators to help us find and return illegal immigrants. We've targeted violent criminal gangs, whose members are here illegally. Under a new program launched in February, our Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested nearly 1,400 illegal immigrant gang members. And this country owes them a debt of gratitude for working so hard to protect our citizens. We're going after criminal organizations and coyotes that traffic in human beings. These people are the worst of the worst. They prey on innocent life. They take advantage of people who want to embetter their own lives.... As part of our enforcement efforts, we're working to send the illegal immigrants we catch back to their home countries as soon as possible ... we'll continue to work with foreign governments to have their counsel officers review cases and issue travel documents more quickly -- in other words, to expedite the return. These efforts are getting results. Since 2001, we've removed several million illegal immigrants from the United States, including nearly 300,000 with criminal records.... And so the bill I sign today -- and I appreciate Congress' work on this matter -- will help us expand our reach and effectiveness in two important ways. First, the bill provides more than $2.3 billion for the Border Patrol so we can keep more illegal immigrants from getting into this country. In other words, we're expanding the number of agents in a rational, planned way. This bill gives $139 million to improve our technology and intelligence capabilities, including portable imaging machines, and cameras and sensors and automated targeting systems that focus on high-risk travelers and goods. In other words, we've increased the number of people, but we've given them new technology so they can better do their job. The bill also includes $82 million to improve and expand Border Patrol stations and $70 million to install and improve fencing, lighting, vehicle barriers and roads. What I'm saying is Congress did good work in helping us build a smarter system, so we can say to the American people, we're doing our job of securing our border. Secondly, the bill provides $3.7 billion for immigration and customs enforcement, so we can find and return the illegal immigrants who are here. This bill will fund the hiring of 100 new immigration enforcement agents and 250 criminal investigators. As a result of the bill I'm about to sign, we're going to add nearly 2,000 new beds to our detention facilities. That will bring the number of beds up to nearly 20,000. This will allow us to hold more non-Mexican illegal immigrants while we process them through a program we call "expedited removal." Putting more of these non-Mexican illegal immigrants through expedited removal is crucial to ending the problem of catch-and-release.... For Mexicans who cross into America illegally, we have a different strategy. Now most of the 900,000 illegal immigrants from Mexico who are caught each year are immediately escorted back across the border. The problem is, these illegal immigrants are able to find another coyote, or human smuggler, and they come right back in. One part of the solution is a program called "interior repatriation," where we fly or bus Mexican illegal immigrants all the way back to their hometowns. See, many of these folks are coming from the interior of Mexico. And so the farther away from the border we send them, the more difficult it will be for them to turn around and cross right back into America. By returning Mexicans to their homes, far away from desert crossings, we're helping to save lives.... (E)nforcement cannot work unless it is part of a larger comprehensive immigration reform program. If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take, we need to find a way to fill that demand by matching willing employers with willing workers from foreign countries on a temporary and legal basis. The best way to do that is through a temporary worker program that gives those workers we need a legal, honest way to come into our country and to return home. I'm going to work with members of Congress to create a program that can provide for our economy's labor needs, without harming American workers, without providing amnesty, and that will improve our ability to control our borders.... A critical part of any temporary worker program is work site enforcement. To deal with employers who violate our immigration law, this bill strengthens our enforcement capabilities by adding new agents and doubling their resources. We've got to crack down on employers who flout our laws. And we will give honest employers the tools they need to spot fake documents and ensure that their workers are respecting our laws. America is a country of laws, and we're going to uphold our laws for the good of the citizens of this country.... See the entire transcript, plus fact sheets. Bush Assures States Border Security To Be Boosted
June 23, 2005 BUSH: People have got to understand that by promoting policy that will help generate wealth in Central America, we're promoting policy that will mean someone is less -- more likely to stay at home to find a job. If you're concerned about immigration to this country, then you must understand that CAFTA and the benefits of CAFTA will help create new opportunity in Central American countries, which will mean someone will be able to find good work at home, somebody will be able to provide for their family at home, as opposed to having to make the long trip to the United States. CAFTA is good immigration policy, as well as good trade policy.
June 22, 2005 Q. The Mexican authorities arrested apparently a member of al Qaeda yesterday in border -- northern border of Mexico. I wonder do you have any reaction to those events? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I understand that the Mexican government has an individual in custody. We have been in contact with the Mexican government. I think if there's any additional information to come out, it would be from the government of Mexico. Q. Are you worried that the -- that members of terrorist groups will use the Mexican territory as a way to go to the U.S. as an illegal immigrant? MR. McCLELLAN: Sure, that's a concern about people coming into this country illegally, whether it's from the north or from the south or other ways. And that's why the President is committed to continuing to take steps to better enforce our borders and to strengthen our borders, as well as move forward on his immigration reform proposal, which we believe will help free up resources to direct towards those who are coming into this country for the wrong reasons, who are coming into this country seeking to do harm to innocent civilians or seeking to carry out other criminal activity.
May 12, 2005 Q. Scott. Scott, the President has said he is opposed to illegal aliens getting driver's licenses, and he supports the REAL ID Act. But on the other hand, he says we need the cheap labor that these illegals provide. And my first question: Does he believe these cheap labor illegals should be confined to being bused rather than being able to drive even used cars? MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, that immigrants -- Q. Well, does he believe these cheap labor illegals that he says we need, should they be confined to being bused to their jobs, rather than being able to drive, even used cars? MR. McCLELLAN: Les, I don't think that's the way the President has described it, first of all. The President -- in fact, this was one of the issues that came up in his discussion with the Central American leaders and the leader of the Dominican Republic that was here earlier today. They spent most of the time talking about the importance of getting the Central American Free Trade Agreement passed. And you heard from the President in the Rose Garden about how this is a larger issue than just trade. This is about promoting democracy and freedom and stability and prosperity in our own hemisphere. And the Democrats that are trying to block efforts from moving forward on the Central American Free Trade Agreement are only hurting efforts in the hemisphere that will lead to stronger democracy. Many of these are emerging democracies that are new and young. And we need to do all we can to support them. And then towards the end of their discussion, they talked a little bit about immigration. And the President talked about the importance of making sure we have a common-sense, rational immigration program. Right now we do not. There are some 8 million to 10 million undocumented workers in this country that are filling jobs that Americans are not. And there's also a great strain on our border because of that, that we need to address. We've done a lot to strengthen our border security. But the proposal that the President put forward will not only match willing workers with willing employers and address an economic need, it will address a humanitarian need, and it will address a security need, as well, because it will free up our resources along the border to focus more on those people who shouldn't be coming to this country in the first place.
April 21, 2005 Q. Scott, WorldNet Daily quotes the largest local union of U.S. Border Patrol agents, Local 2544 in Tucson section, as saying this: "We have not had one single complaint from a rank-and-file agent in this sector about the Minutemen, many of whom are retired firefighters, cops and other professionals. Sensors have been set off by the ACLU sneaking around." If only President Bush were supportive of the rank-and-file agents -- and my question, first question, has the President given any reconsideration to his reference to the Minutemen as vigilantes? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, we have great appreciation for the job that our Border Patrol does day in and day out. They work very hard to enforce our borders and to protect the American people and make sure that our borders are secure. So we greatly appreciate the job that they are doing. And second of all, I mean, I think that we've been over this now two or three times, Les, and I think the President's views were made known and I've expressed what our views are, as well. Q. Republican Senator Wayne Allard says we should consider deputizing the Minutemen to help secure our borders. Republican Governor Schwarzenegger clarified his statement as meaning we need to secure our borders. And the Republican-controlled Senate voted down amnesty. Question: Why won't the President reconsider his vigilante remark and do what is necessary to secure our borders? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, actually, we are, Les. We have taken a number of steps to improve our border security. We also believe -- well, we've increased the number of Border Patrol agents along -- Q. Two hundred instead of 2,000. MR. McCLELLAN: -- along our borders. We're making use of new technology to help secure our borders. We have taken a number of steps in recent years to achieve that important objective. The President also believes it's important -- you bring up one -- you mentioned amnesty, and the President does not believe we should have a blanket amnesty. He's made that clear, as well. But the President does believe we should have a more orderly, secure, and safe migration system. And one of the issues before us is immigration reform. There are a number of members that are committed to immigration reform. The President has outlined his approach for moving forward on a temporary worker program that will address two important priorities when it comes to our border. It will -- well, address an economic need, and it will address the security challenges that we face, because if we move forward on that plan, it will allow those who are enforcing our borders to focus their efforts on those who are coming here for the wrong reasons, and help us better secure the borders.
April 20, 2005 Q. It has to do with border protection. How does the President feel now that this has been taken -- of the civilians that are patrolling the Arizona border and helping INS? MR. McCLELLAN: The President talked (Editor's note: See Bush's April 14 remarks on this page) about it previously, and I've spoken about it from the podium, as well. I think you have to differentiate if there's a loosely affiliated group of individuals who are armed trying to take matters into their own hand, that would be -- that is a real concern for the administration and for our Border Patrol agents whose job is to stop people from crossing illegally into this country. If you're talking about people that are helping to report suspicious activity to the proper authorities like the Border Patrol agents who work day in and day out to enforce our borders, then that's a different matter.
April 14, 2005 Q. Mr. President, a month ago you stood in Crawford with the leaders of Mexico and Canada and talked about the importance of balancing security, but maintaining the free flow of trade and people across the borders. But this month, your Department of Homeland Security has said that they're going to be requiring passports for tourists coming across the border. As somebody who is familiar with the long lines at today's border, do you -- what's your reaction to the protests from the business and tourism community? And do you support the requirement of passports? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I'm aware of the issue, obviously. When I first read that in the newspaper, about the need to have passports, particularly today's crossings that take place -- about a million, for example, in the state of Texas -- I said, what's going on here. I thought there was a better way to do -- to expedite legal flow of traffic and people. Evidently this has been mandated in law. And so I've talked to Condi and the Homeland Security people about making -- seeing if there's some flexibility in the law that will allow for, for example, finger imaging to serve as the so-called passport for daily traffic. But you're right, it's going to -- if people have to have a passport, it's going to disrupt honest flow of traffic. I think there's some flexibility in the law. And that's what we're checking out right now. On the larger scale, look, we got a lot to do to enforce the border. For those of you in Arizona, now know that Arizona has got more illegal immigrants coming across their border than, I guess, any other state right now. My view is Congress needs to work with us to pass immigration reform. One, we got to enforce the border better. We've increased border spending by 34 percent since, I think, 2001. But it doesn't make any sense to me to have a system that kind of forces an industry to develop, an industry that smuggles people, an industry that forges documents, an industry that really doesn't represent the best of America. It seems like to me what we ought to do is be open about it, and say, look, if you're a willing worker and a willing employee, and you can't find an American, here's a legal way to work. Here's a document which enables you to be here legally so that if you decide to go home for a little bit, you can. And there will be time limit on the document, a time limit on the right to be here to work. To me it's a more humane way than a system which encourages employers who are looking for workers to break the law, to accept -- unknowingly accept illegal documentation, for example. And so I -- and this is a tough issue. Look, I understand. The danger with the immigration issue is that it can be -- it can lead to nativism and encourage behavior which is really not how Americans should view the world. The long-term solution, by the way, to -- for example, immigration issues with Mexico, is for Mexico to grow a middle class. That's why I'm such a big believer in NAFTA. It's in our interest that wealth be spread out through the hemisphere -- the best way to spread wealth is through trade -- so that Mexico can grow and become a vibrant place, so people are more likely to be able to find a job closer to home. But the reality is if you make 50 cents in the interior of Mexico and $5 in Texas, you're going to do $5, if you can make it. And so now is the time for legal -- reforming of the immigration system. I don't believe in blanket amnesty. I think it would be mistake. I think that wouldn't -- all that would do is create another incentive for 8 million people, whatever the number is, to come. And so I think if somebody wants to be a citizen, they ought to get in line like everybody who has gotten in line to become a citizen of the United States. And so my vision is one that's work-related, and hopefully we can get Congress to move on it. There's some bipartisan movement on this issue, as well. But I'm under no illusions, this is a tough issue for people. And it's a hard one. But the system is not working right now. And when you talk about border security, George, it's -- it would be better if our Border Patrol agents were chasing down drugs and guns than trying to chase down people. And by that I mean, it would be a much more efficient use of taxpayer's money if the system were legal, the worker system was legal so that the Border Patrol could focus on other issues. In other words, if it were legal, people wouldn't have to get in the back of an 18-wheeler. If it were legal to come here and work, you wouldn't have to walk miles across the hot desert. And it would make it easier to protect our border with an immigration system that worked on legalizing work.
March 29, 2005 QUESTION: Mexico's President Fox announced during his news conference that our border fence between San Diego and Tijuana, in his words, "must be demolished." My first question: During their subsequent Waco Summit, did President Bush in any way reply to this Fox demand, which Senator Kyl of Arizona called downright insulting, other than Mr. Bush denouncing the American Minutemen as, quote, "vigilantes"? MCCLELLAN: A couple of things: First of all, this goes to a much larger issue, this question. And the larger issue is making sure that we have a safe, orderly and human migration system. We have worked closely with Mexico on issues relating to our borders. There is more that we can do to control our borders. And the Department of Homeland Security is working to do that every day. We have an increase in the number of agents along the border. They are working to address the situation in some of the areas where you're referencing as well. And the president put forward an initiative, his temporary worker initiative, to address some of these issues, because we have a problem in this country where now I think it's some 10 million undocumented immigrants working in this country. And they oftentimes are coming here simply to support their families back home. And they are also filling jobs that otherwise are not being filled by American citizens. So there's an economic need that we can address. And there's also, by addressing this situation, the president believes we can do a better job of enforcing our borders and going after those who are coming here for the wrong reasons, whether it's terrorists or people intent on criminal activity. This will free up our Border Patrol and border agents to go after those who should not be coming into this country in the first place. QUESTION: The Washington Times has listed nine countries who have either built or are building border fences. Has President Fox, to your knowledge, condemned any border fence besides our border fence? And why is denouncing the Arizona Minutemen any better than denouncing neighborhood crime watchers? MCCLELLAN: A couple of things, and the president spoke to this issue last week. And I think he addressed it very clearly for you all. But in terms of President Fox, I'm not going to try to comment for him. You might want to direct those questions to his office. But I know that the Department of Homeland Security, regarding the question you're brining up, tomorrow, is going to be having an announcement in Tucson, Arizona, about an initiative they're undertaking along the Arizona border to better control he border there. In terms of the issue of the minuteman that you bring up, again, the president spoke to that issue last week. And it's one thing if people are working along the border simply to report suspicious activity. And that activity should be reported to the proper authorities, the Department of Homeland Security officials who are there to enforce our borders. If people are operating outside of the law, that cannot be tolerated. That's a different... QUESTION: That's what they're doing. They're neighborhood crime watch. MCCLELLAN: Hang on. That's a different manner. People cannot take things into their own hands. But if they see suspicious activity, they should report that suspicious activity to the proper authorities. And if you're talking about a group of armed, untrained individuals roaming around in the desert, that would be something that would concern us. And it would increase the chance that someone could get hurt. And we don't want people operating outside the law. The president made that very clear last week. So if you're talking about people reporting suspicious activity, that's one thing. If you're talking about people operating outside the law, that's another matter. And it's one that cannot be allowed to happen.
March 23, 2005 PRESIDENT BUSH: ... In terms of the border, listen, we got a large border. We got a large border with Canada, we got a large border with Mexico. There are some million people a day crossing the border from Mexico to the United States, which presents a common issue, and that is, how do we make sure those crossing the border are not terrorists or drug runners or gun runners or smugglers? And I have told the president (Fox) that we will -- I will continue to push for reasonable, common-sense immigration policy with the United States Congress. It is an issue with which I have got a lot of familiarity. After all, I was the governor of this great state for six years, and I dealt with this issue a lot, not only with President Fox's predecessor but with governors of border states -- Mexican border states -- Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. And I know the issue well. And I will continue to call upon Congress to be common-sensical about this issue. And the basis of the policy is that if there is a job opening which an American won't do -- in other words -- and there's a willing worker and a wiling employer, that job ought to be filled on a legal basis, no matter where the person comes from. That makes sense. We need a compassionate policy. In other words, if this is in place, then someone will be able to come and work from Mexico in the United States and be able to go home, back and forth across the border in a legal fashion. That seems to make sense to me. It's a common- sensical way of doing things. I think we ought to have a policy that does not jeopardize those who've stood in line trying to become legal citizens. I think we want to reward those who have been patient in the process. There's plenty of Mexican citizens who have applied for citizenship. Their position in line should not be preempted because there's a worker program. But there is a better way to enforce our border, and one way is to be compassionate and decent about the workers who are coming here to the United States. And Mr. President, you've got my pledge I'll continue working on it. You don't have my pledge that Congress will act, because I'm not a member of the Legislative Branch, but you will have my pledge that I will continue to push our Congress to come up with rational, common-sense immigration policy.
March 23, 2005
February 2, 2005 America's immigration system is also outdated -- unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.
January 26, 2005 Q. Mr. President, the Senate Republicans recently listed their priorities, and immigration reform wasn't on it. Do you think this means it's dead for this year? And why are you having so much trouble with your own party on that? THE PRESIDENT: No, I appreciate that question. It will be one of my priorities. I believe it's necessary to reform the immigration system. I'm against amnesty; I've made that very clear. On the other hand, I do want to recognize a system where a willing worker and a willing employer are able to come together in a way that enables people to find work without jeopardizing a job that an American would otherwise want to do. I also happen to believe immigration reform is necessary to help make it easier to protect our borders. The system right now spawns coyotes and smugglers and people willing to break the law to get people in our country. There is a vast network of kind of shadowy traffickers. And I believe by making a -- by advancing a program that enables people to come into our country in a legal way to work for a period of time, for jobs that Americans won't do, will help make it easier for us to secure our borders. And so -- Q. Why the resistance in your party so much? THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think -- I'm looking forward to discussing it with members of both parties. I believe it's a very important issue that we need to address. I've had a lot of experience with dealing with borders, as the governor of Texas. I know there's a compassionate, humane way to deal with this issue. I want to remind people that family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River. People are coming to our country to do jobs that Americans won't do, to be able to feed their families. And I think there's a humane way to recognize that, at the same time protect our borders, and at the same way to make sure that we don't disadvantage those who have stood in line for years to become a legal citizen. And I'm looking forward to working with people of both parties on the issue.
2004
December 13, 2004 Q. Scott, page one of this morning's Washington Times quotes the leader of the Draft Hillary for President organization as saying, "Bush has done everything he can to leave the doors wide open for illegal immigration. Hillary is the only one taking a position on immigration." And in Hillary's own words, "I do not think we have protected our borders." And my first question: What is the President's response to this rather serious charge? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me just talk about our record and what we're pursuing when it comes to enforcing our borders and strengthening our immigration laws. We have made significant progress to strengthen our immigration laws and improve border security. There is important legislation that was just passed, and the President looks forward to signing it this Friday. It takes a number of steps to build upon that record we have pursued. We are a society of immigrants, and the President believes we should be a welcoming society. But we also need to make sure the people who are coming into this country are coming here for the right reasons, and that they're coming here legally, through the immigration process we have in place. And he believes we need to continue to build upon the steps we've already taken. Q. Syndicated columnist Phyllis Schafly reports that ... 4,000 illegal aliens cross the border into Arizona every day. There are reports that 800,000 Californians have left the state, which has to spend $10 billion a year on schooling, health and incarceration of illegal aliens. And my question: Why doesn't the President seal our borders with troops and electronic equipment now, instead of waiting? MR. McCLELLAN: There are a lot of innovative approaches that states have taken to address some of these issues. I know, speaking from the Texas perspective, that the President worked on these issues when he was governor. And there were some innovative ways to try to address some of these issues. But we're also working closely with our neighbors to the south, and working to expand trade opportunities so that we can improve the quality of life for those who are simply coming to the United States seeking a better way of life. And so they'll be less inclined to want to come to the United States, or they'll be more inclined to return home to support their families. A lot of these people are coming here simply to support their families.
December 9, 2004 Q. Senator Robert Byrd said yesterday, "We cannot expect intelligence reform without closing these gaps in illegal immigration," while The Washington Times editorial today said, "Three years after September 11th and still our immigration system is in tatters." And my first question: How many illegals are in the U.S. and how many are arriving in this country every day in the Bush administration's estimate? MR. McCLELLAN: You can check with the immigration people on the latest statistics, but I think there have been a number of estimates around the 8 million range of people. But the President, what he is working to do is to strengthen our border security and to strengthen our controls along the border to prevent people who should not be entering the country, like terrorists or criminals, from coming into the country, while also making sure that we remain a welcoming society. We are a nation of immigrants, and the President believes in those core principles that we should remain a welcoming society, but we also need to take steps to strengthen our border enforcement. And this legislation the President will be signing into law takes a number of steps to do that, by increasing the number of border control agents, increasing the number of agents in the immigration and Custom services over the next five years by a certain amount on each of those. And there's more that we can do, and the President talked about how he looked forward to continuing to work with Congress. The President has also put forward a plan based on some specific principles for moving forward on a temporary worker program that would address some of the economic need in this country, while also addressing the issue of people coming to this country from Mexico and other countries to our south who are seeking a better way of life. Ultimately, what we need to do is continue to expand trade opportunities so that we can raise the standard of living in other countries so that people will be less inclined to want to come here to seek a better way of life. Many of these people are just coming to the United States to seek a better way of life.... Q. All right, turning back to immigration. The question, there seems to be kind of a disconnect between the administration and Chairman Sensenbrenner. At his press conference yesterday, he said that he's in agreement with the White House on asylum, but there are disagreements, or he doesn't know the administration's position on the driver's license issue for illegal immigrants, or extending the fence along the border. Do you think you can clear up those two points that Chairman Sensenbrenner raised? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, what the President has said, he looks forward to talking with members early next year about some of the other ideas. Chairman Sensenbrenner certainly had some ideas. We spelled out some of our views on those issues in letters that we sent to members of Congress -- one this week and one back in October, if I remember correctly. And so the President looks forward to talking with people about those issues. In terms of driver's license, the President stated that we need to consult closely with states about the standards that we're talking about setting. So that's his view there.
December 8, 2004 Q. Scott, on the intelligence bill, some of the things that didn't make it are the key issues regarding immigration that Mr. Sensenbrenner and others have raised, including driver's licenses for immigrants. The President has indicated he will cooperate with an effort to address those issues early on next year. Does the White House have a position at this point on driver's licenses? Are there other issues in the immigration area that it thinks need to be addressed? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, the President believes our immigration laws do need to be strengthened. And this legislation takes several steps towards that goal. I would point out that this legislation increases the Border Patrol agents by 2,000 in each of the next five fiscal years. It increases the Immigration and Customs enforcement agents by 800 in each of the coming fiscal years. And it increases criminal penalties for illegal -- for smuggling and harboring of illegal immigrants. And it has some other measures in there that help us strengthen our immigration laws. The President did previously, in a letter to Congress, express his views on some of those other issues, and you mentioned one. I mean, he talked about how he -- and he talked about in his most recent letter how he looked forward to talking with Congress early next year to look at ways that we can improve our asylum laws, as well as improve standards for issuing driver's licenses, and he felt that that is an issue that needs to be discussed closely with the states as we move forward.... White House Press Briefing Q: On immigration? MR. McCLELLAN: ... the President has put forward a temporary worker program that he has had some discussions with members of Congress on, and he will continue to discuss with members of Congress and work to move forward on that initiative. It is a priority where he believes it's something that will help meet our -- an economic need, as well as provide a more humane treatment of those workers who are coming into the United States.... Q: Is the President going to move forward on his immigration plan that he proposed almost at the beginning of the year and didn't go anywhere, the three-year plan of legal work and then extend it for another period? MR. McCLELLAN: He remains committed to that proposal. It's something we started discussions with members of Congress on previously. And it's something that he intends to work with members on to get moving again in the second term. It's something he believes very strongly in. America has always been a welcoming society, and this is a program that will match willing workers with willing employers. It will promote compassion for workers who right now have no protection, and it will protect the homeland by helping to control our borders better. And it also provides incentives for those temporary workers to eventually return home to their country of origin.
U.S. Hopes to Move Forward on Migration Accord with Mexico President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry The candidates' answers to a question on U.S. immigration policy follow: SCHIEFFER (Bob Schieffer of CBS News, moderator): Let's go to a new question, Mr. President. I got more e-mail this week on this question than any other question. And it is about immigration. I'm told that at least 8,000 people cross our borders illegally every day. Some people believe this is a security issue, as you know. Some believe it's an economic issue. Some see it as a human-rights issue. How do you see it? And what do we need to do about it? BUSH: I see it as a serious problem. I see it as a security issue, I see it as an economic issue, and I see it as a human-rights issue. We're increasing the border security of the United States. We've got 1,000 more Border Patrol agents on the southern border. We're using new equipment. We're using unmanned vehicles to spot people coming across. And we'll continue to do so over the next four years. It's a subject I'm very familiar with. After all, I was a border governor for a while. Many people are coming to this country for economic reasons. They're coming here to work. If you can make 50 cents in the heart of Mexico, for example, or make $5 here in America, $5.15, you're going to come here if you're worth your salt, if you want to put food on the table for your families. And that's what's happening. And so in order to take pressure off the borders, in order to make the borders more secure, I believe there ought to be a temporary worker card that allows a willing worker and a willing employer to mate up, so long as there's not an American willing to do that job, to join up in order to be able to fulfill the employers' needs. That has the benefit of making sure our employers aren't breaking the law as they try to fill their workforce needs. It makes sure that the people coming across the border are humanely treated, that they're not kept in the shadows of our society, that they're able to go back and forth to see their families. See, the card, it'll have a period of time attached to it. It also means it takes pressure off the border. If somebody is coming here to work with a card, it means they're not going to have to sneak across the border. It means our border patrol will be more likely to be able to focus on doing their job. Now, it's very important for our citizens to also know that I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a citizen. And we ought not to crowd these people ahead of them in line. If they want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too. And here is where my opponent and I differ. In September 2003, he supported amnesty for illegal aliens. SCHIEFFER: Time's up. Senator? KERRY: ... Now, with respect to immigration reform, the president broke his promise on immigration reform. He said he would reform it. Four years later he is now promising another plan. Here's what I'll do: Number one, the borders are more leaking today than they were before 9/11. The fact is, we haven't done what we need to do to toughen up our borders, and I will. Secondly, we need a guest-worker program, but if it's all we have, it's not going to solve the problem. The second thing we need is to crack down on illegal hiring. It's against the law in the United States to hire people illegally, and we ought to be enforcing that law properly. And thirdly, we need an earned-legalization program for people who have been here for a long time, stayed out of trouble, got a job, paid their taxes, and their kids are American. We got to start moving them toward full citizenship, out of the shadows. SCHIEFFER: Do you want to respond, Mr. President? BUSH: Well, to say that the borders are not as protected as they were prior to September the 11th shows he doesn't know the borders. They're much better protected today than they were when I was the governor of Texas. We have much more manpower and much more equipment there. He just doesn't understand how the borders work, evidently, to say that. That is an outrageous claim. And we'll continue to protect our borders. We're continuing to increase manpower and equipment. SCHIEFFER: Senator? KERRY: Four thousand people a day are coming across the border. The fact is that we now have people from the Middle East, allegedly, coming across the border. And we're not doing what we ought to do in terms of the technology. We have iris-identification technology. We have thumbprint, fingerprint technology today. We can know who the people are, that they're really the people they say they are when they cross the border. We could speed it up. There are huge delays. The fact is our borders are not as secure as they ought to be, and I'll make them secure.
Remarks by Vice President Richard Cheney Regarding Illegal Immigration QUESTION: Illegal immigration, border safety and the President's amnesty policy, if the government doesn't come down hard on the people who are employing the illegal immigrants, and what is to prevent them, or what is the disincentive for them coming here? R. CHENEY: Well, we've tightened up significantly on the borders since 9/11. We've had to. We've significantly beefed up our border security and so forth. But it continues to be a problem. Part of the difficulty that we're faced with, and one of the things that the President talked about with respect to the immigration policy is that we've got so many people coming across illegally -- primarily for economic reasons, that want to come to work in the United States. But we have no idea who is here. We have no idea what they do once they get here. We have no idea how long they're going to stay, and that there was a need to try to regularize this process. And what he has suggested is that we ought to consider the possibility of having what, in effect, would be a guest worker program so we'd know who was coming in, and that once here, then, they'd stay for a specific period of time. And they they'd have to go back home once their period of time was ended. They could not become citizens. But we would have track of who, in fact, was in the country. That's been proposed. Now, it's just an idea, a concept. It hasn't gone anyplace legislatively at this point. And the problem we're faced with is that we need to find ways going forward to make sure we do, in fact, have knowledge of who is in the country and whether or not they've stayed, and how long they've stayed and what they're doing while they're here. And at present that's a very hard thing to do because of the enormous flow of people we've got back and forth. We've improved our system with respect to those that come in legally by visas and so forth. But we still don't have as good a grip as we need on all of those who come into the United States illegally, stay for a period of time, and then go back home. And we need to do a better job than we are to make certain we screen out terrorists to the maximum extent possible. So it's an attempt to try to address that problem. It's not clear yet exactly how it ultimately gets sorted out or gets resolved. But that's at the heart of what is being talked about here.
See the Bush Administration's A Blueprint For New Beginnings -- Reform the Immigration System
Created: 25 Apr 2005 Updated: 12 Jun 2006
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