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Wednesday, November 2, 2005 · Last updated 12:15 a.m. PT

Bush may skirt topic of immigration reform

By TRACI CARL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


MEXICO CITY -- Nearly every time President Bush travels south of the border, he promotes the idea of allowing more foreigners to work legally in the United States.

But Bush is likely to skirt the issue when he heads to Argentina this week to attend the Summit of the Americas, largely because the proposal has stalled in Congress - where many Republicans argue that securing U.S. borders should take priority.

Latin American leaders have held out hope that Bush's proposal would help some of the estimated 10 million people, most of them from the region, who live illegally in the United States.

The leaders, like Bush, have argued that handing out more work visas in the United States would help stem the booming business of immigrant smuggling that threatens to undermine U.S. security.

Bush last year introduced a plan that would let undocumented workers obtain three-year work visas. They could extend that for another three years, but would then have to return to their home countries for a year to apply for a new work permit.

He first floated the idea during the January 2004 Americas Summit in Monterrey, Mexico, making it a central topic of discussions there. Earlier, he and Mexican President Vicente Fox had agreed to work toward immigration reform in the United States, but the idea was shelved for two years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In Argentina, the topic will likely come up, but is not expected to play a central role.

Bush has not lost interest, but he has little to offer, considering that several immigration proposals are unlikely to even be debated in Congress until early next year, according to Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a policy research center focused on U.S.-Mexican relations.

"I would be surprised if (the Americans) play it up much at the Summit of the Americas," he said. "It's an interest, but I'm not sure they have much to take to the summit on this right now."

In Latin America, there are signs of frustration with Bush and his immigration proposal.

Mexico has been working closely with the administration to come up with a deal, but last week came out in favor of bipartisan legislation that would allow illegal immigrants already in the United States to keep working there for up to six years.

In an indirect criticism of Bush's plan, Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said the legislation, offered by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., "comes closest to what Mexico wants."

Bush has said he does not want to reward people already living illegally north of the border, and prefers to give visas to those living in their home countries.

Despite the stalled proposals, Latin American leaders are still eager for a deal. Their concerns are echoed by many migrants living in the United States who have been pushing for recognition, especially as they play a key role in rebuilding hurricane-ravaged cities like New Orleans.

The two-day summit begins Friday, and the event gathering together 34 Western Hemisphere nations may again become a way to draw attention to the issue in the United States.

"If they hear enough voices in the hemisphere pressing them on this, it may tip their hand," Selee said.