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Wednesday, May 17, 2006 9:16 a.m. EDT

Alberto Gonzales: Grandparents May Have Been Illegals


Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said yesterday that he's been unable to determine whether his grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico legally.

"Three of my grandparents were born in Mexico," Gonzales explained to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "They came to Texas. My parents -- both of my parents were born in Texas, extremely poor."

Pressed on whether they were legally documented, the nation's top lawman responded: "It's unclear. And I've looked at this issue, I've talked to my parents about it, and it's just not clear."

Gonzales said that whether or not his grandparents came to the U.S. legally, his story represents the classic American dream.

"My father had a second grade education, my mother had a sixth grade education. And my father worked construction . . . There are so many wonderful opportunities in this country . . . And so for me, my life represents the American dream."

Gonzales defended President Bush's plan to station National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border - but he said he wasn't sure whether the soldiers would be allowed to carry their guns.

"That will be something that will have to be worked out," he told CNN. "Clearly, though, these folks will have the opportunity and the authority to defend themselves, to protect themselves. But as to the specific rules of engagement, that will be something that will have to be worked out."