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AG: No immigration bill by election

Gonzales says border security must be 1st step of any plan


12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 22, 2006

By GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News

Attorney General Al Gonzales said Monday that it was unlikely Congress would settle on an immigration overhaul bill by November, leaving the matter to be decided by a lame-duck president and a new Congress.

"It's really going to be a challenge to get something done before the election," Mr. Gonzales told The Dallas Morning News' editorial board. "But it's got to get done. The problem is only going to be worse."

Overhauling national immigration policy has become one of the most challenging issues facing Congress and President Bush.

And the collage of proposals – ranging from walls to keep out illegal immigrants to guest-worker programs that create paths to citizenship – could have an impact on the November midterm elections.

In places like Dallas, where as many as 500,000 people this year rallied for what they called fair immigration overhaul, prospective voters on all sides of the issue have vowed to take their opinions – and in some cases their wrath – to the polls.

Mr. Gonzales said the first step in any immigration plan should be border security.

"We spend all of this money on securing our ports, securing our airports," he said. "To not secure our borders does not make any sense."

Beyond that, he said, any plan must address the future of the millions of immigrants in the country illegally.

"I don't think you're going to have true security without knowing who are they, why they're here and what are we're going to do about them," he said. "There should be some kind of path to citizenship."

He said businesses should be punished for hiring illegal workers but noted that employers have a tough time verifying workers' information.

Mr. Gonzales also said Monday that he was working with Congress to develop laws allowing for a warrantless eavesdropping program struck down by a federal judge last week. The administration is appealing the ruling.

"In a time of war, the president believed it was important to have an additional tool," he said. "We need this for America."

E-mail gjeffers@dallasnews.com