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Coburn predicts immigration bill
By Donna Hales
Phoenix Staff Writer


U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., predicts the nation is going to see an immigration bill in September.

“Most of the country wants the border secured and employee accountability,” he said in a conference call with Oklahoma media representatives Thursday about an array of issues.

Coburn said the immigration bill will include a way to secure the borders, provide an employer identification system, and, down the road, include a guest worker program.

It will be a delayed deal for guest workers and people already here, he said. They must be dealt with in a compassionate way, he said.

“I don’t think Congress has the confidence of the American people on immigration,” Coburn said. “We have to win back the American people’s confidence that we’re going to follow the law.

“Nobody knows how many guest workers there are ... it’s hard to come up with a guest worker program if you don’t know how many guest workers there are.”

Guest workers probably will have to go back home and get in lines to come back, he said.

And if a recession comes, guest workers are going to be willing to work for half what an American is willing to work for, Coburn said.