Thread: Bush to tackle immigration on Mexico border

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Bush to tackle immigration on Mexico border
Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:24 AM ET

By Patricia Wilson

WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Monday tackles the thorny problem of illegal immigration on the Mexico border with his own Republican Party split over whether undocumented workers already in the United States should be allowed to stay.

Fueled by fears of terrorists slipping into the country, escalating violence and drug smuggling, Americans have become increasingly worried about illegal immigration. More than three-quarters think the government is not doing enough to control the borders, according to a CBS News poll last month.

In Tucson, Arizona, on Monday and El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, Bush will focus on border security, portraying his temporary worker program -- which some Republicans say rewards lawbreakers -- as a way to relieve pressure on enforcement by bringing illegal immigrants "out of the shadows."

"He'll talk about additional resources and the use of technology to secure the border, and discuss it in terms of national security and the economy," the White House said.

Bush has a fine line to walk between playing to the demands of his conservative base for tougher enforcement and the Republican Party's desire to court the votes of Hispanics, the fastest-growing minority in the United States. The issue is expected to play a major role in congressional elections in many states next year.

His guest worker proposal offers the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States the chance to register and work -- mostly at low-skilled jobs Americans don't want -- for up to six years. They then have to return to their home countries for a year to apply for a new work permit.

Supporters say it creates incentives for legal immigration, serves national security interests by identifying who is in the country and boosts the economy. Republican critics call it a "backdoor amnesty" program and prefer to crack down on illegal immigration with beefed up border patrols, the military and fences.

"Enforcement alone doesn't work," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a letter to Bush. He called on the president to "stand up to the right wing of your party and stand up for what is right."

Each year, more than 1 million undocumented migrants try to slip across the rivers and deserts on the 2,000 mile U.S.-Mexico border in search of work in the United States. Almost half of them come through Arizona and hundreds die attempting the dangerous trip.

The problem reached such epic proportions in the summer that Arizona and New Mexico declared states of emergency, saying tens of thousands of illegals were endangering border security. That allowed the governors to use millions of federal dollars to shore up their borders.

Angry residents have formed armed teams called Minutemen to watch over the border and a movement has sprung up among conservatives to wall off its entire length with a high-tech fence. More than two dozen members of the U.S. Congress have signed on to the idea.

"Enforcement alone doesn't work," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a letter to Bush. He called on the president to "stand up to the right wing of your party and stand up for what is right."

And what might that be, Harry?