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Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Our Opinion: Immigration still eludes Bush's grasp

Tucson Citizen

Progress on immigration reform must unfortunately be measured in the tiniest of forward steps.
The topic seems to finally be on President Bush's radar screen - a definite move forward. But Bush remains focused almost exclusively on enforcement, with little talk of a long-term and more comprehensive solution - a discouraging step back.

During a Monday visit to the Phoenix area to discuss his Medicare prescription drug plan, Bush was compelled to discuss illegal immigration. The issue would have been impossible to avoid in Arizona - the most popular crossing point on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I understand it's putting a strain on your resources," Bush said. "It's important for the people of this state to understand, your voices are being heard in Washington, D.C."

A strain on our resources? That's a gross understatement. Arizona taxpayers have been crushed by the impacts of illegal immigration. The state has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to hold illegal immigrants in prisons without federal reimbursements. Counties and health-care providers also have been hard hit.

And while it is good that our "voices are being heard," it is discouraging that it has taken so long for immigration to rise up the issue heap in the nation's capital - especially when Bush is the former governor of a border state with substantial illegal immigration problems of its own.

Bush cited enforcement as an effective way to halt illegal immigration, with little or no attention to a comprehensive package built on a guest worker program.

He referred to legislation introduced by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., that calls for more agents on the border and a guest worker program that requires people now here illegally to return to their home countries to register. It's not the needed comprehensive answer.

Far more practical is a bipartisan plan pushed by Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jim Kolbe, both Arizona Republicans, as well as others on both sides of the political aisle. That plan would allow people in the country illegally to stay and pay a fine before registering as guest workers.

A new report released yesterday illustrates the pressing need for comprehensive border-policy reform. Suspected or convicted foreign-born terrorists have routinely exploited immigration laws over the past decade to enter and remain in the United States illegally, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

We are encouraged that Bush mentioned immigration during his Arizona visit. But now he must move forward and embrace a plan that is both comprehensive and workable.