Pres. Clinton Agrees With Bush's Border Plan
AP

May 21 - Former President Bill Clinton on Sunday said President Bush is doing a good job on immigration reform, praising his call for better border security and moderation in dealing with illegal immigrants.

"I basically think President Bush has done a good job with this," Clinton told a convention of shopping center developers. "I'm different with him on nearly everything, but I think he's done a good job with this."

Clinton said employers were not blameless for hiring undocumented workers, who he described as "chasing their dreams the same way you chase your dreams."

He also said any reform that included a path to citizenship should not to punish those who migrate legally.

"You don't want a system that can be flouted so much that you actually punish law-abiding would-be immigrants who file for immigration in a legal fashion and patiently wait," he said.

Clinton appeared to support Bush's call last week for up to 6,000 National Guard troops to secure the U.S. border with Mexico.

"We need to at least have some idea of who's crossing the border and whether they're at all suspicious and whether they should be looked into," Clinton said.

Clinton spoke to some 6,000 delegates at the International Council of Shopping Centers in an opening address that touched on the economy, health care and globalization.

He urged them to build shopping centers that cut down on greenhouse gases, which he said would spawn job growth in the industry related to energy-efficient technology.

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