www.latimes.com

Rove Is Paving Way for Guest Worker Program
By Mary Curtius
Times Staff Writer

7:11 PM PDT, September 22, 2005

WASHINGTON -- White House political strategist Karl Rove is offering lawmakers new details of an administration-backed guest worker program that would temporarily legalize the status of millions of illegal workers, according to Republicans who have attended the meetings.

The White House effort is seen as its latest step toward reasserting President Bush's leadership on one of the most divisive issues confronting Republicans.

Concerned that increasingly strident anti-immigrant voices within the party were undermining the administration's efforts to reach out to Hispanic voters, the administration formed a coalition of business groups and immigration advocates during the summer to lobby for the sort of comprehensive reform plan Bush has advocated since early in his presidency.

And some lawmakers see the recent White House sessions as evidence that Bush intends to pursue his plan as soon as this fall -- despite the strains Hurricane Katrina has put on the legislative agenda and despite ongoing opposition within his party.

"There is a level of detail that was not there before that is very important," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who has put forward his own guest worker bill. "All of us see a heightened engagement on this issue by the administration, which is good."

In January 2004, Bush said he wanted to allow illegal workers to apply for a three-year work visa, with the possibility of a single three-year extension before having to return to their native countries. But Bush's proposal has never been translated into legislation, nor has he supported any immigration-related bill pending in Congress.

At recent presentations led by Rove, administration officials are telling small groups of lawmakers that under Bush's plan, any worker who is here illegally would first have to pay a substantial fine before being granted a temporary work visa. The fine is seen as a gesture to critics who have said any legalization of illegal workers amounts to granting them amnesty for breaking the law.

Administration officials also are telling lawmakers that workers who participate in the program and then return to their native countries would be allowed to reapply for a guest worker visa after a year.

Issa, who attended one of the meetings this week, said he is convinced Bush intends to push immigration legislation soon, and to do so by building a bipartisan coalition to back his plan.

White House spokeswoman Erin Healy confirmed Thursday that the meetings have occurred and would continue, but declined to say whether they are the prelude to a White House effort to move immigration legislation this fall.

"It is a dialogue to discuss realistic, comprehensive immigration reform," Healy said. "We are in the consultation phase."

The Bush plan is sure to face resistance from some Republicans in the House, where a strong caucus that believes a guest worker plan would only attract more illegal immigrants includes about one-third of the chamber's GOP majority.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, who opposes a guest worker program, said that after he attended a White House meeting this week, he believed that the administration could be persuaded that the only realistic approach to immigration reform is one restricted to tougher law enforcement measures and increased border security.

"Between either one or two hurricanes, the budget . . . there are time constraints," on what Congress can accomplish, Smith said.

Advocates of immigration reform say they are encouraged by the tone of the meetings and the additional detail being provided. But they note that the proposal offers no path toward citizenship for illegal workers who would participate in a temporary visa program. Many Democrats and some Republicans say such an offer would be necessary to entice illegal workers to come forward.

Lawmakers say that at the White House meetings, Rove and other officials have emphasized that the administration package would include measures to tighten border security and more strictly enforce immigration laws in workplaces.

Both Democrats and Republicans, and supporters and opponents of a guest worker program, have attended the presentations.

Rove stressed that the administration is open to suggestions on how to alter the administration's plan to gain the broadest possible support, according to some who attended.

"He (Rove) said, `There are some things that we're really hard on, some that we care about and some that are granular -- details,' " said Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, an advocate for immigration reform that includes limited legalization for illegal workers.

The White House began holding the sessions with small groups of lawmakers in July. The early meetings focused on the law enforcement and border security elements of the House plan. But of late the emphasis has shifted, with more details being offered on the most politically sensitive part of the package -- the guest worker program.

"It was useful and helpful to know that they've moved this far ahead in their specific proposal," said Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., who attended a session last week.