President Bush's Plan For Comprehensive Immigration Reform

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/

During his State of the Union Address, President Bush Called On Congress To Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President believes that America can simultaneously be a lawful, economically dynamic, and welcoming society.

We must address the problem of illegal immigration and deliver a system that is secure, productive, orderly, and fair. The President calls on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders, enhance interior and worksite enforcement, create a temporary worker program, resolve – without animosity and without amnesty – the status of illegal immigrants already here, and promote assimilation into our society. All elements of this problem must be addressed together – or none of them will be solved.

The Administration Is Working Closely With State And Local Law Enforcement To Stop Illegal Immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the resources to train 1,500 State and local law enforcement officers under the 287(g) program in 2006 and 2007.
DHS will work with its State and local partners to expand these programs, and received $50 million in 2006 supplemental funding for this effort. In addition, DHS is expanding to State and local law enforcement agencies the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) previously in place with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to identify illegal aliens who are incarcerated in Federal, State, and local jails.
. We Must Hold Employers Accountable For The Workers They Hire
In A Sharp Break From The Past, The Administration Is Addressing The Illegal Employment Of Undocumented Workers With A Tough Combination Of Criminal Prosecution And Forfeitures.
Previously, worksite enforcement relied on a combination of administrative hearings and fines. The fines were so modest that some employers treated them as merely a cost of doing business, and employment of undocumented workers continued unabated.
DHS Has Issued A Proposed "No-Match" Regulation To Assist Employers In Ensuring A Legal Workplace And To Help The Government Identify And Crack Down On Employers Who Knowingly Hire Illegal Workers.
In cases in which an employer has ten or more employees with inaccurate information, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sends the employer a "No-Match" letter. DHS's proposed "No-Match" regulation clarifies that employers may be held civilly and criminally liable when a letter is sent and employers ignore the discrepancies between SSA databases and the information provided about their employees.

As We Tighten Controls At The Border, We Must Also Address The Needs Of America's Growing Economy.
The rule of law cannot permit unlawful employment of millions of undocumented workers in the United States. Many American businesses, however, depend on hiring willing foreign workers for jobs that Americans are not doing.

To Provide A Lawful Channel For Employment That Will Benefit Both The United States And Individual Immigrants, The President Has Called For The Creation Of A Temporary Worker Program.
Such a program will serve the needs of our economy by providing a lawful and fair way to match willing employers with willing foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans have not taken. The program will also serve our law enforcement and national security objectives by taking pressure off the border and freeing our hard-working Border Patrol to focus on terrorists, human traffickers, violent criminals, drug runners, and gangs

The Temporary Worker Program Should Be Grounded In The Following Principles:

American Workers Must Be Given Priority Over Guest Workers. Employers should be allowed to hire guest workers only for jobs that Americans have not taken
The Program Must Be Truly Temporary. Participation should be for a limited period of time, and the guest workers must return home after their authorized period of stay. Those who fail to return home in accordance with the law should become permanently ineligible for a green card and for citizenship. Participation Should Fluctuate With Market Conditions. When the economy is booming, and there are not enough American workers available to help businesses grow, the program should be open to more participants. But when times are tough and Americans struggle to find jobs, the economy cannot and should not support as many guest workers.

We Must Bring Undocumented Workers Already In The Country Out Of The Shadows Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Account For The Millions Of Immigrants Already In The Country Illegally.
Illegal immigration causes serious problems, putting pressure on public schools and hospitals and straining State and local budgets. People who have worked hard, supported their families, avoided crime, led responsible lives, and become a part of American life should be called in out of the shadows and under the rule of American law.
The President Opposes An Automatic Path To Citizenship Or Any Other Form Of Amnesty.
Amnesty, as a reward for lawbreaking, would only invite further lawbreaking. Amnesty would also be unfair to those lawful immigrants who have patiently waited their turn for citizenship and to those who are still waiting to enter the country legally

The President Supports A Rational Middle Ground Between A Program Of Mass Deportation And A Program Of Automatic Amnesty. It is neither wise nor realistic to round up and deport millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. But there should be no automatic path to citizenship. The President supports a rational middle ground founded on the following basic tenets:
No Amnesty.
Workers who have entered the country illegally and workers who have overstayed their visas must pay a substantial penalty for their illegal conduct.
In Addition To Paying A Meaningful Penalty, Undocumented Workers Must Learn English, Pay Their Taxes, Pass A Background Check, And Hold A Job For A Number Of Years Before They Will Be Eligible To Be Considered For Legalized Status.
Any Undocumented Worker Seeking Citizenship Must Go To The "Back Of The Line." The program should not reward illegal conduct by making participants eligible for citizenship ahead of those who have played by the rules and followed the law. Instead, program participants must wait their turn at the back of the line.



This is really a joke on the American people. Amnesty is amnesty no matter what or when it is called. Americans will do and have done any job. The economy is good because of cheap illegal labor and only good for corporations. Again and as usually Bush is trying to make it smell good when we all know it stinks.
Making them legal will not take pressure off our city and state budgets.They do not care about amnesty if they are allowed to live and work here. That is why they are here. They should be deported one at a time, just as they came and wait in line in their own country. THAT IS FAIR.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Illegals need supplies to live in this country and and business demand for them is needed to increase those supplies.Americans are not eating more or buying more and they are not demanding more.


DRY UP THE SOURCE THAT BRINGS THEM HERE. ANCHOR BABIES AND BUSINESES THAT HIRE THEM ILLEGALLY AND IF THEY GET ACROSS THE BORDER, THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BE GIVEN AMNESTY.

“IF THEY COME BUSINESSES WILL FIND JOBS FOR THEM”