US President George W. Bush unveiled the outlines of his latest immigration proposals on Monday, mixing tougher border enforcement and a path to legal status for illegal immigrants.
During a tour of the border areas in Yuma, Arizona, Bush noted, "it's important we get a bill done," asking Congress to get legislation on comprehensive immigration reform to his desk this year.
The president's high-profile visit to Yuma and the address to an audience of 350 border agents, National Guard personnel and local law enforcement officials, is part of a White House pitch to convince House and Senate Democrats, once natural allies of the president's combined approach of enforcement and citizenship, to sign on again.
Intense behind-the-scene negotiations over the last two weeks have produced a flurry of leaked proposals.
Conceding that the issue is "emotional," Bush called for a "serious and civil and conclusive debate" over his plan.
It envisions five elements: border security; a temporary worker program for immigrants to "do jobs Americans aren't doing"; sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegals; a "practical solution" to the problem of illegal immigrants short of either amnesty or deportation; and requirements that immigrants learn English and American history "to honor the tradition of our melting pot."
But rumors about the details of the White House plan -- which includes a proposal that illegal immigrants return to their countries and apply for a green card at a cost of US$10,000 each -- brought an estimated 7,000 protesters to the streets of Los Angeles last Saturday, demanding a renewed push for citizenship.
Democratic leaders in the Congress have told Bush they will not pass a bill with Democratic votes alone, forcing the administration to work Republicans.
In addition to wanting to get a comprehensive immigration bill passed before the presidential campaign season overwhelms any instincts for bipartisanship, Bush, who grew up in Midland, Texas, has a personal history with the issue.
He is bilingual, and he won 50 percent of the Latino vote in his first gubernatorial race in 1998.
Even while running for president in 2000, Bush signed a bill protecting welfare benefits for illegal immigrants.
"This is a matter of national priority," he said. "It's also a matter of deep conviction for me."
(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2007)
