SANTIAGO, Chile - President Bush (news - web sites) renewed his support Sunday for changes to U.S. immigration law that would allow undocumented laborers to work legally, but stopped short of pledging to Mexican President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) that he would push for enaction of the nearly year-old proposal.
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Bush made plain that terrorism was his top concern when it came to immigration issues.
"I explained to the president that we share a mutual concern to make sure our border is secure," Bush said after meeting with Fox on the sidelines of an economic summit here. "One way to make sure the border is secure is to have reasonable immigration policies. I assured him that we want people from Mexico treated with respect and dignity."
Sitting next to Fox for brief remarks to reporters, Bush did not say how he would press for the reforms, which he first proposed in January. The Republican-controlled Congress did not move on his proposal this year.
"I told President Fox that I had campaigned on this issue," Bush said, although he gave the proposal "” unpopular with his conservative base "” a very low profile in his re-election campaign. He mentioned it infrequently, mostly early on in the race, in Southwestern border states or before Hispanic audiences where advisers believed it could give him a boost.
In the session with journalists, Fox did not raise the immigration reform issue specifically, instead talking about his commitment to create jobs in Mexico that would help solve the problem from his side of the border. He did suggest further talks in Washington, hinting he would seek "some form of agreement between the two countries" on the matter.
Fox said afterward he expected meet with Bush in Washington this February or March to discuss migration and trade.
Asked on CNN whether Bush had promised to move the immigration legislation forward, Fox said: "What I got, and very firmly, is his will, his will to attend this issue."
While the administration said the temporary worker initiative would be a legislative priority next year, Bush did not set a deadline for getting it passed.
Bush's plan would allow undocumented workers to get visas to work legally, but the visas would be only temporary and provide no path to citizenship "” an approach that Mexican officials have signaled they would embrace, even if reluctantly.
Bush and Fox avoided talking about subjects where they differ, such as Iraq (news - web sites) and Cuba, administration officials said.
With the meeting with Fox, followed by a state visit with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos later Sunday and a brief stop in Colombia on Monday, Bush is aiming to dispel the perception of U.S. neglect of Latin America and burnish an American reputation damaged by the Iraq war. It's a second-term diplomatic offensive in the region akin to his recent courting of Europe.
The high-profile meetings with the Chilean leader are Bush's Exhibit A for how free trade can benefit two countries, said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The two countries signed a free-trade pact last year. That could be helpful as Bush pushes for forward movement on a hemisphere-wide accord, resisted by countries such as Brazil and Venezuela.
The Colombia visit, and a brief "pull-aside" conversation with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo during the 21-nation Asian-Pacific economic summit, also could help the president focus on lowering trade barriers. The United States is in the process of negotiating an Andean free-trade pact covering those two nations as well as Ecuador.
Mostly, the several hours of meetings Monday with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a conservative whose war against narcoterrorists and leftist rebels has received major funding from the United States, allows Bush to make a very visible statement about the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism. It also was meant to highlight American contributions that have helped to bring some stability to a country ravaged by decades of guerrilla war, the official said.
"We put a lot of political support into Uribe," the official said. "We want to underscore that commitment and show that this is something that, number one, is paying big dividends for the American people, it's paying big dividends for the Colombian people."
But turning around the U.S. reputation in South America will not be easy.
The Iraq war is deeply unpopular in Latin America. The administration's commitment to open, freer economies is viewed by some as an unwelcome dictate from Washington. And there is a feeling that the needs of the Western Hemisphere have been neglected by the Bush administration.
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
I know it will not be an amnesty, thats the whole idea of the "Guest Work Program"... But it will grant illegals a legal status for them to work... will this at least break the ice?
Bush is actually talking about this as I post. This is becoming a more serious issue than you think.
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
It might benefit people who can not adjust in the US, and use it as a transition status to adjust for greencard... if they were inadmissable. My main concern is how long could some thing like this could take, it has been active as a proposal for a year? - Bush says this is a high-priority for him, how long does a high-priority take to work, if it works?
6 months/a year/couple years? - There is only 3 more years until the next election year, and surely by then a whole new bills will be proposed.
Thanks
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
If DwYa wants this 'guest worker' for illegals to go through the legislature would have to address people who are outside of the U.S. and are subject to 3/10 year bars. The logic goes why someone who remained in the country now eligible for some benefit while others who left aren't. If he wants this to pass the 3/10 year bars have to go as well.
With USA immigration, it never pays to try to follow the law.They have a way of making law abiding people feel stupid at the end.
After the 1986 amnesty, many people felt brave to get here and stay illegally in the hope something will be done and they will be legal.Now, their dreams are almost coming true.
I however think that Dubya is just trying to fool people. I cant see anything like this happeneing.Do you notice that he is the only one who talks about it? And he makes it such a big deal.I think hes buying time, especially now thats theres no more elections for him.
Bush is not the only who talked about this issue. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary talked about it (and they support it), USCIS head - Aguirre testified on proposed Temporary Worker Program back in February, he also supports it. The senior administration officials of the white house always bring this issue up (more often these days), whenever the issue immigration comes up. I am sure the DHS and other agenicies associated with USCIS commmented about this issue too...
So, it is something that has been around long enough everyone to talk about at the federal level. And they are all familiar with how serious the immigration is troubled, and feel it should be adressed on one way or another.
Just my $0.02
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
Actually, the President pushed for the intelligence bill the immigration provisions were part of--and lost. They aren't bringing the bill (minus immigration provisions) to a vote, supposedly BECAUSE the immigration provisions were stripped from it.
Anyone counting on Bush to be able to ramrod his guest worker program through easily sadly overestimates the power of a president, even with his own party.
I didnt know that The Guest Work Progarm was a provision on an intelligence bill. The immigration provisions that were stripped from the intelligence bill were anti-immigration provisions, to crack down illegals instead of helping them, and nothing to do with the proposal Bush made in January.
I am not suggesting that Bush will get this GWP through easily, we all know it's down to the congress, but it's a proposal that will transform the immigration as far as illegals are concerned, and eventually putting them on a tracking system - which there isnt any right now for those reside in the US. The government knows that continous neglect on illegals is a serious security issue for this nation.
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
The guest worker program was not in the intelligence bill, but provisions to get tough on immigration were.
I brought up the guest worker program because Bush is making noises again about pushing that through. He may manage it, but it's not likely to be a walkover, and will cost him a lot of political capital. His own party has a lot of factions which united to get him elected, and now each wants pay back (and some of them conflict with each other, or with some of his objectives). Remember, too--any guest worker program that gets through will have to have strong enforcement of all immigration laws, or it will be a total bust. Not the best "leagacy" for a president to leave if it doesn't work, and no guest worker program so far has worked. As Bush proposed, if there is a guest worker program, it will mean persuading illegal aliens to sign up for renewable 3-year visas with the understanding that there is no guarantee of a green card or even continuing legal status. What will Bush do about the illegals (and employers) who DON'T sign up and continue to work illegally? [There won't be any convenient excuses left for not enforcing the laws.]
What you say makes a perfect sense, and I feel it is the responsibility of the government to do something about illegal aliens, whether it is Bush's Guest Work Program, or some other means to approach the issue. I am sure something will be negotiated between the congress and the white house to offer these millions of illegals an oppertunity for them to come-out and at least appear on the federal radar. All we have now is people that live on others to have a life, any new legalization will take that way, and let the illegals deal with the government more directly.
I believe there shouldnt be any amnesty, or forgivness to those who broke the law. However, I believe we should not live side-by-side with illegals, and for them to act like us without making any contribution to society like us, period.
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
An out and out amnesty is not at all likely. Bush says he doesn't want it (though I'd be surprised if his guest worker plan doesn't de facto turn into one) and there's too much opposition in Congress and from the public. Remember, 1/3 of Congress has to stand for re-election in less than 2 years! It's worth noting, also, that in Arizona, 47 percent of Hispanic voters voted in favor of Proposition 200 which restricts services to illegal aliens. And that more Prop 200s are being planned for other illegal immigrant heavy states.
Another "big sell" will be selling Bush's plan to illegal aliens--if the program even passes. It would mean being on government's radar, and giving them the knowledge they need to deport those who don't follow program rules and leave when their time is up.
Mr. Colin Powell went to Mexico before the U.S. 2005 Budget was put up for vote. He got Mexican President Fox to agree to an interior repatriation provision, to be funded through the budget. Fox agreed to a voluntary repatriation, and in return, Fox would provide more intelligence gathered in Mexican border states. 10,000 Middle-Easterners are arrested each year, as well, including a few key terrorists apprehended on the mexican side, that you don't hear much about.
The Americans did some trial repatriations, and flew illegal border crossers back to their homes in deep Mexico, and Central America. Most of those who cross into southern American territory are from Central America, and southern Mexico.
It was the U.S. President who wanted revisions to the proposed program, to guarantee that asylum cases were somehow addressed. A woman on his staff was pushing for considerations, and he agreed. If someone is involuntarily removed, with no chance to see a U.S. judge, and it might have been an asylum case, that is a concern. A month ago he told lawmakers to remove those items for further revisions.
It is this voluntary nature of repatriation that is controversial. Now, many illegal aliens are found on private properties in southern U.S. They have a choice, to either go before a judge, and be given a chance to fly home for free, or just go across into northern border of Mexico. Since most are from distant areas, it is better to go ahead to offer them safe flights home. Mexico is corrupt, and travelers have to bribe their way through Mexico, sometimes.
Another provision was drivers license for illegal entrants. Law enforcement in America wants to track movement of criminals. Drivers license would be one way. Bankers in California want new i.d. for illegals, so that they can legally sign them up for new bank accounts. Insurance companies think more legal drivers mean new accounts, too. There are two sides to all these issues. Many interests. Too controversial, because many groups oppose.
America created just over two million jobs, since 2000, when Bush took over. America must create 800,000 jobs a year to grow profits. How can they import new, illegal labor without displacing established workers, and depressing wages at home?
Mo was right. It is not easy to get new work programs for additional low wage workers.
Not only unskilled workers have to worry. It looks like business is back pushing for an increase in the H1-B cap again (actually, they want all foreign grads of U.S. colleges and universities to be exempt from the H1-B cap). This, despite unemployment in IT that exceeds the unemployment rate in general (around 7 percent), and the unemployment rate doesn't even include discouraged workers who are no longer seeking work or who are underemployed.
I don't mean to raise an alarm or anything, but if things continue the way they are, we will be left with close to 20 million illegals by the next election, and then it will be more critical for this country to cope with that number of illegals with no contribution to society... not to mention problems or crimes illegals can cause within our homeland. The imapct that will have on the economy will be much larger, where Americans could loose jobs to illegal in many sectors in all sorts of industries. Time magazine have actually made it clear, we have 4,000 illegals crossing the southern border a DAY!!! - That's about 1.5 million a year.
Posts: 774 | Location: USA | Registered: 12-12-2003
I think that this GWP is one of the worst red herrings in Us History. It doesnt truly address the problem of US Immigration and the reasons why people try to come to the Us in the masses that they do. This GWP is geared specifically for mexicans and let noone believe that this will help anyone else that is in need of any help in legalization because thats not going to happen. Any mexican is going to be happy to sign up for 3 years and then make a short trip to mexico to reapply for another 3 years. What of the non mexican illegals...those british, australian, indians etc for whom a short sojourn back to homelands is not as easy as a greyhound bus ride away. This is a red herring.a small nod to those who asked why there were promises of reform and never saw any. Noone will ever be able to say that this was an empty promise because by the time the serious ramifications of having to deal with the millions who will invariably overstay after the three years...well there will be another president in office that has to deal with the problems. Hate illegals or love them,,everysingle western country is dealing with the influx of immigrants both legal and illegal in growing numbers.....nothing will change and for those who will complain then remember that on the 2nd November 2004.THIS is what was voted in. This and other policies are what where battled over. This is it. For those illegals that were hoping for a revivial of 245 then I feel sorry for them and for the rest.....The GWP is all you have no matter in what guise it is in.
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