Bush speaks on immigration reform

In his first address from the oval office regarding a domestic issue, Monday night, May 15, President George W. Bush outlined his views on immigration reform - one of the most controversial and divisive issues affecting the United States.
Currently, the Senate is debating an immigration reform bill expected to be completed near the end of the month in response to the controversial House Bill passed by Congress in December of last year that called for the ‘criminalization’ of illegal immigrants currently in the country.
“The Senate should act by the end of this month, so we can work out the differences between the two bills, and Congress can pass a comprehensive bill for me to sign into law,” Bush said.
During the address, Bush focused on securing the country’s borders, plans for a temporary worker program, increased technology for identity cards for foreign workers, opposition to amnesty for all illegal immigrants while maintaining the importance of the contributions that immigrants have made to the history of the country.
Bush proposed increasing the number of Border Patrol officers by 6,000 by the end of 2008 and deploying 6,000 National Guard members to the Mexican border in order to increase border security and minimize the amount of illegal immigrants who cross the border.
Although many political leaders and groups believe that securing the border is necessary, the use of the National Guard has raised some concerns.
“The military is trained to fight wars and kill enemies and that’s the kind of training they are going to bring to the borders,” said Ana Maria Archilla, Executive Director of the Latin American Integration Center in New York. “Border enforcement is misguided; it is only going to mean more investment with bad results.”
Another major part of Bush’s address focused on the implementation of a temporary worker program allowing immigrants to work in the United States, but then require them to return to their home country after a set amount of time.
“They [temporary worker programs] produce an underclass of workers,” Archilla said.
Both Republicans and Democrats are going to have to work together in both Houses in order to come to an agreement on a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“I was encouraged that the solution proposed by the President to the complex issue of immigration is the same one outlined McCain-Kennedy and Kolbe-Flake-Gutierrez, immigration bills I have endorsed and actively supported,” said Congressman Joseph Crowley, who represents one of the most diverse areas in the country in Jackson Heights. “I welcome President Bush joining me in pressing Congress to pass sensible and fair immigration reform.”
Meanwhile, immigrants’ rights groups are continuing to express their views with rallies taking place throughout the United States and New York City. Currently, the New York Immigration Coalition is planning a March scheduled for Saturday May 20 beginning on 40th Street and Madison Avenue and processing south to 23rd Street.
“For months now we have been pushing for just and fair immigration reform,” said Norman Eng, a spokesperson for the New York Immigration Coalition. “We want to make sure immigration reform is done right and make sure we pave the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.”
In addition to the rallies, efforts are underway to mobilize immigrant voters for the next election.
“We are bringing that power that we are using in the street to the election,” Archilla said. “We are organizing voters across the country and immigrant voters from immigrant communities.”