Bush legalises aliens, for now

2004-01-08 12:12

Washington - US President George W Bush called on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of immigration policy that could enable millions of undocumented aliens to work legally in the United States for a limited time.

"We must make our immigration laws more rational and more humane. And I believe we can do so without jeopardizing the livelihoods of American citizens," he said in a speech from the White House East Room.

Critics challenged his proposals as a cynical ploy to win more Latino voters, a rapidly growing bloc, to his 2004 re-election bid.

"The president has finally come out and said something about immigrants during the election year, and he's clearly trying to court the Latino vote," said Michelle Waslin, of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a leading Hispanic advocacy group.

Bush's proposal centres on the creation of a temporary worker programme open to undocumented migrants employed in the United States in jobs US citizens have shunned, as well as prospective migrants with US job offers.

Those accepted could work legally in the United States for three years, a term that "will be renewable, but it will have an end," said Bush, who did not say how many times a worker could be renewed.

Bush himself reached out by telephone to Mexican President Vicente Fox, with whom he was to discuss the plan on the sidelines of the January 12-13 Summit of the Americas in Mexico.

Half of the estimated eight to 12 million illegal immigrants thought to live in the United States are Mexican.

"We're going to have to wait for the details," said Fox, whose government expressed frustration when the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks put border security ahead of immigration reforms on Washington's agenda.

The president, whose initiatives will require congressional approval, also pledged to work with lawmakers to increase the number of permanent resident permits, widely known as "green cards," issued annually.

"The citizenship line is too long, and our current limits on legal immigration are too low," he said.

Bush said that his proposal would bolster US national security by leading illegals to register with government authorities.

"Instead of the current situation, in which millions of people are unknown, unknown to the law, law enforcement will face fewer problems with undocumented workers, and will be better able to focus on the true threats to our nation from criminals and terrorists," he said.

One official illustrated the plan by describing a hypothetical immigrant working illegally for a hotel chain: That person and his or her employer would come forward, declaring themselves a match; the US government would take a fee; and, if approved, that person could work legally for three years.

The workers could also travel freely back and forth to their home country, and would enjoy protections such as the US minimum wage and due process rights, the official told reporters.

They would also pay taxes.

- AFP