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Skriven 2006-03-27 23:35:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0603271) for Mon, 2006 Mar 27
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Fact Sheet: Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Securing Our Border,
Enforcing Our Laws, and Upholding Our Values
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 27, 2006

Fact Sheet: Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Securing Our Border,
Enforcing Our Laws, and Upholding Our Values


ÿÿÿÿÿ In Focus: Immigration ÿÿÿÿÿ

Today, President Bush Attended A Naturalization Ceremony And Discussed His
Vision For Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President supports
comprehensive immigration reform to secure our border, improve enforcement
of our laws, and uphold our values. The President also discussed his
proposal for a temporary worker program that rejects amnesty, allows
foreign workers to fill jobs no American is willing to do, and reduces
smuggling and crime at the border.
  þ America's Immigrant Heritage Continues To Shape Our Society. Our Nation
    is bound together by liberty and a conviction that all people are
    created with equal dignity and value. Through the generations,
    Americans have upheld that vision by welcoming new citizens from across
    the globe. Immigrants have helped shape our identity and sustain our
    economy.
  þ The President Strongly Believes America Is Stronger And More Dynamic
    When New Citizens Are Welcomed. The President has called on Congress to
    increase the number of green cards that can lead to citizenship. He
    supports increasing the number of visas available for foreign-born
    workers in highly skilled fields. The President signed legislation
    creating a new Office of Citizenship at the Department of Homeland
    Security to promote knowledge of citizenship rights and procedures; the
    Office of Citizenship created a new official guide for immigrants, and
    the Administration is working with faith-based and community groups to
    offer civics and English-language courses. In July 2002, the President
    signed an Executive Order making foreign-born members of our military
    immediately eligible for citizenship. Over the past four years, more
    than 20,000 men and women in uniform have become citizens.
  þ Every New Citizen Makes A Lifelong Pledge To Support The Values And
    Laws Of America. New citizens have an obligation to learn the customs
    and values that define our Nation - including liberty and civic
    responsibility, equality under God, tolerance for others, and the
    English language.

The President Welcomes A Civil And Dignified Debate On Comprehensive
Immigration Reform. Congress is now considering immigration reform
proposals. Immigration is an emotional topic, and we need to maintain our
perspective as we conduct this debate.

To Keep The Promise Of America, We Must Enforce The Laws Of America

President Bush's Proposal For Comprehensive Immigration Reform Includes
Three Critical Elements - Securing The Border, Strengthening Enforcement
Inside The Country, And Creating A Temporary Worker Program. These elements
depend on and reinforce one another. Together, they will give America an
immigration system that meets 21st century demands.

The First Element Is Securing Our Border. Since President Bush took office,
funding for border security has increased by 66 percent. The Border Patrol
has been expanded to more than 12,000 agents, an increase of more than
2,700 agents, or nearly 30 percent. The President's FY07 budget funds
another 1,500 new agents. Agents are being provided with cutting-edge
technology like infrared cameras, advanced motion sensors, and unmanned
aerial vehicles. Protective infrastructure, such as vehicle barriers and
fencing in urban areas, is being installed. Manpower, technology, and
infrastructure are being integrated in more unified ways than ever before.
  þ The Administration's Border Security Strategy Is Getting Results. Since
    President Bush took office, agents have apprehended and sent home more
    than 6 million people entering the country illegally - including more
    than 400,000 with criminal records. Federal, State, local, and tribal
    law enforcement are working together. More than 600,000 illegal
    immigrants were apprehended through the Arizona Border Control
    Initiative last year - an increase of more than 50 percent increase
    over the previous year. The men and women of our Border Patrol have
    made good progress - but we have much more work ahead, and we will not
    be satisfied until our agents have full control of our border.
  þ The Administration Is Ending The Practice Of "Catch And Release." The
    President has set a goal to end "catch and release" over the next year.
    Most illegal immigrants from Mexico can be returned to Mexico within 24
    hours. Non-Mexican illegal immigrants present a different challenge.
    For decades, government detention facilities did not have enough beds
    for the non-Mexican illegal immigrants caught at the border - so most
    were released back into society. They were each assigned a court date,
    but virtually no one showed up. The Administration is ending the
    practice of "catch and release" by increasing the number of beds in
    detention facilities by 12 percent this year; the President's FY07
    budget proposes increasing that number by another 32 percent. The
    Administration is expanding the use of "expedited removal," which
    allows us to send non-Mexican illegal immigrants home more quickly.
      þ 

        We Are Making Progress In This Effort. Last year, it took an
        average of 66 days to process a non-Mexican illegal immigrant. Now,
        the process is taking only 21 days. This has helped us end "catch
        and release" for illegal immigrants from Brazil, Guatemala,
        Honduras, and Nicaragua caught crossing our Southwest border. Since
        last summer, the total number of non-Mexican illegal immigrants
        released into society has been cut by more than a third. There is
        more work ahead, and the Administration will work with Congress to
        close loopholes that make it difficult to process illegal
        immigrants from certain countries and will continue pressing
        foreign governments like China to take back their citizens who
        enter our country illegally.

The Second Element Is Strengthening Enforcement Of Our Laws In The Interior
Of Our Country. Since President Bush took office, funding for immigration
enforcement has increased by 42 percent. These resources have helped agents
bring to justice smugglers, terrorists, gang members, and human
traffickers. For example, through Operation Community Shield, Federal
agents have arrested nearly 2,300 gang members who were in America
illegally, including violent criminals like the members of the "MS-13"
gang.
  þ Better Interior Enforcement Requires Better Worksite Enforcement. Last
    year, President Bush signed legislation to more than double the
    resources dedicated to worksite enforcement. Next month, the
    Administration will launch new law enforcement task forces in 11 cities
    to dismantle document fraud rings.

The Third Element Is Creating A New Temporary Worker Program That Would Not
Provide Amnesty. A temporary worker program would make the system more
rational, orderly, and secure by providing a legal way to match willing
foreign workers with willing American employers to fill jobs that no
American is willing to do. Workers would be able to register for legal
status on a temporary basis. If workers decided to apply for citizenship,
they would have to get in line. This program would help meet the demands of
our growing economy and allow honest workers to provide for their families
while respecting the law.
  þ A Temporary Worker Program Is Vital To Securing The Border. Creating a
    separate, legal channel for those entering America to do an honest
    day's labor would dramatically reduce the number of people attempting
    to sneak back and forth across the border. That would help take
    pressure off the border and free up law enforcement to focus on the
    greatest threats to our security - terrorists, drug dealers, and other
    criminals. The program would also improve security by creating
    tamper-proof identification cards that would allow authorities to keep
    track of every temporary worker who is in America on a legal basis and
    help authorities identify those who are here illegally.
  þ A Temporary Worker Program Should Not Provide Amnesty. Granting amnesty
    unfairly allows those who break the law to jump ahead of people who
    play by the rules and wait in the citizenship line. Amnesty would also
    encourage future waves of illegal immigration, increase pressure on the
    border, and make it more difficult for law enforcement to focus on
    those who mean us harm. For the sake of justice and the sake of border
    security, the President firmly opposes amnesty.

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