    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [May 18, 2006]
    [Pages 951-957]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Tour of the Border in Yuma, Arizona
    May 18, 2006

        Thank you all very much for allowing me to come by and say hello.
    It's good to be here in Yuma. I'd never been to Yuma before. [Laughter]
    I'd like to come back. It's a hospitable place with good weather.
    [Laughter] Remember, I was raised in west Texas. [Laughter]
        I've come down here to first of all thank the men and women of the
    Border Patrol for doing a fine job on behalf of the American people. A
    lot of time, you don't get the credit you deserve, but there's a lot of
    folks who understand how hard you work. And we really appreciate it. So
    on behalf of a grateful nation, thanks for doing an important job.
        I'm down here to talk about the immigration issue. And this is an
    important issue. It really is. It's an important debate our country is
    having. We need to have--we need to secure our border, and we need fair
    and effective immigration laws. The other night I spoke to the country
    about the way I see it, and I'm looking forward to working with the
    United States Congress to get something done.
        There's a lot of politics in Washington, DC. And it's time to get
    rid of all the politics and do what's right for the United States of
    America and help you do your job. And that's why I've come to this part
    of the world. I wanted to hear firsthand from David and Ronald Colburn what they

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    need to get the job done and where we're making progress and where we
    aren't making progress.
        I think it helps to have the President out here, seeing the part of
    the area of the country that one time was overrun by people coming in
    here--that's beginning to get settled down because of a strategy that's
    being employed. And so I really want to thank you all for greeting me.
    Plus, I liked riding in the dune buggy. [Laughter]
        I appreciate very much your Governor
    for being here. Governor Napolitano is with us today. Thank you very
    much for coming. I'm honored you're here. She's an important person as
    part of helping to implement this strategy; after all, she's the
    commander in chief of the Arizona National Guard. And I'm going to talk
    a little bit about the Guard's presence here on the border to help the
    Border Patrol do its job.
        But I also want to thank the Members of the United States Congress
    who flew out here with me. It's a good bunch, a little rambunctious at
    times, but they're--I enjoy being with them. I call them friends.
    Congressmen Kolbe, Hayworth, Shadegg, Flake, and Franks--appreciate you guys
    taking time out of your day to come down. You care a lot about your
    State, and you care a lot about this issue. And I appreciate you being
    here.
        I want to thank Senator Ken Bennett. He's
    the president of the Arizona Senate. Senator, you didn't need to come
    down here, but I'm grateful you did. And I also want to thank Speaker
    Weiers for being here as well. I appreciate
    your interest in the subject. The mayor, Mayor Larry Nelson, is with us. Mr. Mayor, thank you for coming.
        I want to thank all the other State and local officials. I want to
    thank Major General David Rataczak. He's
    the head of the Arizona National Guard. We're going to be working with
    our Guard. Don't go overboard for the guy. [Laughter] We're going to be
    working closely with our Guard around the country to help the Border
    Patrol do its job.
        I want to thank all the folks who are here for taking time out of
    your day to give me a chance to come and visit. I particularly want to
    thank the local law enforcement officials as well.
        I understand that illegal immigration is a serious problem. And one
    of our jobs in public office is to fix problems, is to deal with a
    problem in a rational way and not pass them on to other people. And I
    spoke to the country the other night because I want to fix the problem.
    And I want to work with people in Washington to do so. People here know
    firsthand that illegal immigration puts big pressure on our local
    communities, puts pressures on the schools, puts pressures on the
    hospitals, puts pressure on the State and local budgets, puts pressures
    on your penal system. I know that.
        Our country is a country of laws, and we've got to enforce our laws.
    But we're also a nation of immigrants, and we've got to remember that
    proud tradition as well, which has strengthened our country in many
    ways. These are not contradictory goals: to remember our heritage and
    uphold our laws. America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society
    at the same time.
        There's a debate in Washington, and the House started the debate by
    passing a strong enforcement bill last December. And now the Senate is
    debating. And I do want to compliment the Senators from this State--
    Senator McCain and Senator Kyl--for taking the lead. They understand the
    importance of getting this issue solved, and they're on the floor of the
    Senate debating a good immigration bill. And they've offered thoughtful
    proposals, for which I am grateful.
        The Senate needs to get the bill out, and get it to what they call
    the conference committee so we can work hard to iron out the differences
    between the House and the Senate. I support, strongly support a

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    comprehensive reform bill though. It needs to have five key elements to
    it.
        First, as I mentioned to you, we're going to secure our borders.
    That is the duty of our country. It's a sovereign responsibility. We
    want the border to be open to trade and lawful immigration, and we want
    our borders shut to illegal immigrants as well as criminals and drug
    dealers and terrorists. That's the objective.
        You might remember, I was the Governor of a border State, so I
    understand how big the border is. I would suggest to Members of
    Congress, as they debate this issue, that they ought to come down and
    take a look at the border, see what it's really like. It requires an
    intense focus of resources and assets in order to secure this border. It
    also requires a comprehensive strategy as well.
        Since I became the President, we've increased funding for our border
    security by 66 percent. That's helped upgrade equipment, infrastructure.
    Border Patrol agents have gone from 9,000--about 9,000 to nearly 12,000,
    a significant increase of Border Patrol agents, so that we can have more
    people in the frontlines of doing our duty.
        Here, we've added about--more than 100 Border Patrol agents in the
    Yuma Sector in the last year. In other words, people are beginning to
    see, those on the frontline of protecting the border are beginning to
    see additional agents coming on board. That's about an increase of 20
    percent, to more than 660 agents. This border--this sector was
    overwhelmed at one time from people coming across illegally. I
    understand that. And one way to help deal with that problem is to
    increase the number of agents on the frontline, which is what the
    leadership of the Border Patrol has done.
        We saw some new fencing taking place. It makes sense to use fencing
    along the border in key locations in order to do our job. We saw
    lighting. I just saw the cameras in place where we're beginning to
    install--modernize the border, is what I'm telling you. We're in the
    process of making our border the most technologically advanced border in
    the world.
        Interestingly enough, I don't think most Americans know this, but
    over the past 5 years, Federal agents, like our Border Patrol agents,
    have apprehended and sent home about 6 million people--6 million people
    since 2001 coming into this country illegally. I mean, we've got some
    people working hard.
        Last year, agents in the Yuma Sector apprehended more than 70,000
    illegal entrants. That's up from 14 percent. People's work is making a
    difference, but we do not have full control of the border. And that's
    what I want you all to understand--I realize, and a lot of people in
    Congress realize.
        And so here's the part--here's the strategy: We're going to increase
    our Border Patrol by another 6,000 agents. That will have doubled the
    Border Patrol from 2001. We should have those agents on line by 2008.
    We're going to make sure we continue to be wise about how we enable you
    to do your job better, with technologies and high-tech fences in urban
    corridors and patrol roads and barriers in rural areas and motion
    sensors, infrared cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles. All the equipment
    is aimed to enable the Border Patrol to do their job. We're adding
    additional equipment which will enable the 18,000 Border Patrol agents
    we'll have in place to be able to effectively control this border.
        It's going to take time to get the technology in place, and it's
    going to take time to train the Border Patrol agents. And yet the need
    to enforce the border is urgent, and that's why, in coordination with
    our Governors, we're going to send 6,000 National Guard troops to be
    deployed on the southern border.
        Now, the reason why I think this strategy is important is because
    deploying the 6,000 troops to complement the work of the Border Patrol
    will get immediate results. And it's time to get immediate results. And
    so I want to thank Governors like Janet for

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    her understanding about the need to utilize assets to do our job to
    enforce the border.
        The Guard is going to support border control efforts. And the Border
    Patrol, of course, will be in the lead. The Guard will operate
    surveillance and communications systems. They will install fences and
    vehicle barriers. They're going to help build patrol roads. They'll
    analyze intelligence. They will help spot people. But the Border Patrol
    will be involved in direct law enforcement. The Guard is going to free
    up agents to be in direct contact with those trying to sneak across. It
    is--the Guard is complementary. The Guard makes it easier for the Border
    Patrol to do its job.
        And the initial commitment will last for about a year for the
    6,000--for the Guard, and after that, the forces will be reduced as new
    Border Patrol agents and new equipment comes on line.
        There are more than 400 Guard members deployed along the Southwest
    border. In other words, this is something we've tried; this isn't
    anything new. The Governor has deployed Guard down here before. We've
    got Guard already helping the Border Patrol right now. The missions are
    directly related to their specific skills. In this sector, men and women
    from the Arizona Guard are assisting with communications and
    intelligence. Guard personnel from Pennsylvania and Ohio are helping
    install new infrastructure and technology. So the strategy I'm
    announcing--I announced last Monday has already started to work.
        State and local law enforcement in border communities are also a
    part of the strategy. And so we're going to draw on their expertise and
    provide new resources. We're going to increase Federal funding for State
    and local authorities assisting the Border Patrol on targeted law
    enforcement missions. The Federal Government isn't telling you what to
    do, but we are saying that if you choose to help the Border Patrol, that
    you'll be reimbursed for targeted enforcement missions. And we're going
    to help--we'll give State and local authorities specialized training to
    help Federal officers apprehend and detain illegal immigrants.
        As we catch more people crossing the border illegally, we got to
    make sure they're all returned home. And one of the problems we've had
    here in the border, that Border Patrol agents will tell you, is the
    problem of catch-and-release. Now, more than 85 percent of illegal
    immigrants caught--who get caught crossing the border are from Mexico.
    And they're sent home within 24 hours, and that's good. Part of having a
    secure border is people have got to understand when you're caught,
    you're sent home.
        But the problem is, is that it's not so easy to send home illegal
    immigrants from other countries. For many years, we didn't have enough
    space in detention facilities. You all know that. And so what would
    happen is somebody would get caught; the Border Patrol would do their
    job. They'd work hard to enforce the border, and some of the--a judge
    would say, ``Show back up; we'll see you back here in 30 days.'' Well,
    guess what? There was nobody back in 30 days. They went and headed into
    society. We've got to stop that practice. In order to make sure the
    Border Patrol is effective and do their jobs--I can't think of, frankly,
    anything more discouraging than to be out there doing--working as hard
    as you possibly can, apprehend somebody, and the next thing you know,
    they're let back out.
        And so we're going to add detention facilities. We'll continue to--
    we've added some already; we're going to continue to add more. We're
    going to expedite the legal process to cut the average deportation time.
    And the State Department, along with the White House, is going to
    continue to work with Governments to say, ``Look, we want you to take
    these folks back. You've got to make sure that when we start sending
    them back that you take them back.''
        And we're making some pretty good progress. We've caught--we've
    ended catch-and-release for illegal immigrants from some countries. And
    so I'm going to

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    ask Congress for funding and legal authority to end catch-and-release at
    the southern border once and for all, for all countries.
        I strongly believe that to have--secure the border, we need to have
    a temporary-worker program. And the reason why I do is I understand
    there are many people on the other side of the border who will do
    anything to come and work. And that includes risking their life crossing
    your desert or being willing to be stuffed in the back of an 18-wheeler.
    I believe in order for the Border Patrol to be able to effectively do
    their job, we've got to have a plan in place that will reduce the people
    who are trying to sneak across.
        A temporary-worker program would create a legal path for foreign
    workers to enter a country in an orderly way for a limited period of
    time. A temporary-worker program would reduce the number of people
    trying to sneak across. A temporary-worker program would reduce the
    appeal of human smugglers. There's a whole industry that has sprung up
    that traffics in human beings, that degrades the human soul. Coyotes--
    that's a familiar word here in this part of the world. A lot of people
    around the country don't understand what a coyote is, but they're
    somebody who, for money, will smuggle people into the United States so
    they can work.
        We want to know who is coming in the country and who is not coming
    in the country. And so I think it makes sense to say, if someone is
    willing to do a job Americans aren't doing, here's a temporary way to
    come and work. Here's a tamper-proof card, so you don't have to sneak
    across the border. You could walk across the border, and you can do that
    work, and when your time is up, you go home.
        Now, these people are going to have to pass a criminal background
    check, but we've got to recognize there are people here doing jobs
    Americans aren't doing. You know it as well as anybody in this part of
    the world. And it seems like to me, there ought to be an orderly way, a
    rational way, to deal with those workers--with a temporary-work plan.
        And by the way, issuing a card, a tamper-proof card, will make it
    easier for us to enforce the law in the interior of our country. It is
    against the law for an employer to hire somebody who is here illegally.
    That's the law of the United States. We're a nation of laws; we'll
    uphold the laws. But how can you ask employers to uphold the laws when
    they're not sure whether the documents they're looking at are
    fraudulent?
        So not only has the current immigration system caused a whole
    smuggling industry to come up, but there's also a document forgery
    industry. We want our employers to be able to be confident about who
    they're hiring. That's why we need a tamper-proof ID card based upon
    modern biometrics.
        Fourth, it is important to resolve the status of million illegal
    immigrants who are here already. First of all, in this debate, there
    should be--nobody should be given an automatic citizenship--that's
    called amnesty. I oppose amnesty. Amnesty would be unfair to those who
    are here lawfully, to those who have played by the rules. Amnesty would
    undermine the rule of law, and amnesty would invite a further wave of
    illegal immigrants.
        There are some in this country who believe we ought to deport
    everybody who has been here. I just don't think it's going to work. I
    don't think it makes sense. And so I believe there's a rational middle
    ground between automatic citizenship and a program of mass deportation.
        And here it is. First, it's important for the law to distinguish
    between someone who has crossed the border illegally--recently--and
    someone who has worked here for many years and has a home and raised a
    family and has a clean record. For that person, the person who has got
    roots in our country, I believe that person should pay a meaningful
    fine, pay their taxes, learn English, prove they've worked in a job for

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    a number of years, and then that person should be able to apply for
    citizenship--but would not be granted an automatic citizenship, but
    instead would be at the end of the citizenship line.
        In other words, people have been here legally, somebody who pays
    their dues, pays their taxes, pays a fine, proven to be a good citizen,
    they get at the end of the line. Someone said, well, that's amnesty--
    that's not amnesty. Amnesty is automatic citizenship. This is a rational
    way to deal with people who are God-fearing, decent people, and respect
    their dignity at the same time.
        Fifth, we've got to honor the great American tradition of the
    melting pot. Americans are bound together by shared ideals and
    appreciation of our history, of respect for our flag and ability to
    speak the English language. There's certain things that unite us, no
    matter where we're from or what our background has been.
        I want people to understand, as we go through this debate, that I
    fully understand English is the key to unlocking opportunity in America.
    Part of the greatness of America is that we've been able to help
    assimilate people into our society, people from all kinds of backgrounds
    who have come here to seek a better life and become American, because we
    have the capacity to assimilate.
        And part of that assimilation process is English. I believe this: If
    you learn English and you're a hard worker and you have a dream, you
    have the capacity from going from picking crops to owning the store or
    from sweeping office floors to being an office manager. That's been the
    greatness of America, when you think about it. People have come here
    with a dream and have worked hard and realized that dream.
        And yet because we're from different backgrounds, we've all been
    able to be one America, one Nation under God. And so part of a rational
    immigration plan has got to remember that helping people assimilate into
    our society is a really important part of making sure we have an
    immigration system that works.
        I strongly believe that Congress needs to pass a comprehensive
    immigration bill, because you cannot secure the border unless you have
    all elements of a comprehensive plan in place. Doing our duty to secure
    the border requires a comprehensive approach. The United States Senate
    needs to end by the act--act by the end of this month. They need to do
    their duty and get a bill out so we can get on about the business of
    getting a comprehensive bill to my desk.
        We have a duty in Washington, DC, to conduct this debate with
    dignity and honor. Immigration is an emotional issue. Sometimes people
    get carried away on the issue, and they--in doing so, they forget the
    greatness of our country, that we are a land of immigrants, that we've
    always been a haven for better opportunity, that we welcome people who
    are willing to abide by our laws and work hard and raise their family
    and trust in the Almighty. America's greatness has been and always will
    be the fact that we are one Nation under God.
        Thanks for letting me come by.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:51 p.m. at the Yuma Sector Border Patrol
    Headquarters. In his remarks, he referred to David V. Aguilar, Chief,
    and Ronald S. Colburn, Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol; Gov.
    Janet A. Napolitano of Arizona; and James P. Weiers, speaker, Arizona
    State House of Representatives. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.

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