    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [October 26, 2006]
    [Pages 1919-1920]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the Secure Fence Act of 2006
    October 26, 2006

        Thank you all. Thank you. Please be seated. I'm pleased that you all
    are here to witness the signature of the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This
    bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our
    borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform.
        I want to thank the Members of Congress for their work on this
    important piece of legislation. I welcome you here to the White House.
    I'm looking forward to signing this bill.
        I appreciate the Vice President joining us
    today. I thank the Deputy Secretary, Michael Jackson, of the Department of Homeland Security. Rob Portman--he happens to be the Director of the
    OMB. I want to thank Ralph Basham, who is
    the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; David
    Aguilar is the Chief of the U.S. Border
    Patrol.
        I appreciate the fact that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has joined us, as well as House Majority Leader John
    Boehner. I appreciate them coming in from
    their respective States as I sign this piece of legislation. I want to
    thank Congressman Peter King, who's the
    chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the House of
    Representatives. I appreciate you being here, Peter.
        Ours is a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of law.
    Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its
    borders for decades, and therefore, illegal immigration has been on the
    rise. We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a
    responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure
    our borders. We take this responsibility seriously.
        Earlier this year, I addressed the Nation from the Oval Office. I
    laid out our strategy for immigration reform. Part of that strategy
    begins with securing the border. Since I took office, we have more than
    doubled funding for border security--from $4.6 billion in 2001 to $10.4
    billion this year. We've increased the number of Border Patrol agents
    from about 9,000 to more than 12,000, and by the end of 2008, we will
    have doubled the number of Border Patrol agents during my Presidency.
        We've deployed thousands of National Guard members to assist the
    Border Patrol. We've upgraded technology at our borders. We've added
    infrastructure, including new fencing and vehicle barriers. We're adding
    thousands of new beds in our detention

    [[Page 1920]]

    facilities so we can continue working to end catch-and-release at our
    southern border. During the course of my administration, we have
    apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering our
    country illegally. And I thank the Border Patrol for their hard work.
        The Secure Fence Act builds on this progress. The bill authorizes
    the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our
    southern border. The bill authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints,
    and lighting to help prevent people from entering our country illegally.
    The bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the
    use of advanced technology like cameras and satellites and unmanned
    aerial vehicles to reinforce our infrastructure at the border. We're
    modernizing the southern border of the United States so we can assure
    the American people we're doing our job of securing the border. By
    making wise use of physical barriers and deploying 21st century
    technology, we're helping our Border Patrol agents do their job.
        The Secure Fence Act is part of our efforts to reform our
    immigration system. We have more to do. Meaningful immigration reform
    means that we must enforce our immigration laws in the United States. It
    is against the law to hire someone who is here illegally. We fully
    understand that most businesses want to obey that law, but they cannot
    verify the legal status of their employees because of widespread
    document fraud. So we're creating a better system for verifying
    documents and work eligibility and, in the meantime, holding people to
    account for breaking the law.
        We must reduce pressure on our border by creating a temporary-worker
    plan. Willing workers ought to be matched with willing employers to do
    jobs Americans are not doing for a temporary--on a temporary basis.
        We must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are
    already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship;
    that is amnesty. I oppose amnesty. There is a rational middle ground
    between granting an automatic pass to citizenship for every illegal
    immigrant and a program of mass deportation. And I look forward to
    working with Congress to find that middle ground.
        The bill I'm about to sign is an important step in our Nation's
    efforts to secure our border and reform our immigration system. I want
    to thank the Members of Congress for joining me as I sign the Secure
    Fence Act of 2006.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:34 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. H.R. 6061, approved October 26, was assigned Public Law No.
    109-367. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.