    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [June 23, 2007]
    [Pages 797-799]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 23, 2007

        Good morning. This week, Senate leaders introduced revised
    legislation on comprehensive immigration reform. I thank leaders from
    both parties for their bipartisan effort to fix our immigration system
    so it can meet the needs of our Nation in the 21st century.
        As the Senate takes up this critical bill, I understand that many
    Americans have concerns about immigration reform, especially about the
    Federal Government's ability to secure the border. So this bill puts the
    enforcement tools in place first. And it means more Border Patrol
    agents, more fencing, more infrared cameras, and other technologies at
    the border. It also requires an employee-verification system based on
    government-issued, tamper-proof identification cards that will help
    employers ensure that the workers they hire are legal.
        Only after these enforcement tools are in place will certain other
    parts of the bill go into effect. To make sure the government keeps its
    enforcement commitment,

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    the bill includes $4.4 billion in immediate additional funding for these
    border security and worksite enforcement efforts.
        The bill also addresses other problems with immigration enforcement.
    Right now our laws are ineffective and insufficient. For example,
    crossing the border illegally carries weak penalties. In addition,
    participation in illegal gangs is not enough to bar admission into our
    country. And when we cannot get other countries to accept the return of
    their citizens who are dangerous criminals, in most cases, our
    Government can only detain these aliens for 6 months before releasing
    them into society.
        This is unacceptable. The bill before the Senate addresses these
    problems. Under this bill, those caught crossing illegally will be
    permanently barred from returning to the United States on a work or
    tourist visa. Under this bill, anyone known to have taken part in
    illegal gang activity can be denied admission to our country. And under
    this bill, we will be able to detain aliens who are dangerous criminals
    until another country accepts their return.
        These enforcement measures are a good start. Yet even with all these
    steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the
    border. Hundreds of thousands of people come here illegally because our
    current work visa program does not match the needs of a growing and
    dynamic economy. To discourage people from crossing our border
    illegally, this bill creates an orderly path for foreign workers to
    enter our country legally to work on a temporary basis.
        With this program in place, employers will have a practical system
    to fill jobs Americans are not doing and foreign workers will have a
    legal way to apply for them. As a result, they won't have to try to
    sneak in. And that will leave border agents free to chase down drug
    dealers, human traffickers, and terrorists.
        Once the border security and worksite enforcement benchmarks are
    met, the bill will resolve the status of 12 million people who are now
    in our country illegally. Under this bill, these workers will be given
    an opportunity to get right with the law. This is not amnesty. There
    will be penalties for those who come out of the shadows. If they pass a
    strict background check, pay a fine, hold a job, maintain a clean
    criminal record, and eventually learn English, they will qualify for and
    maintain a Z visa. If they want to get a green card, they have to do all
    these things plus pay an additional fine, go to the back of the line,
    and return to their country to apply from there.
        This bill provides an historic opportunity to uphold America's
    tradition of welcoming and assimilating immigrants and honoring our
    heritage as a nation built on the rule of law. We have an obligation to
    solve problems that have been piling up for decades. The status quo is
    unacceptable. We must summon the political courage to move forward with
    a comprehensive reform bill. By acting now, we can ensure that our laws
    are respected, that the needs of our economy are met, and that our
    Nation treats newcomers with dignity and helps them assimilate.
        I urge members of both parties to support comprehensive immigration
    reform. By working together, we can pass this good bill and build an
    immigration system worthy of our great Nation.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 10 a.m. on June 22 in the Cabinet Room
    at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 23. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 22, but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.

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