    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 19, 2007]
    [Pages 599-600]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    May 19, 2007

        Good morning. This week, my administration reached an agreement with
    Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on immigration reform. I thank
    the leaders in both parties who worked hard to produce legislation that
    will secure the border, restore respect for the law, and meet the
    legitimate needs of our economy.
        This legislation includes all the elements required for
    comprehensive immigration reform. It will improve security at our
    borders. It will give employers new tools to verify the employment
    status of workers and hold businesses to account for those they hire. It
    will create a temporary-worker program. It will help us resolve the
    status of millions of illegal immigrants who are here already, without
    animosity and without amnesty. And it will honor the great American
    tradition of the melting pot by strengthening our efforts to help new
    arrivals assimilate into our society.
        Here's how the bill works. First, it will require the strong border
    security and enforcement benchmarks are met before other elements of the
    legislation are implemented. These benchmarks include completing our
    plan to double the number of Border Patrol agents, improving border
    infrastructure, and maintaining enough beds in our detention facilities
    so that all those apprehended at the border can be held and returned to
    their home countries. We will also improve worksite enforcement by
    implementing an effective system to verify worker eligibility using
    tamper-resistant identification cards and by imposing stiffer

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    penalties on companies that knowingly violate the law. Once these
    benchmarks are met, they will trigger other provisions of comprehensive
    reform.
        The legislation will create a new temporary-worker program. Such a
    program will help our economy and take pressure off the border by
    providing foreign workers with a legal and orderly way to enter our
    country to fill jobs that Americans are not doing. To ensure that this
    program is truly temporary, workers will be limited to three 2-year
    terms, with at least a year spent outside the United States between each
    term. Temporary workers will be allowed to bring immediate family
    members only if they demonstrate that they can support them financially
    and that their family members are covered by health insurance.
        This legislation will also help resolve the status of illegal
    immigrants who are already in our country, without amnesty. Those who
    come out of the shadows will be given probationary status. 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 become citizens, they have to do all
    these things plus pay an additional fine, go to the back of the line,
    pass a citizenship test, and return to their country to apply for their
    green card.
        This legislation will also strengthen our efforts to help new
    immigrants assimilate. The key to unlocking the full promise of America
    is the ability to speak English. This bill affirms that English is the
    language of the United States. And it provides new opportunities for
    immigrants to learn English and embrace the shared ideals that bind us
    as a nation.
        In addition, this legislation will clear the backlog of family
    members who've applied to come to our country lawfully and have been
    waiting patiently in line. This legislation will end chain migration by
    limiting the relatives who can automatically receive green cards to
    spouses and minor children. And this legislation will transform our
    immigration system so that future immigration decisions are focused on
    admitting immigrants who have the skills, education, and English
    proficiency that will help America compete in a global economy.
        I realize that many hold strong convictions on this issue, and
    reaching an agreement was not easy. I appreciate the efforts of Senators
    who came together to craft this important legislation. This bill brings
    us closer to an immigration system that enforces our laws and upholds
    the great American tradition of welcoming those who share our values and
    our love of freedom.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on May 18 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 19. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    May 18, but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.