[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.