[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 27 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Pages 1266-1267]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Immigration Reform in Alexandria, Virginia

July 5, 2006

    The President. I just had a really interesting conversation. First 
of all, this business is owned by two Iranian American brothers. They 
are small-business owners; they are entrepreneurs; they are employing 
people. And then I met with the district manager, who works with the two 
Iranian American brothers, happens to be a Guatemalan American citizen. 
She is learning business; she is taking on additional responsibility. 
Then I talked to the store manager, who was a Salvadoran American.
    These people remind me that one of the great features of our country 
is that people are able to come here and realize dreams. One of the 
problems we have, because our economy is strong, is that small-business 
owners have trouble finding workers. People come here to work.
    And one of the things we've got to do is to make sure that they have 
a verification plan that will enable them to determine, as they hire new 
workers, whether or not those workers are here illegally. See, it's 
against the law to hire somebody who is here illegally. And we intend to 
enforce that law. Part of a comprehensive immigration plan is to give 
employers the tools necessary to determine whether or not the workers 
they're looking for are here illegally in America. And we've got such a 
plan--Basic Pilot, it's called. It's working.
    One of the reasons I came is, I asked the owner of the business, was 
the plan working. He said, ``Yes, it is. It makes it easier for us to 
verify whether the documents a person gives us are true.'' I also want--
so therefore I want this plan to be expanded. When I first became 
President, it was only in six States. Now it's across the Nation. But 
it's a voluntary plan; it ought to be a mandatory plan.
    I'm strongly for a comprehensive immigration policy; it's one that 
enforces the border. And we're doing that by expanding agents and 
putting new technologies on our border. But part of a comprehensive 
immigration plan is to make sure we have interior enforcement, that we 
uphold our laws, and say to employers, ``It's against the law for you to 
hire somebody who's here illegally; we intend to fine you when we catch 
you doing it.'' But we've got to get the employers the tools to make 
sure that the people who are here, are here legally.
    Thirdly, I think there needs to be--I know there needs to be a 
worker program that says you can come here on a temporary basis and work 
here legally for jobs Americans aren't doing. If you talk to employers 
such as these folks, they'll tell you they need workers. And people are 
willing to do the work that others aren't willing to do, but we want to 
make sure there's a legal way to do it.
    So I look forward to working with Congress for a temporary-worker 
plan that will have background checks to make sure that people that are 
coming aren't criminals, that say you can come here for a temporary 
basis, that you can do work others aren't doing. And that's one way to 
make sure that employers know they're hiring people who are here 
legally.
    We need to make sure we help people assimilate. I met four people 
here who assimilated into our country. They speak English; they 
understand the history of our country; they love the American flag as 
much as I love the American flag. That's one of the great things about 
America--we help newcomers assimilate. Here's four folks that are living 
the American Dream, and I think it helps renew our soul and our spirit 
to help people assimilate.
    And finally, we cannot kick people out who have been here for 
awhile. And so I look forward to working with Congress on a rational 
plan as to how to make sure people who have been here, the 11 million or 
so people who have been here for awhile, are treated with respect and 
dignity. I'm absolutely opposed to amnesty. Amnesty says, you're 
automatically a citizen. That would be a mistake to grant amnesty. 
Amnesty would say to somebody, all I've got to do is wait it out; all 
I've got to do is get here illegally myself and I'll become a citizen. 
That would be bad policy.
    But I'm also realistic to tell you that we're not going to be able 
to deport people who have been here, working hard and raising their 
families. And so I want to work with Congress to come up with a rational 
way forward.

[[Page 1267]]

    Again, I want to thank you all for having me. I love being--I cannot 
tell you how I love being with entrepreneurs and dreamers and doers and 
people who are running things and managers, and to be with my fellow 
citizens as we talk about a very important public policy, and that's 
rational, comprehensive immigration reform.
    Thank you all very much. See you back at the White House.
    Q. Mr. President, North Korea--do you believe there should be----
    The President. See you at the White House. April [April Ryan, 
American Urban Radio Networks], would you like me to buy you a cup of 
coffee?
    Ms. Ryan. I would love you to.
    The President. What would you want in it?
    Ms. Ryan. Anything you want to give me.
    The President. What would you like in it, cream and sugar?
    Ms. Ryan. Sure, sir. [Laughter]
    The President. Alright. One more coffee please. I'm coming your way. 
It's in the spirit of----
    Ms. Ryan. Spirit of what?
    The President. Spirit of reaching out.
    Ms. Ryan. All right. And you got money in your pocket? Do you 
typically keep money in your pocket?
    The President. No, this is--Jared let me have this money. [Laughter] 
And I'll repay him--I'll repay him. See, the man offered to give me the 
coffee for free. You can't run a business if you give your coffee away. 
I understand how commerce works. He offers a product I want; I then pay 
for that product--I'll handle that, sir, thank you. [Laughter]
    Ms. Ryan. Mr. President, thank you so much.
    The President. April, anything for you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m. in a Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin 
Robbins store. In his remarks, he referred to Abolhossein Ejtemai and 
Ali Assayesh, owners, and Reynaldo Ramos, store manager; and Adriana 
Hernandez, district manager, Dunkin' Brands, Inc. The Office of the 
Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these 
remarks.