Bush defends immigration reform bill

May 29, 2007

Tuesday at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), located just outside of the city of Brunswick, Georgia, President George W. Bush made it clear that he was not going to stop fighting for the proposed immigration reform bill, which would allow illegal immigrants with no criminal records to register to remain temporarily in the United States after paying a fine.

“A lot of Americans are skeptical about immigration reform primarily because they don't think the government can fix the problems,” Bush stated. “And my answer to the skeptics is, give us a chance to fix the problems in a comprehensive way that enforces our border and treats people with decency and respect.”

President Bush followed this up with the following statement:

“[The bill] is the best hope for lasting reform. If people are interested in fixing a system that's broken, this bill is the best hope to do so.”

Georgia senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both Republican, approve of the current bill, although they did say they may not support the final bill, depending on how it is amended.

Along with giving a select number of illegal immigrants temporary occupancy, the bill would also create a guest worker program which would allow foreign laborers to come to the United States temporarily.

However, illegal immigrants that were granted temporary residency in the United States under the reforms would have some obstacles to overcome in order to gain full legal status. To obtain a green card and become a permanent resident, the immigrant would have to go through a rigorous application process, which can take several years. It would require the temporary immigrant to pay another fine, learn English, and return to their home country to be placed on a waiting list with other applicants.