Response I received from the White House cancerning President Bush's
reported undocumented worker / legislation follows. Also being referred
to as "Illegal Alien Amnesty" in news media.
The White House
Washington
Dear Mr. _____:
Thank you for writing to President Bush about United States immigration
policies. We appreciate learning your thoughts and welcome your
suggestions about this important issue.
The President is committed to keeping America and our borders safe. He
opposes amnesty for undocumented workers and believes that migration to
the United States should be legal, safe, and orderly while addressing
our economic, security, and humanitarian needs. The Administration
continues to work closely with Mexico and Canada on shared border
concerns, including enforcing immigration laws and facilitating
legitimate travel and trade.
Without jeopardizing the livelihoods of American citizens or control
over our borders, we can make our immigration laws more rational and
more humane. For this reason, the President recently asked the
Congress to develop legislation that would match willing foreign
workers with willing employers
when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs. The President
proposed that the Federal Government offer temporary worker status
to undocumented men and women employed in the United States at the
time he announced his proposal, January 7, 2004, and to those in
foreign countries who have been
offered employment here. The workers living in the United States and
signing up for temporary status would pay a fee to register in the
program, abide by the rules, and return to their home countries
after their worker visas expire unless they have another form of
lawful status.
The President’s proposal would help deter illegal immigration by
increasing enforcement against employers who hire undocumented workers.
The proposal would also include provisions allowing those aliens holding
temporary worker permits under this program to travel between their home
countries and the United States. The President also remains committed to
working with other nations to allow foreign workers to receive credit in
their home countries’ retirement systems for time worked in the United
States, and he supports the creation of tax-preferred savings accounts
that workers can
collect when they return to their native countries.
President Bush respects and values the role that immigrants continue to
play in building our Nation, and he believes this temporary worker
program reflects our country’s heritage as a welcoming society. If
enacted by the Congress, his proposal will strengthen our economy and
make our homeland more
secure.
Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
Heidi Marquez
Special Assistant to the President
and Director of Presidential Correspondence
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