For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 25, 2006
President's Radio Address
Audio
In Focus: Immigration
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Monday, I will attend a
naturalization ceremony here in Washington. It's always inspiring to
watch a group of immigrants raise their hands and swear an oath to
become citizens of the United States of America. These men and women
follow in the footsteps of millions who've come to our shores seeking
liberty and opportunity, and America is better off for their hard work
and love of freedom.
|
Radio Address
|
Radio Interviews
|
America is a nation of immigrants, and we're also a nation of
laws. And our immigration laws are in need of reform. So at Monday's
ceremony, I will discuss my vision for comprehensive immigration reform
that will secure our borders, improve enforcement of our immigration
laws, and uphold our values.
Comprehensive immigration reform begins with securing our borders.
Since I took office, we've increased funding for border security by 66
percent, and the Department of Homeland Security has caught and sent
home nearly 6 million illegal immigrants. To improve security at the
border, we're hiring thousands more Border Patrol agents. We're
deploying new technology, like infrared cameras and unmanned aerial
vehicles, to help our agents do their job. And we're installing
physical barriers to entry, like fences in urban areas.
We're also working to end the unwise practice of
catch-and-release. For decades, many illegal immigrants were released
back into society soon after they were caught, because we did not have
enough detention space. So we're adding more beds so we can hold the
people we catch, and we're reducing the time it takes to send them back
home. When illegal immigrants know they will be caught and sent home,
they will be less likely to break the rules, and our immigration system
will be more orderly and secure. We're making good progress, but we
have much more work ahead, and we will not be satisfied until we have
control of our border.
Comprehensive immigration reform also includes strengthening the
enforcement of our laws in America's interior. Since I took office,
we've increased funding for immigration enforcement by 42 percent.
We're increasing the number of immigration enforcement agents and
criminal investigators, enhancing work site enforcement, and going after
smugglers and gang members and human traffickers.
Finally, comprehensive immigration reform requires a temporary
worker program that will relieve pressure on our borders. This program
would create a legal way to match willing foreign workers with willing
American employers to fill jobs that Americans will not do. By reducing
the number of people trying to sneak across the border, we would free up
our law enforcement officers to focus on criminals and drug dealers and
terrorists and others who mean us harm.
One thing the temporary worker program would not do is provide
amnesty to those who are in our country illegally. I believe that
granting amnesty would be unfair, because it would allow those who break
the law to jump ahead of people who play by the rules and wait in the
citizenship line. Amnesty would also be unwise, because it would
encourage waves of illegal immigration, increase pressure on the border,
and make it more difficult for law enforcement to focus on those who
mean us harm. For the sake of justice and for the sake of border
security, I firmly oppose amnesty.
In the coming days, the United States Senate plans to consider
proposals on immigration reform. This is an emotional debate. America
does not have to choose between being a welcoming society and being a
lawful society. We can be both at the same time. As we debate the
immigration issue, we must remember there are hard-working individuals,
doing jobs that Americans will not do, who are contributing to the
economic vitality of our country.
To keep the promise of America, we must enforce the laws of
America. We must also ensure that immigrants assimilate into our
society and learn our customs and values -- including the English
language. By working together, we can meet our duty to fix our
immigration system and deliver a bill that protects our country, upholds
our laws, and makes our Nation proud.
Thank you for listening.
END
|