On Bush and Immigration

The entire text of Bush's speech this afternoon is here. One of the parts I found most interesting was this:

We face a different set of challenges with non-Mexicans that we -- who we catch crossing the border illegally. When non-Mexican illegal immigrants are apprehended, they are initially detained. The problem is that our detention facilities don't have enough beds. And so, about four of every five non-Mexican illegal immigrants we catch are released in society and asked to return for a court date. When the date arrives, about 75 percent of those released don't show up to the court. As a result, last year, only 30,000 of the 160,000 non-Mexicans caught coming across our southwest border were sent home.

This practice of catch and release has been the government's policy for decades. It is an unwise policy and we're going to end it. (Applause.) To help end catch and release, we need to increase the capacity in our detention facilities. Last month at the White House I signed legislation supported by the members of the Arizona delegation that will increase the number of beds in our detention facilities. We're also working to process illegal immigrants through the system more quickly, so we can return them home faster and free up bed space for others.

One of the most effective tools we have in this effort is a process called expedited removal. Under expedited removal, non-Mexicans are detained and placed into streamlined proceedings. It allows us to deport them at an average of 32 days, almost three times faster than usual. In other words, we're cutting through the bureaucracy. Last year we used expedited removal to deport more than 20,000 non-Mexicans caught entering this country illegally between Tucson and Laredo. This program is so successful that the Secretary has expanded it all up and down the border. This is a straightforward idea. It says, when an illegal immigrant knows they'll be caught and sent home, they're less likely to come to the country. That's the message we're trying to send with expedited removal.

I don't know if this is successful or not. As an educator, all I can say is that there are illegal residents who send children to our schools. And as educators, we are prohibited by law to divulge who those families are. Now I don't suspect that we have any families with Al Qaeda connections at the schools at which I work; but what if we did? The law states that educators cannot report families to INS or to Homeland Security. This, IMO, smacks of "the wall" put up between government agencies that led to the intelligence failures of the 1990s that reportedly enabled this.

Please hear me on this. I have no problem with immigration. It is the process of skirting the law in order to do so that I have a problem with.

Another issue I have some difficulty with is this:

Listen, there's a lot of opinions on this proposal -- I understand that. But people in this debate must recognize that we will not be able to effectively enforce our immigration laws until we create a temporary worker program. The program that I proposed would not create an automatic path to citizenship, it wouldn't provide for amnesty -- I oppose amnesty. Rewarding those who have broken the law would encourage others to break the law and keep pressure on our border. (Applause.)

A temporary worker program, by contrast, would decrease pressure on the border. I support the number of -- increasing the number of annual green cards that can lead to citizenship. But for the sake of justice and for the sake of border security, I'm not going to sign an immigration bill that includes amnesty. (Applause.)

I guess I'm just having trouble with the concept of allowing illegals to work legally after they have circumvented due process, and calling it something other than a form of amnesty. It's akin to catching someone robbing the local 7-11, and saying, "Okay--you can keep the carton of Marlboros, but then you better be on your way!"

At the same time, pragmatically, this would allow us to keep those who choose to participate in the program, so it's a double-edged sword. In terms of principle, I am against it. However, I also realize in the short term that this may be the most pragmatic way available of trying to control the water that already has passed under the bridge.

Said Bush

We make good progress, but you know like I know, there's a lot more to be done. And we've got to continue to work together to get that done, and I'm optimistic that Congress will rise to the occasion. By passing comprehensive immigration reform, we will add to this country's security, to our prosperity, and to justice.

Our nation has been strengthened by generations of immigrants who became Americans through patience and hard work and assimilation. In this new century, we must continue to welcome immigrants, and to set high standards for those who follow the laws to become a part of our country. Every new citizen of the United States has an obligation to learn our customs and values, including liberty and civic responsibility, equality under God and tolerance for others, and the English language. (Applause.) We will continue to pursue policies that encourage ownership, excellence in education, and give all our citizens a chance to realize the American Dream.

It is my hope that the preceding two paragraphs were indeed made in the spirit of sincerity and resolve, vs. the hyperbole that we have all too often come to expect regarding this issue.