What the President should say tomorrow night
Good evening, my fellow Americans.
In recent weeks, the subject of immigration has dominated the headlines and our national life. Millions of people have marched in our cities, great and small, pointing out that this nation was built on immigration, and that without immigrants country would lack the constant replenishment of people, talent, and reminders of our own roots which have made our nation at once the greatest and the most vital nation on Earth.
At the same time, millions of other Americans have registered their very justified concern that our nation is not in control of its own borders; that our job market and social welfare network- and, in some cases, our prisons- have been overwhelmed by an invasion of immigrants who have chosen, as their very first act toward America, to defy its laws and then belligerently declare supposed right to remain.
Both sides are right, in a sense. America is indeed built upon the immigrant- the immigrant who came here to share our values and our destinies, to help us make our laws- and to obey them. Ours has been rightly described as a nation of immigrants. But it is also a nation of laws. Those of us whose ancestors sought a better life in America can feel only a kindred spirit for those who follow in their footsteps today. We are better off for their coming. But too many of them come, not as our ancestors came, but in defiance of the very laws which govern and define our common life.
I do not question that many undocumented aliens came here out of desperation, to improve their lot and to seek a better life. The American people are a compassionate people, and deeply sympathize with them. But sympathy for their plight and for their motives does not imply acceptance of their actions. In truth, no nation can maintain its own sovereignty without control over its own borders. And the crisis in undocumented immigration has robbed this nation of that control.
I do not intend that this situation continue. I intend to recommend to Congress that our sympathy for the situation which leads immigrants to cross the border from Mexico illegally be reflected in our law. On the other hand, I also intend to recommend that the message be clearly sent that we do not intend our borders to continue to be porous beyond our control, or our laws defied with impunity.
As a temporary measure- and I emphasize its temporary character- I am invoking the Insurrection Act, whereby National Guard troops may, upon proclamation of a state of insurrection by the President, be employed for law enforcement purposes. After all, what is the defiance of our laws by millions within our borders but an insurrection?
Secondly, I am federalizing the National Guards of California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. No further assignments of National Guard troops from those states to Iraq or Afghanistan will be made. Instead, the National Guard of these states will be devoted- again, as a temporary measure- to the patrolling of the border between Mexico and the United States, and the prevention of the crossing of that border by those seeking to remain in our nation illegally.
Thirdly, I am declaring the border between the United States and Mexico closed, with exceptions as delineated later in this statement. This, once more, is a temporary measure, to persist only as long as it takes for both nations, cooperatively, to institute a workable plan whereby both countries, cooperatively, can work to prevent the crossing of our mutual border by those who intend to remain in the United States in defiance of our laws.
In the coming weeks and months, diplomatic discussions between the United States and Mexico will be solicited by the Department of State for the purpose of agreeing upon and implementing such a plan. The border between our countries will remain closed until such time as that plan can be agreed upon and implemented. Exceptions will be made for commercial traffic where the trucks in question can be documented as legitimate vehicles whereby commercial goods may be transmitted; National Guard and Immigration and Nationalization officers will be employed to search all trucks entering or returning to the United States for people seeking to illegally enter our nation. Other exceptions may also be added for economic or humanitarian reasons. But
there will be no more routine and easy crossing of the border from Mexico until we can be assured that those who cross can be expected to respect our laws.
Fourthly, I am asking the Congress to declare illegal immigration into the United States to be a felony, punishable by up to ten years' confinement in a Federal prison, to be followed by deportation and permanent disqualification for legal entry into the United States. We are through deporting illegal immigrants, only to have them re-cross the border the next night. The message needs to be sent that we will not have our borders and our laws violated with impunity. Six months will be given all undocumented workers currently in the United States to return to Mexico, and executive clemency will be freely given upon recommendation of a panel appointed by the Attorney General and the INS to all who can demonstrate that they have been unable to do so for reasons beyond their control. These will be provided transportation across the border at our expense.
Finally, negotiations will begin immediately with the administration of Mexico's President Fox to establish the details of a guest worker program, whereby individuals who come across the border from Mexico legally will be entitled- provided they find a job and check in with INS officials at regular intervals- to remain in this country for up to five years, during which time they will be free to seek a "Green Card" and even naturalization as American citizens.
I realize that this will require the creation of a new INS bureaucracy to keep track of these guest workers, and to process their requests. But the cost will be much less than the cost of continuing to allow essentially unregulated invasion of our nation by undocumented workers.
By these means, it will be made clear that this nation will not tolerate continued defiance of our laws, and violation of our borders. Our national sovereignty will be firmly asserted, while compassionately making room for the kind of continued- and legal- immigration upon which this nation was built.
To those contemplating immigration to America, I say that we both want you and need you- as long as you demonstrate the first requisite of good citizens, or even good guests.... respect for our laws.
There has been talk of building a wall between the United States and Mexico. I would hate to see that happen. It would poison relations between our nations for the foreseeable future, and it would sent exactly the wrong message not only to Mexico, but to all those from anywhere on Earth considering legal emigration to the United States.
Which is why it is so vitally important that the United States and Mexico find a way to avoid it. But that will require the sincere and serious respect of the Mexican government for our national right to control our own borders, as well as our own determination to effectively exercise that right. Their will be no lack of such determination while I sit in this office.
Thank you, my fellow Americans... and good night.
In recent weeks, the subject of immigration has dominated the headlines and our national life. Millions of people have marched in our cities, great and small, pointing out that this nation was built on immigration, and that without immigrants country would lack the constant replenishment of people, talent, and reminders of our own roots which have made our nation at once the greatest and the most vital nation on Earth.
At the same time, millions of other Americans have registered their very justified concern that our nation is not in control of its own borders; that our job market and social welfare network- and, in some cases, our prisons- have been overwhelmed by an invasion of immigrants who have chosen, as their very first act toward America, to defy its laws and then belligerently declare supposed right to remain.
Both sides are right, in a sense. America is indeed built upon the immigrant- the immigrant who came here to share our values and our destinies, to help us make our laws- and to obey them. Ours has been rightly described as a nation of immigrants. But it is also a nation of laws. Those of us whose ancestors sought a better life in America can feel only a kindred spirit for those who follow in their footsteps today. We are better off for their coming. But too many of them come, not as our ancestors came, but in defiance of the very laws which govern and define our common life.
I do not question that many undocumented aliens came here out of desperation, to improve their lot and to seek a better life. The American people are a compassionate people, and deeply sympathize with them. But sympathy for their plight and for their motives does not imply acceptance of their actions. In truth, no nation can maintain its own sovereignty without control over its own borders. And the crisis in undocumented immigration has robbed this nation of that control.
I do not intend that this situation continue. I intend to recommend to Congress that our sympathy for the situation which leads immigrants to cross the border from Mexico illegally be reflected in our law. On the other hand, I also intend to recommend that the message be clearly sent that we do not intend our borders to continue to be porous beyond our control, or our laws defied with impunity.
As a temporary measure- and I emphasize its temporary character- I am invoking the Insurrection Act, whereby National Guard troops may, upon proclamation of a state of insurrection by the President, be employed for law enforcement purposes. After all, what is the defiance of our laws by millions within our borders but an insurrection?
Secondly, I am federalizing the National Guards of California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. No further assignments of National Guard troops from those states to Iraq or Afghanistan will be made. Instead, the National Guard of these states will be devoted- again, as a temporary measure- to the patrolling of the border between Mexico and the United States, and the prevention of the crossing of that border by those seeking to remain in our nation illegally.
Thirdly, I am declaring the border between the United States and Mexico closed, with exceptions as delineated later in this statement. This, once more, is a temporary measure, to persist only as long as it takes for both nations, cooperatively, to institute a workable plan whereby both countries, cooperatively, can work to prevent the crossing of our mutual border by those who intend to remain in the United States in defiance of our laws.
In the coming weeks and months, diplomatic discussions between the United States and Mexico will be solicited by the Department of State for the purpose of agreeing upon and implementing such a plan. The border between our countries will remain closed until such time as that plan can be agreed upon and implemented. Exceptions will be made for commercial traffic where the trucks in question can be documented as legitimate vehicles whereby commercial goods may be transmitted; National Guard and Immigration and Nationalization officers will be employed to search all trucks entering or returning to the United States for people seeking to illegally enter our nation. Other exceptions may also be added for economic or humanitarian reasons. But
there will be no more routine and easy crossing of the border from Mexico until we can be assured that those who cross can be expected to respect our laws.
Fourthly, I am asking the Congress to declare illegal immigration into the United States to be a felony, punishable by up to ten years' confinement in a Federal prison, to be followed by deportation and permanent disqualification for legal entry into the United States. We are through deporting illegal immigrants, only to have them re-cross the border the next night. The message needs to be sent that we will not have our borders and our laws violated with impunity. Six months will be given all undocumented workers currently in the United States to return to Mexico, and executive clemency will be freely given upon recommendation of a panel appointed by the Attorney General and the INS to all who can demonstrate that they have been unable to do so for reasons beyond their control. These will be provided transportation across the border at our expense.
Finally, negotiations will begin immediately with the administration of Mexico's President Fox to establish the details of a guest worker program, whereby individuals who come across the border from Mexico legally will be entitled- provided they find a job and check in with INS officials at regular intervals- to remain in this country for up to five years, during which time they will be free to seek a "Green Card" and even naturalization as American citizens.
I realize that this will require the creation of a new INS bureaucracy to keep track of these guest workers, and to process their requests. But the cost will be much less than the cost of continuing to allow essentially unregulated invasion of our nation by undocumented workers.
By these means, it will be made clear that this nation will not tolerate continued defiance of our laws, and violation of our borders. Our national sovereignty will be firmly asserted, while compassionately making room for the kind of continued- and legal- immigration upon which this nation was built.
To those contemplating immigration to America, I say that we both want you and need you- as long as you demonstrate the first requisite of good citizens, or even good guests.... respect for our laws.
There has been talk of building a wall between the United States and Mexico. I would hate to see that happen. It would poison relations between our nations for the foreseeable future, and it would sent exactly the wrong message not only to Mexico, but to all those from anywhere on Earth considering legal emigration to the United States.
Which is why it is so vitally important that the United States and Mexico find a way to avoid it. But that will require the sincere and serious respect of the Mexican government for our national right to control our own borders, as well as our own determination to effectively exercise that right. Their will be no lack of such determination while I sit in this office.
Thank you, my fellow Americans... and good night.
Comments
As a practical matter, we never dare let the number of guest workers in the country at any given time be too big for us to keep track of all of them.
Some will fall through the cracks anyway. But if it simply works as well as our parole programs do, that number will be a drop in the bucket compared to the number of undocumented workers we have now. And of course, with the thread of deportation and permanent disqualification from re-entry, we would have a deterrent to prevent people from deliberately trying
to "fall between the cracks." It would be in the best interest of a guest worker to keep in touch with the INS!