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Bush visits US-Mexico border

US President George W. Bush, front of group, is escorted by Chief Patrol Agent Yuma Sector Ron Colburn, third from left, as they tour US Customs and Border Security operations on the US-Mexico border in San Luis, Arizona, on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

His chances for domestic policy wins dimming and overshadowed by debate over Iraq, US President George W. Bush visited the US-Mexican border on Monday to demand that lawmakers work with him to overhaul immigration law.

Standing along the border on a hot day, Bush saw a new double-layer of fencing that Border Patrol officials say has cut attempted crossings by illegal immigrants in the past year.

His message -- particularly to conservative critics from his own party -- was that stepped-up border enforcement is working and it is time to adopt a temporary worker program, hold US employers accountable for the workers they hire and resolve the status of the millions of illegal immigrants already in the US.

He saluted the opening of a new border patrol station in this southwest corner of Arizona and said, "This border is more secure and America is safer as a result."

The president also made no reference to his standoff with congressional Democrats over Iraq. Tens of thousands of protesters marched there on Monday, the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, demanding the withdrawal of US forces.

Bush used his second visit to what had been a porous part of the US border to try to regain momentum for his domestic agenda, which has been stalled since Democrats took control of Congress.

Besides immigration, Bush has been unable to pass priorities including making tax cuts permanent and overhauling the Social Security retirement program.

Bush wants an immigration deal with congressional leaders by August. His proposals to find a way to put illegal immigrants in a guest-worker program to give them a legal status have generally had more support from Democrats than Republicans.

But the top House of Representatives Democrat, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has informed Bush he must deliver dozens of Republican votes before she would be willing to bring any legislation to a vote. That is likely to be difficult for Bush to achieve with the 2008 presidential race already under way.

House lawmakers last year backed a tougher security program, but opposed any effort to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.

The White House is hoping that if a major bipartisan bill passes the Senate first, it may spur momentum in the House, where there are opponents in both parties to any overhaul what could be construed as "amnesty" for illegal workers.

Bush is locked in a bitter struggle with Democrats over US$100 billion in funding for the Iraq and Afghan wars, but said he saw a chance for a compromise on immigration.

"I think the atmosphere up there is good right now. I think people genuinely want to come together and put a good bill together," he said.

An estimated 12 million immigrants are living illegally in the US, putting a strain on state budgets. Bush said the problem has been decades in the making and blamed past failures to fix the problem.

A 1986 law outlawed the hiring of illegal immigrants, but it has not worked well because it is relatively easy to get fake documents, and some employers hire in violation of the law.
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