Immigration Key In State Of The Union

President Bush expressed a commitment to comprehensive immigration reform recently during his State of the Union address. The President said that reform must include security at U.S. borders; a workable worksite enforcement system; a temporary worker program that will respond to the needs of our economy; a program that will bring hardworking, undocumented immigrants out of the shadows to be considered for permanent legal status provided certain strict criteria are met; and expanded efforts to promote assimilation of immigrants into society.

“After years of advocating for comprehensive immigration reform, we are very encouraged by the amount of time and focus that President Bush gives to finding a workable solution to the problem,” said John Farner, the American Nursery and Landscape Association’s director of legislative relations. “With his leadership, we are confident that Congress can follow the principles laid out by the President and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year.”

Last Congress, the Senate passed a bi-partisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that mirrored the President’s five principles. Efforts to pass a comprehensive bill in the House stalled as Republican leadership decided not to address the issue before the 2006 elections.