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President George W. Bush Visits U.S.-Mexico Border in Arizona
By Eduardo Barraza May 18, 2006
| Hispanic Institute of Social Issues © 2006-2011 All rights reserved. webmaster@hisi.org |
The president’s outline on
immigration seeks not only to tighten
the border, but to figure out what to
do with the illegal immigrants already
here.
Photo: Eric Draper | The White House
immigration seeks not only to tighten
the border, but to figure out what to
do with the illegal immigrants already
here.
Photo: Eric Draper | The White House
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Eduardo Barraza is a journalist and writer,
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
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Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues in Phoenix, Arizona
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Phoenix, Arizona – President George W. Bush's visit to Yuma, the
deployment of half of the total number of National Guardsmen
assigned to the border, the Minutemen building their own version of
a border fence, and the thousands of undocumented immigrants
crossing through the state, are among some the factors that have
positioned Arizona at the center of a demographic and political
hurricane. Arizona’s 389-miles of international border with Mexico,
deemed the “weakest spot” of the entire US-Mexico border by
Homeland Security officials, is indeed the most common corridor
along the border for people coming from Mexico and Latin America
seeking to enter the US. More than 50 percent of the total number of
arrests along the entire length of the 1,950-mile border with Mexico
comes from Arizona. In spite of the increases in manpower and
technology to reduce illegal immigration, securing the border
effectively remains an elusive goal.
In 1993, the Clinton administration began to tighten border security.
One of the first steps was to have the Border Patrol obstructing
crossing points in major urban zones. This action brought the focus
to cities from San Diego to El Paso. Before the employment of this
tactic, these cities witnessed groups of undocumented immigrants
simply running into the US. The following year, a new operational
concept was launched. The intent of this strategic move was “to
stem the tide of illegal immigrants” wanting to enter the US, and
more important, to shift the flow eastward.
The plan included building a 10-foot-high corrugated steel fence
along a 14-mile corridor, from Otay Mountain to the Pacific Ocean, in
San Diego, as well as the eventual construction of more than 100
miles of fencing at major cities along the border with Mexico. This
new method of enforcing the border was labeled "Operation
Gatekeeper."
Since its implementation on October 1, 2004, Operation Gatekeeper
has reduced the number of border crossers in the targeted areas
and successfully shifted the flow of would-be crossers eastward. The
plan to stem the wave of human beings seeking to enter the country
has proven largely ineffective. The U.S. Customs and Border
Protection’s (CBP) statistics reveal that the numbers of arrests have
not substantially increased or decreased in the last 20 years. In
1985, the Border Patrol arrested a total over 1.2 million. Ten years
later, in 1995, the number was 1.3 million plus. In 2005, the Border
Patrol arrested over 1.7 million immigrants attempting to enter the
country illegally. If the figures haven’t dramatically changed, the
dynamics and geographical characteristics of illegal immigration have.
Studies conducted by research institutions and universities, estimate
that around 500,000 individuals are successful in entering the
country without documents, the same number as in 1993. The
striking difference is that the number of Border Patrol agents tripled
to more than 11,000 in the last 12 years. Operation Gatekeeper’s
strategic side effect resulted in the current phenomenon of would-be
crossers looking for alternative routes through deserts of eastern
California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This geographical shift
boosted business for smugglers, or “coyotes,” as well as increased
both the dangers and the cost for being smuggled into the US.
Another consequence of this is the deadly toll of traveling through
the desert: approximately 2,500 individuals have died in the last ten
years. Thus, the gross of human beings attempting to enter the
country has shifted to Arizona, particularly to the Tucson Sector, the
most active in the nation, leaving its residents feeling the eroding
effects of uncontrolled immigration.
Not surprisingly, Yuma and the San Luis border –considered the
nation's busiest smuggling area, became President Bush’s spot to
reaffirm what he outlined during his national address on May 15,
when he announced the need to “reform America's immigration
system.” In Yuma, Bush said “I'm down here to talk about the
immigration issue. And this is an important issue. It really is. It's an
important debate our country is having. We need to have -- we need
to secure our border, and we need fair and effective immigration
laws.” For a state in such a predicament, the president’s presence
placed the spotlight not only on Yuma, Arizona, but on the fact that
in this corner of the Southwest, unknown in its deep reality to many,
one of the most intense problems of the nation takes place. “It's
good to be here in Yuma. I'd never been to Yuma before,” said
President Bush. His phrase perhaps can summarize both the recent
and unavoidable emphasis on the border, as well as the inattention
that for many years aggravated the problem of illegal immigration.
The president’s outline on immigration (see box below) seeks not
only to tighten the border, but to figure out what to do with the
illegal immigrants already here. Senate Republicans and Democrats
in Washington continue to work around compromise legislation that
holds out the hope of citizenship to an estimated 11 million
immigrants living in the United States unlawfully. The projected
legislation includes a complex series of provisions.
Five Objectives to Achieve an Immigration Reform
On May 15, 2006, President George W. Bush discussed his vision for
comprehensive immigration reform. He outlined five clear goals to achieve
this objective.
1. Secure the borders
Securing the borders is the basic responsibility of a sovereign nation
and an urgent requirement of national security. President Bush's
proposals to better secure the borders include increasing the
number of Border Patrol agents, ending the practice of "catch and
release" along the southern border, eliminating bureaucratic
obstacles to returning illegal immigrants to their home countries, and
sending National Guard members to the border for temporary
assignment to assist the Border Patrol during the transition as new
Border Patrol agents are added and new technology comes online.
2. A Temporary worker program must be created
The President supports a temporary worker program that would
create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an
orderly way, for a limited period of time. This program would match
willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs
Americans are not doing. Every worker who applies for the program
would be required to pass criminal background checks, and
temporary workers must return to their home country at the
conclusion of their stay.
3. Employers need to account for the workers they hire
Comprehensive immigration reform must include a tamper-resistant
identification card for every legal foreign worker so businesses can
verify the legal status of their employees. This card should use
biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-
proof. This would leave employers with no excuse for violating the
law, and it would help us enforce the law.
4. Dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the
country
President Bush opposes giving illegal immigrants an automatic path
to citizenship because it would be unfair to those who are here
lawfully, would compromise the rule of law, and would invite further
waves of illegal immigration. He supports increasing the annual
number of green cards that can lead to citizenship, but for the sake
of justice and security, the President is firmly opposed to amnesty.
Deporting every illegal immigrant is neither wise nor realistic. There is
a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to
citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass
deportation. Those who want to stay should have to pay a
meaningful penalty for breaking the law, pay their taxes, learn
English, and work in a job for a number of years. The President also
believes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who
crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for
many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean
record. Those who meet these conditions should be able to apply for
citizenship but approval will not be automatic, and they will have to
wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the
law.
5. Honor the American tradition of the melting pot
The success of the United States depends upon helping newcomers
assimilate into the society and embrace the common identity as
Americans. Americans are bound together by shared ideals, an
appreciation of the U.S. history, respect for the flag, and an ability to
speak and write the English language.
deployment of half of the total number of National Guardsmen
assigned to the border, the Minutemen building their own version of
a border fence, and the thousands of undocumented immigrants
crossing through the state, are among some the factors that have
positioned Arizona at the center of a demographic and political
hurricane. Arizona’s 389-miles of international border with Mexico,
deemed the “weakest spot” of the entire US-Mexico border by
Homeland Security officials, is indeed the most common corridor
along the border for people coming from Mexico and Latin America
seeking to enter the US. More than 50 percent of the total number of
arrests along the entire length of the 1,950-mile border with Mexico
comes from Arizona. In spite of the increases in manpower and
technology to reduce illegal immigration, securing the border
effectively remains an elusive goal.
In 1993, the Clinton administration began to tighten border security.
One of the first steps was to have the Border Patrol obstructing
crossing points in major urban zones. This action brought the focus
to cities from San Diego to El Paso. Before the employment of this
tactic, these cities witnessed groups of undocumented immigrants
simply running into the US. The following year, a new operational
concept was launched. The intent of this strategic move was “to
stem the tide of illegal immigrants” wanting to enter the US, and
more important, to shift the flow eastward.
The plan included building a 10-foot-high corrugated steel fence
along a 14-mile corridor, from Otay Mountain to the Pacific Ocean, in
San Diego, as well as the eventual construction of more than 100
miles of fencing at major cities along the border with Mexico. This
new method of enforcing the border was labeled "Operation
Gatekeeper."
Since its implementation on October 1, 2004, Operation Gatekeeper
has reduced the number of border crossers in the targeted areas
and successfully shifted the flow of would-be crossers eastward. The
plan to stem the wave of human beings seeking to enter the country
has proven largely ineffective. The U.S. Customs and Border
Protection’s (CBP) statistics reveal that the numbers of arrests have
not substantially increased or decreased in the last 20 years. In
1985, the Border Patrol arrested a total over 1.2 million. Ten years
later, in 1995, the number was 1.3 million plus. In 2005, the Border
Patrol arrested over 1.7 million immigrants attempting to enter the
country illegally. If the figures haven’t dramatically changed, the
dynamics and geographical characteristics of illegal immigration have.
Studies conducted by research institutions and universities, estimate
that around 500,000 individuals are successful in entering the
country without documents, the same number as in 1993. The
striking difference is that the number of Border Patrol agents tripled
to more than 11,000 in the last 12 years. Operation Gatekeeper’s
strategic side effect resulted in the current phenomenon of would-be
crossers looking for alternative routes through deserts of eastern
California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This geographical shift
boosted business for smugglers, or “coyotes,” as well as increased
both the dangers and the cost for being smuggled into the US.
Another consequence of this is the deadly toll of traveling through
the desert: approximately 2,500 individuals have died in the last ten
years. Thus, the gross of human beings attempting to enter the
country has shifted to Arizona, particularly to the Tucson Sector, the
most active in the nation, leaving its residents feeling the eroding
effects of uncontrolled immigration.
Not surprisingly, Yuma and the San Luis border –considered the
nation's busiest smuggling area, became President Bush’s spot to
reaffirm what he outlined during his national address on May 15,
when he announced the need to “reform America's immigration
system.” In Yuma, Bush said “I'm down here to talk about the
immigration issue. And this is an important issue. It really is. It's an
important debate our country is having. We need to have -- we need
to secure our border, and we need fair and effective immigration
laws.” For a state in such a predicament, the president’s presence
placed the spotlight not only on Yuma, Arizona, but on the fact that
in this corner of the Southwest, unknown in its deep reality to many,
one of the most intense problems of the nation takes place. “It's
good to be here in Yuma. I'd never been to Yuma before,” said
President Bush. His phrase perhaps can summarize both the recent
and unavoidable emphasis on the border, as well as the inattention
that for many years aggravated the problem of illegal immigration.
The president’s outline on immigration (see box below) seeks not
only to tighten the border, but to figure out what to do with the
illegal immigrants already here. Senate Republicans and Democrats
in Washington continue to work around compromise legislation that
holds out the hope of citizenship to an estimated 11 million
immigrants living in the United States unlawfully. The projected
legislation includes a complex series of provisions.
Five Objectives to Achieve an Immigration Reform
On May 15, 2006, President George W. Bush discussed his vision for
comprehensive immigration reform. He outlined five clear goals to achieve
this objective.
1. Secure the borders
Securing the borders is the basic responsibility of a sovereign nation
and an urgent requirement of national security. President Bush's
proposals to better secure the borders include increasing the
number of Border Patrol agents, ending the practice of "catch and
release" along the southern border, eliminating bureaucratic
obstacles to returning illegal immigrants to their home countries, and
sending National Guard members to the border for temporary
assignment to assist the Border Patrol during the transition as new
Border Patrol agents are added and new technology comes online.
2. A Temporary worker program must be created
The President supports a temporary worker program that would
create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an
orderly way, for a limited period of time. This program would match
willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs
Americans are not doing. Every worker who applies for the program
would be required to pass criminal background checks, and
temporary workers must return to their home country at the
conclusion of their stay.
3. Employers need to account for the workers they hire
Comprehensive immigration reform must include a tamper-resistant
identification card for every legal foreign worker so businesses can
verify the legal status of their employees. This card should use
biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-
proof. This would leave employers with no excuse for violating the
law, and it would help us enforce the law.
4. Dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the
country
President Bush opposes giving illegal immigrants an automatic path
to citizenship because it would be unfair to those who are here
lawfully, would compromise the rule of law, and would invite further
waves of illegal immigration. He supports increasing the annual
number of green cards that can lead to citizenship, but for the sake
of justice and security, the President is firmly opposed to amnesty.
Deporting every illegal immigrant is neither wise nor realistic. There is
a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to
citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass
deportation. Those who want to stay should have to pay a
meaningful penalty for breaking the law, pay their taxes, learn
English, and work in a job for a number of years. The President also
believes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who
crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for
many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean
record. Those who meet these conditions should be able to apply for
citizenship but approval will not be automatic, and they will have to
wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the
law.
5. Honor the American tradition of the melting pot
The success of the United States depends upon helping newcomers
assimilate into the society and embrace the common identity as
Americans. Americans are bound together by shared ideals, an
appreciation of the U.S. history, respect for the flag, and an ability to
speak and write the English language.
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