Immigration Overhaul Seen as Key to Domestic Security
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, portraying immigration policy as a vital weapon against terrorism, pledged Wednesday to tighten border security but also called on Congress to approve a guest worker program that would make it easier for foreign workers to enter the country legally.
"We must gain full control of our borders to prevent illegal immigration and security breaches," Chertoff said.
But, he added, "control of the border will also require reducing the demand for illegal border migration" by channeling needed workers through a new legal system. Implicit in the guest worker program would be an increase in the number of legal immigrants.
Chertoff vowed to carry his campaign for a guest worker program as well as other changes to Capitol Hill in the weeks ahead.
By linking the controversial subject of immigration policy to the popular goal of thwarting terrorists, Chertoff's plan could give new impetus to President Bush's stalled proposal for an expanded guest worker program and enhanced border security.
And, by linking the guest worker plan to calls for tougher border controls, the plan could mollify those conservative Republicans in Congress who had opposed such programs on grounds that enforcement must come first.
Revamping immigration has been a difficult issue for the Bush administration politically. It pits many business-oriented Republicans, who favor ready access to immigrant workers, against social conservatives, who express outrage at the ease with which immigrants evade U.S. laws.
Initial reaction from some congressional conservatives suggested Chertoff would not have an easy sell with Congress.
"His chances are slim to none over here," said Rep. Thomas G. Tancredo (R-Colo.), who founded and leads the pro-enforcement Immigration Reform Caucus in the House.
"It's so annoying," he said, speaking of the White House and Chertoff. "They've taken our rhetoric, they're using the right words -- enforcement, security. What they're really describing is, 'if we make everybody legal, we'll have solved the problem of illegal immigration in this country.' They use the right words, they just don't do the right thing."
Not all Republicans are as hostile to the administration's approach as Tancredo, but he and other critics of the administration approach have been able to block action so far.
