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Today along our shared border, the once small towns that relied on cross-border tourism have mushroomed into industrial centers, particularly on the Mexican side. They are now magnets for Mexicans, primarily from the countryside, who have flocked there to seek their piece of the “Mexican dream.” Many others have crossed over to the U.S. side – some illegally – to pursue the “American dream.”
Maintaining a safe, yet open and prosperous border is probably the greatest national security challenge facing our two countries. And no American understands this important fact more than United States President George W. Bush.
On October 18, the President signed the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2006, a key piece of legislation that will enable U.S law enforcement authorities to secure our common frontier from criminals, drug kingpins, and terrorists.
Having been the governor of Texas, President Bush has a unique insight into the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. While he shares the concerns of Americans who are worried about crime, terrorism, and other threats, the President knows that we cannot restrict the legal movement of goods and people across our frontier, or even shut it down completely, as some unrealistic critics have urged.
President Bush recognizes that the United States must find a way to match willing employers with foreign workers in a legal way. The President is committed to developing a temporary worker program that will offer a legal path to foreign workers who want jobs in the United States.
President Bush’s proposal of creating a legitimate immigration program for temporary workers will allow us to concentrate law enforcement resources away from arresting illegal border crossers who are trying to enter the United States for the purpose of finding a job. We can then refocus our law enforcement efforts on terrorists, people traffickers, and drug smugglers, whose victims are innocent people on both sides of our border.
Additionally, the new homeland security laws will allow police officers and intelligence agents to better pool their resources and talents. The United States will spend $30.8 billion to protect the American homeland, and $7.5 billion to address the problem of illegal immigration. The new legislation will allow the hiring of an additional 1000 Border Patrol agents, who will use up-to-date technology to identify and arrest illegal border-crossers and criminals.
The border is an economic motor that drives the vitally important U.S.-Mexico trade relationship. Statisticians tell us that 1 million “border crossings” occur each day now by people and vehicles.
The livelihoods of millions of Americans and Mexicans depend on a safe and secure border, which allows goods, businesspeople, and legitimate travelers to move back and forth at will to pursue their goals. President Bush’s immigration reform proposals and our new homeland security law demonstrate the depth of his commitment to make prosperity and safety the cornerstone of the U.S-Mexico partnership.
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