Working Out Legal Status for Illegal Workers

President Bush said Friday that his plan to help Mexican and other illegal immigrant workers acquire legal status will not shortchange those “who have been waiting in line legally.”

The president gave that assurance as he also flatly dismissed--with considerable ardor--any suggestion that his immigration reform package is driven by a desire to woo the growing Latino voting population, whose support is key to his political fortunes.

During a wide-ranging news conference, Bush argued that immigration reform is a matter of sound economic and humanitarian policy, rooted in his desire to improve relations with Mexico.

The president bristled when one reporter sought his response “to those who say you’re courting the Hispanic vote with this outreach.”

“Well, I respond by saying that, first of all, I can’t think of anything more important for our foreign policy in our hemisphere than to have good relations with Mexico,” Bush said. “The basis for good foreign policy is to make sure your own area, your own neighborhood, is in good shape.”

Bush added that he and Mexican President Vicente Fox have developed “a great relation” and noted that Fox will be the first foreign leader to be honored with a state visit in Bush’s presidency.

Fox is scheduled to visit Washington shortly after Labor Day. Bush already has visited Fox at the Mexican leader’s ranch in his first trip abroad as president.

As the Washington summit approaches, immigration reform has been near the top of the agenda.

As Bush noted Friday, senior Cabinet officials of both nations have been working together to develop a plan that could “regularize” the status of the estimated 3 million to 4 million illegal Mexican workers in the United States.

The bilateral task force is exploring options that include developing a broader program for guest workers, which would legitimize many who entered the country unlawfully but might stop short of granting them full citizenship. It is also considering a process that would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for permanent residency.

As the president’s remarks here underscored, that effort remains a work in progress.

Initially, the target population seemed to be only Mexicans. But late last month, Bush said the effort to confer legal status on undocumented immigrants might be extended to all who are in the United States unlawfully.

And Bush’s remarks here Friday clearly were intended to reassure immigrants who entered the U.S. legally and now are waiting to become permanent residents or citizens.

After reiterating his opposition to “blanket amnesty,” the president told reporters:

“One of the issues that you referred to is an important issue, and that is how do we make sure that, as we facilitate willing employer hooking up with willing employee, that we don’t penalize those who have been waiting in line legally. And so our deliberations are taking that into account.

“There are ways to make sure that people are rewarded for hard work, without affecting those who have been patiently waiting in line for legal status.”

Bush also spoke with compassion about the illegal immigrants from south of the border.

“And I remind people all across our country: Family values do not stop at the Rio Bravo,” Bush said, adopting the name that some Mexicans use for the Rio Grande.

“There are people in Mexico who have got children who are worried about where they’re going to get their next meal from. And they’re going to come to the United States if they think they can make money here,” the president continued.

“That’s a simple fact. And they’re willing to walk across miles of desert to do work that some Americans won’t do. And we’ve got to respect that, it seems like to me, and treat those people with respect.”

Bush’s remarks on immigrants came during a long monologue, interrupted only by the question about his possible political calculations.

On that point, the president delivered an uncompromising response.

“Now, I get accused of being . . . political on everything I do. I guess that’s just the nature of being the president,” Bush said.

“And what I try to assure people of is, I deal with problems as I see them. And some people are going to like the solution and some people are not. And we’ll just let the chips fall where they may.”