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Bush vows he will insist on guest worker program

Posted on: Friday, 31 March 2006, 14:43 CST

By Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick

CANCUN, Mexico (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush warned at the end of a North American summit on Friday that an immigration plan being debated by the U.S. Congress must include a guest worker program for illegal immigrants.

The so-called three amigos -- Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and new Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- wrapped up their talks by vowing to work together on border security, avian flu and energy issues. But deep differences remained.

A U.S. plan that will require Canadians and Mexicans to carry a passport or passport-type document to cross the U.S. border was a cause of concern for Harper, a newly elected conservative whose appearance at this sun-soaked beach resort was one of his first forays on the international stage.

"We're obviously concerned that if we don't move quickly and properly on this, that this could have effects on trade and movement of people, conventions, you name it, that is not helpful to our economy or to our relationship," Harper said.

Bush said he thought the dispute could be worked out in a way that facilitates travel. "I believe this can be done in such a way that it makes future travel, future relations stronger, not weaker," he said.

FIERCE DEBATE

Overshadowing the two-day summit was America's increasingly fierce debate over the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, more than half from Mexico, living in the United States.

Bush, fighting a slump in the polls, is arguing against some of his fellow conservatives who want immigration legislation to focus solely on border security, without a guest worker program that would allow the illegals a temporary legal status while performing unskilled jobs that Americans are not willing to do for the rock-bottom wages being offered.

Asked if he would veto legislation that does not include the guest worker program, Bush stopped short of such a threat, but insisted that he wanted more than just more border security controls as some Republicans prefer.

"I want a comprehensive bill," Bush said. "And I've made that very clear to the members of the Congress. And I will continue making it clear to members of Congress."

He cautioned both Fox and Harper to let the debate play itself out in Washington, saying he hoped it would be a civil one that "does not pit neighbor against neighbor."

Mexicans once had high hopes for Bush, who took office promising to make America's southern neighbor a priority but pushing the issue to a back burner after the September 11 attacks.

In the waning months of his presidency, Fox is seeing the possibility that his long struggle for a change in U.S. immigration policy could finally bear fruit, sought to aid Bush in his political battle at home.

He said Mexico was doing its part to crack down on human smugglers along the U.S.-Mexican border and trying to halt the flow of Central American migrants coming across Mexico's southern border.

"With all due respect to the dignity of these people, respecting their human rights, they are stopped, they remain on temporary basis in the stations. We offer them services with dignity. And then we send them back to their communities of origin," Fox said.

The summit was a kind of last lap for Fox, whose country is in the heat of a campaign to determine his successor. Both Bush and Harper vowed to steer clear of involvement in Mexico's domestic politics and Fox seemed to bask in the attention.

Unlike many of Bush's visits abroad, there were few protests in Cancun, an expensive strip of hotels and fast food stores far from large Mexican cities.

Members of the Mexican navy patrolled in large black-painted beach buggies while Canadian and American delegates took morning dips in the cobalt blue sea.

(Additional reporting by Randall Palmer, Greg Brosnan and Lorraine Orlandi)

Source: REUTERS

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