FINAL
SECRETARY CARLOS GUTIERREZ
FOR A HEARING ON
AComprehensive Immigration Reform@
BEFORE THE
Committee on the Judiciary
Chairman Specter, Ranking
Member Leahy, Members of the Committee, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to
discuss comprehensive immigration reform with you. Thank you for your leadership and hard work
on this important issue.
I believe immigration is the domestic social issue of
our time – and a key to our future economic health. The President has called for comprehensive reform that
includes protecting our borders and recognizing the needs of our
growing economy.
Economy
The reality is that our economy
is growing faster than any other large, industrialized nation. Our unemployment rate is below the
average of the past four decades.
Our economy – like other major
industrial economies – faces the challenge of an aging and increasingly educated
workforce.
The result is that we have jobs
that American citizens either aren’t willing or aren’t available to do. I continually hear from industries
that they are having difficulty finding workers.
In May, we had
4.1 million job openings in the
As one example, when I was in
So, immigrants aren’t crossing
our borders to look for a handout.
They’re seeking jobs that are available. More than 81 percent of immigrants say,
“A person has to work very hard in this country to make it.” (Now that I’m here, Public Agenda,
2003)
***
I am encouraged that we are starting to reach some
consensus: As you know, more than
500 of our nation’s top economists recently sent a letter to President Bush and
Congress stating that immigration has been a net gain for American
citizens.
And two-thirds of American
voters say they support bills that include a temporary worker program or path to
citizenship, rather than one that focuses solely on border security.
(Ayres McHenry poll,
6/06)
President Bush has called for comprehensive immigration
reform to address the many complex issues involved.
Everyone agrees it is essential to secure our
borders. The President has
proposed:
·
Increasing the
number of Border Patrol agents from approximately 12,000 to more than
18,000;
·
Increasing the use
of technology at the borders, so we can know who is coming
through;
·
And improving
processes to become more efficient.
We believe that worksite enforcement is also essential.
There’s an underground industry
built on producing false documentation for illegal workers, and employers have a
hard time helping enforce the law because they are not sure which documents are
reliable.
The rules must be clear enough
to hold businesses accountable, and we must ensure that businesses have the
tools they need to follow the law.
We need to create a temporary worker’s
program. It would create a
legal means for more workers to enter the
The President has called for a
program to match willing immigrant workers with willing employers in jobs no
Americans have filled.
And we need an expanded employment verification system, including biometric card identification
for the temporary worker program.
We have the technology today to use a person’s unique characteristics,
such as a fingerprint, to lock in identity.
When we have an effective
employment verification system -- and we have a temporary worker’s program --
dynamics will change.
Over time, it will become
unlikely that people will risk their lives crossing the border if it is
well-known that, unless you are in this country legally, you will not find a
job.
These are some of the most
consequential things we can do to make our borders more secure. And they demonstrate the wisdom of
comprehensive immigration reform.
The other reality we must confront is that we have
12 million people who are in the country illegally.
The President has said that
deporting 12 million individuals wouldn’t be wise, practical, or humane.
The other extreme is amnesty. The dictionary
defines
amnesty as an “unconditional pardon – obliterating
all memory of the offense.” The
President does not support amnesty, and it’s not accurate or fair to call his
solution to this problem amnesty.
We’re talking about having a
hard-earned path to legalization,
which would require meeting conditions:
·
People waiting
their turn at the back of the line,
·
Paying
fines,
·
Paying
taxes,
·
Learning
English,
·
Undergoing a
criminal background check,
·
And having a
job.
When immigrants take the Oath of Allegiance to become
American citizens, they give up allegiances to other countries. They promise to support and defend our
Constitution, and to serve in our military if required.
The process of becoming a
***
The last important point that
President Bush makes is that we are a
nation of immigrants, and we must honor the great tradition of the melting
pot.
It is a false choice to think the
immigration debate is a battle between
The
What we need now is leadership and reasonable compromise
in the middle. We need to be talking about the right mix of immigration
reform that addresses all the issues.
An immigration reform bill
needs to be comprehensive, because all elements of this problem must be
addressed together, or none of them will be solved at all.
I ask you to commit to comprehensive immigration
reform. The longer we wait, the bigger the
problems we are passing on to a future generation.
If we address these issues
effectively, I’m convinced that our children and grandchildren will be proud of
what we did.
Thank you. I would be pleased to answer your
questions.