Press Release

Secretary Gutierrez Discusses Comprehensive Immigration Reform at Naturalization Ceremony

Gutierrez: “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Will Make Our Country Stronger”

LAS VEGAS—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today discussed the Bush administration’s proposals for comprehensive immigration reform in remarks delivered to seventy new American citizens and their families at a naturalization ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gutierrez highlighted the Administration’s commitment to enacting comprehensive immigration reform that secures our border, enhances interior enforcement, creates a temporary worker program that rejects amnesty, and helps employers determine the legal status of the employees they hire.

“The legislation the President supports protects our values, provides for greater enforcement of our laws, provides a way for people to come out of the shadows, and makes our nation proud,” said Gutierrez. “There’s no other country in the world that has been so welcoming to immigrants or gained so much from the talents, energy and patriotism of its new citizens.”

As a Cuban immigrant himself, Gutierrez also told the audience his personal story. He and his family came to America from Cuba when he was six years old, and he became a naturalized citizen in 1966. “To this day, my U.S. passport is my most valued material possession,” he said.

Gutierrez has been traveling to numerous cities across America to hear from citizens and businesses about their thoughts on immigration and tell them about the Bush administration’s proposals. He has said that comprehensive immigration reform is a key for America’s future economic health as we compete in a global economy.

The creation of a temporary worker program would match willing workers with willing employers to perform jobs that Americans won’t do. This creates a legal avenue to meet the needs of the U.S. economy and relieves the pressure of illegal immigration on the border. The Administration is working closely with Congress on comprehensive immigration reform to address the illegal immigration problem with real, long-term solutions.