By Gaiutra Bahadur Two White House emissaries, in town this morning to swear in new United States citizens, took the opportunity to stump for the administration's politically thorny proposal to make illegal immigrants temporary guest workers and, pos

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, May, 2006 | by Bush emissaries in Philadelphia to stump for guest-worker program

By Gaiutra Bahadur Two White House emissaries, in town this morning to swear in new United States citizens, took the opportunity to stump for the administration's politically thorny proposal to make illegal immigrants temporary guest workers and, possibly, citizens.

On the day President Bush was to deliver an Oval Office address on deploying the National Guard to stop illegal immigrants, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez told 51 freshly minted citizens and their well-wishers that the country needed both to protect its borders and to legalize workers here without permission.

"All of you are here because you followed the rules and waited your turn in the citizenship line," Gutierrez said. "However... there are many others who want to make America their home...