Guest-worker plan pushed by senators, White House

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 19, 2005 | by Doug Abrahms Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON -- Several key senators and Bush administration officials called for a guest-worker plan Tuesday, noting that boosting border enforcement alone won't stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the United States.

Although funding for the U.S. Border Patrol has grown substantially over the past decade, illegal immigration continues to grow, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

McCain dismissed proposals to enforce existing laws first and then reform immigration regulations, saying those plans were unworkable, especially with about 10 million illegal immigrants already living in the United States.

"Someone has to explain to me how you do that? Is it a massive airlift?" he said. "If there's a demand for workers, we're going to continue to be plagued by this problem no matter what we spend" on enforcement.

The chamber already supports a bill sponsored by McCain and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., because of a looming shortage of workers for construction, restaurants and landscaping.

"In order to help sustain our economy and boost national security, America needs an efficient and predictable immigration system," said Randel Johnson, chamber vice president.

Some GOP leaders believe enforcement should come first.

More than two dozen Republican House members signed on to a bill introduced last month by Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., that calls for increasing the fines for illegal immigration and hiring 10,000 Homeland Security Department agents to oversee workplace enforcement.

But the momentum in Washington seems to be focused on a more comprehensive approach to immigration policy.

"This so-called enforcement-first fad, I think it's just that -- it's a fad," said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. "We've tripled the number of agents. We've quadrupled the spending and it really hasn't made a dent."

Deporting the estimated 10 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. "would be hugely, hugely difficult to do," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Contributing: Ellyn Ferguson.

E-mail: dabrahms@gns.gannett.com.