Crawford, Texas – Thankful for a breakthrough, President Bush praised senators of both parties Saturday for delivering a potential deal to overhaul U.S. immigration policy.
The compromise aims to grant legal status to millions of people who are in the country unlawfully, stiffen border security and create a program for temporary workers. It also would reshape requirements for new immigrants and take measures to prevent illegal workers from getting jobs.
“I realize that many hold strong convictions on this issue, and reaching an agreement was not easy,” Bush said in his weekly radio address.
“I appreciate the effort of senators who came together to craft this important legislation,” he said. “This bill brings us closer to an immigration system that enforces our laws and upholds the great American tradition of welcoming those who share our values and our love of freedom.”
The proposal must get through the Senate, where debate begins Monday, and the prospects of such a plan also are uncertain in the House.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday that she was not pleased with the immigration agreement. Speaking to reporters after giving a commencement address at the University of San Francisco, Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters that it would create more restrictive rules on being eligible for a visa because of a relative in the U.S.
Spouses and minor children of legal residents and citizens could get green cards, but other relatives would have to qualify under a system that rewards skills and education.
“A point system for unification undermines our family values that we espouse in our country,” Pelosi said.
