One week ago, I referred everyone\'s attention to reports that the President Bush is considering a massive immigration amnesty for
Mexicans (As an aside, the President\'s sister-in-law was born and raised in Mexico).
The New York Times now has a follow-up on this.
Bush Panel Backs Legalizing Status of Some Migrants
By ERIC SCHMITT
ASHINGTON, July 23 — A cabinet-level panel has recommended that President Bush
endorse a limited plan allowing some of the estimated three million Mexicans living in the
United States illegally to apply for permanent legal status, a White House spokesman said today.
Some administration officials and outside experts said that perhaps one million to two million of the
illegal Mexican immigrants might ultimately meet eligibility requirements, based on their job history and
how long they have been here. The exact terms have not been determined, administration officials said.
Even so, such a program, if adopted by Congress, would be one of the largest attempts to legalize the
status of illegal residents in American history. A 1986 law granted legal status to about three million
illegal immigrants from several countries.
In a confidential one-page memorandum sent to the White House late on Friday, a working group
headed by Secretary of State Coin L. Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft addressed, at least
for now, only unlawful Mexicans, who make up the bulk of the estimated seven million to eight million
illegal immigrants in the United States.
Democrats and immigrant groups have urged the administration to expand any legalization plan to
include illegal immigrants from other countries.
A White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, said no decisions had been made on that issue or on
many other details of the proposal.
The stakes are high for Mr. Bush. He is trying to remake relations with Mexico and at the same time
court Latin voters who would be crucial to any re-election bid in 2004.
The legalization plan is the most sensitive result of broider discussions on border and migration issues
that Mr. Bush and President Vicente Fox of Mexico began in February. Secretary Powell and Mr.
Ashcroft, and their Mexican counterparts, were delegated to develop recommendations before the two
presidents meet in Washington in early September.
Allowing illegal immigrants to change their status would be a central component of a new, ambitious
temporary-worker program that American and Mexican officials are discussing. It would let some
unlawful Mexicans living in the United States legalize their status and also permit future migrants to earn
legal residency.
"The panel recommends consideration of a new temporary-worker program that would allow for some
of the workers to achieve permanent residency status over a period of time," Mr. McClellan said.
Congress is already considering legislation to expand and streamline a temporary farm-worker
program that would let undocumented laborers of any nationality earn permanent residency under
certain conditions. It is estimated that 50 percent to 80 percent of the 1.6 million farm workers in the
United States are illegal immigrants, most from Mexico.
Building on that effort, Secretary Powell and Mr. Ashcroft recommended that the White House, for
now, consider legalizing the status of illegal Mexican workers in sectors other than agriculture. They
include a diverse array of workers, from health-care aides to meat packers, and together could be three
to four times the number of farm workers.
The White House would work closely with Congress on pending legislation for a new agriculture
guest-worker program, Mr. McClellan said. That program, administration officials said, might serve as
a model for a larger temporary-worker initiative.
Indeed, two leaders of a bipartisan guest-worker program, Senators cordon H. Smith, Republican of
Oregon, and Bob Graham, Democrat of Florida, met with
Mexicans (As an aside, the President\'s sister-in-law was born and raised in Mexico).
The New York Times now has a follow-up on this.
Bush Panel Backs Legalizing Status of Some Migrants
By ERIC SCHMITT
ASHINGTON, July 23 — A cabinet-level panel has recommended that President Bush
endorse a limited plan allowing some of the estimated three million Mexicans living in the
United States illegally to apply for permanent legal status, a White House spokesman said today.
Some administration officials and outside experts said that perhaps one million to two million of the
illegal Mexican immigrants might ultimately meet eligibility requirements, based on their job history and
how long they have been here. The exact terms have not been determined, administration officials said.
Even so, such a program, if adopted by Congress, would be one of the largest attempts to legalize the
status of illegal residents in American history. A 1986 law granted legal status to about three million
illegal immigrants from several countries.
In a confidential one-page memorandum sent to the White House late on Friday, a working group
headed by Secretary of State Coin L. Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft addressed, at least
for now, only unlawful Mexicans, who make up the bulk of the estimated seven million to eight million
illegal immigrants in the United States.
Democrats and immigrant groups have urged the administration to expand any legalization plan to
include illegal immigrants from other countries.
A White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, said no decisions had been made on that issue or on
many other details of the proposal.
The stakes are high for Mr. Bush. He is trying to remake relations with Mexico and at the same time
court Latin voters who would be crucial to any re-election bid in 2004.
The legalization plan is the most sensitive result of broider discussions on border and migration issues
that Mr. Bush and President Vicente Fox of Mexico began in February. Secretary Powell and Mr.
Ashcroft, and their Mexican counterparts, were delegated to develop recommendations before the two
presidents meet in Washington in early September.
Allowing illegal immigrants to change their status would be a central component of a new, ambitious
temporary-worker program that American and Mexican officials are discussing. It would let some
unlawful Mexicans living in the United States legalize their status and also permit future migrants to earn
legal residency.
"The panel recommends consideration of a new temporary-worker program that would allow for some
of the workers to achieve permanent residency status over a period of time," Mr. McClellan said.
Congress is already considering legislation to expand and streamline a temporary farm-worker
program that would let undocumented laborers of any nationality earn permanent residency under
certain conditions. It is estimated that 50 percent to 80 percent of the 1.6 million farm workers in the
United States are illegal immigrants, most from Mexico.
Building on that effort, Secretary Powell and Mr. Ashcroft recommended that the White House, for
now, consider legalizing the status of illegal Mexican workers in sectors other than agriculture. They
include a diverse array of workers, from health-care aides to meat packers, and together could be three
to four times the number of farm workers.
The White House would work closely with Congress on pending legislation for a new agriculture
guest-worker program, Mr. McClellan said. That program, administration officials said, might serve as
a model for a larger temporary-worker initiative.
Indeed, two leaders of a bipartisan guest-worker program, Senators cordon H. Smith, Republican of
Oregon, and Bob Graham, Democrat of Florida, met with