Bush tells Americans immigrants not a threat

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush, warned the US Congress against fearmongering on Monday as the Senate tackled immigration reform, an issue that has split his Republican party and spurred huge protests.

"The immigration debate should be conducted in a civil and dignified way," Bush said, pushing his own proposals at a swearing-in ceremony for 30 new American citizens.

With his job approval rating at the lowest of his presidency, Bush faces a new test of his political strength on the divisive immigration issue.

"No one should play on people's fears or try to pit neighbors against each other," he said. "No one should pretend that immigrants are a threat to American identity, because immigrants have shaped America's identity."

The public is divided between those who favor curbing illegal immigration with tighter border security and tougher enforcement and those who say it is essential to bring some 12 million illegal workers out of the shadows with a comprehensive overhaul.

Bush has stuck to his three-part plan - border security, stronger enforcement and a temporary worker proposal, a legal way to fill the jobs that Americans are unwilling to do.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also opened its hearings to craft broad bipartisan legislation that would tighten border security and make it a criminal misdemeanor to be in the country illegally. It too would establish a temporary worker program and provide a way for some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country to legalize their status.

Immigrant groups, labor unions and some business groups are pushing for broad immigration reform that would give some undocumented workers a way to earn permanent status and eventual citizenship. But some conservative Republicans, who normally back Bush, say that would be a form of amnesty and would reward people for illegal behavior.

Tough new proposals from some members of Congress making it a felony to be in the United States illegally, cracking down on employers and others who help illegal immigrants and plans to build a fence along part of the border with Mexico, sparked hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic demonstrators to protest in Los Angeles and other cities.

"Completing a comprehensive bill is not going to be easy," Bush said. "It will require all of us in Washington to make tough choices and make compromises."

- REUTERS