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 News from Around the Americas | November 2006 
Bush Talks Immigration with Mexico's President-Elect
 AFP
| | President George W. Bush (R) makes remarks joined by Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. Bush and Calderon met for White House talks that included the contentious immigration issue between the neighboring countries. (AFP/Tim Sloan) |
President George W. Bush met with Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon for White House talks that included the contentious immigration issue between the neighboring countries.
Calderon told reporters after the meeting he had expressed concern over a controversial bill that Bush signed into law last month authorizing construction of a huge fence along a third of the US-Mexico border.
"I explained to him our concern and our opinion that it was the wrong measure that would not resolve the problem" of illegal immigration, said Calderon, who takes office on December 1.
Bush said Mexico was a "priority" of his administration, and was committed to sweeping immigration reform to legalize most of the estimated 11.5 million undocument foreigners in the United States while stemming the flow of illegal immigration.
"I assured the president-elect that the words I said in the very Oval Office that we sit (in) about a comprehensive immigration vision are words I still believe strongly," said Bush, who has called on Congress to pass a bill that would establish a guest-worker program for foreigners.
Bush's reform plan failed amid opposition from hardline members of his Republican Party who wanted tougher measures against undocument immigrants.
But the Republican Party will lose its majority in both chambers of Congress in January after Democrats swept Tuesday's midterm elections, raising hopes that Bush's plan could finally pass.
Democrats said they would push immigration reform.
"Democrats look forward to working with Republicans to achieve real border security through bipartisan, tough, fair, and practical immigration reform," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who will become the next majority leader.
Calderon called for stronger bilateral trade ties.
"The only solution to the migration issue, fundamentally, is to create well-paying jobs in Mexico and for that we need to encourage investment in our country," he said. |
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