
Originally Posted by
aStudent There have been more protests over legislation() that would crack down on illegal immigrants. On Capitol Hill in Washington about one hundred demonstrators wore handcuffs to protest a proposal() that would criminalize aid programs for immigrants.
In California, tens of thousands of students walked out of classes today, hundreds more did the same in Dallas, and crowds in Detroit converged on a downtown federal building. President Bush says the debate in Congress over how to change the nation's immigration laws won't be easy. He laid out his broad ideas at a naturalization ceremony in Washington today, calling for both tough enforcement and a way for for undocumented workers to have jobs legally. NPR's David Green reports.
The immigration debate is not breaking along party lines, and on Capitol Hill, some proposals couldn't be more different. There're lawmakers who want to give undocumented workers a path to citizenship and there're others who want to make being in the US illegally a felony while building a new 700 mile fence on the Mexico border. Mr. Bush called for a fair debate.
"The immigration debate should be conducted in a civil and dignified way. No one should play on people's fears, or try to pit neighbors against each other."
The president's (2'15")____letting____ Congress ___fight___ over the details, but he says he wants tighter enforcement along with a program to allow illegal immigrants to apply for temporary work permits. As for the chance for citizenship, Mr. Bush didn't rule out, but said undocumented immigrants working in the US shouldn't be able to jump the line. David Green, NPR news, the White House.
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