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SUBSCRIBE The leading Copyright |
For Immediate Release
Remarks by the Vice President to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council Followed by Brief Question and Answer Session
[ ... ]
Q Mr. Vice President, many questions here on illegal
immigration. There's a major problem here in California. Why should
we give millions of people in our state a break for a prima facie
breaking of the law? Is there any other country in the world,
including Europe and Latin America, that would do so?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You're talking about illegal immigration?
Q Illegal immigration.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes. There's no question it's a serious
problem. The President last week announced a new initiative, a new
proposal that we would like to see considered by the Congress and
hopefully ultimately adopted that basically provides for a temporary
worker program, for people to be able to come into the United States,
take a job, receive approval and authorization to be here, take jobs
that -- where they, in effect, come in when they know there is a job
there, a job that an American will not fill, to regularize that flow.
The problem we have today is we have millions of illegal,
undocumented workers in our midst. We do not know when they came. We
do not know how long they stay. We do not know what they do while
they're here. We do not know when they leave. From the standpoint of
homeland security and securing the nation's borders, it is a major
hole, if you will, in terms of our overall situation.
And we think -- the President believes, as he's discussed in the
last few days, that it's very important for us to try to get a handle
on that. It's also a humane measure, as well, at the same time. Those
illegal, undocumented workers who come in and take these jobs, in often
cases, live in the shadows of our society. They're exploited unfairly
and oppressed, in many cases. And we think it would be far better for
us to take this approach of, in effect, a temporary worker program.
We are not supporting amnesty. We do not believe in granting
citizenship to people who broke the law to get here, nor do we believe
these people should get at the head of the line when being considered
for citizenship. They need to return to their home countries and come
through normal procedures.
But we think this is the right way to go. We expect it will
generate a significant debate, as it should. These are important
issues. They're controversial. And they're never easy for us to deal
with as a government. But we think the issue needs to be addressed,
and the President has given us, I think, a good proposal.
[ ... ]
Thank you. (Applause.)
END 12:40 P.M. PST
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