A la quête du vote hispanique pour sa réélection en novembre
Etats-Unis: Bush pour la régularisation temporaire de millions d'immigrés clandestins
"Bon premier pas", mais insuffisant selon le président mexicain Vicente Fox
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Le président Bush lors de son discours sur l'immigration
White House photo - Paul Morse |
WASHINGTON / MEXICO, vendredi 9 janvier 2004 (LatinReporters.com) - Candidat
à sa réélection à la présidence des Etats-Unis
en novembre prochain, George W. Bush a proposé mercredi à Washington
un plan autorisant la régularisation temporaire de millions de travailleurs
immigrés clandestins. Cette ouverture devrait susciter des sympathies
électorales au sein des 39 millions d'Hispano-Américains qui
représentent 13,5% de la population des Etats-Unis. Il appartient
au Congrès d'approuver ou non ce plan, qui ne fait pas l'unanimité.
"Notre pays est une société accueillante" a affirmé
le président en présentant ses propositions qui, selon lui,
"feront de l'Amérique un pays plus compatissant, plus humain et plus
fort". S'adressant à la Maison Blanche à une assemblée
parmi laquelle on distinguait l'ambassadeur du Mexique, Tony Garza (applaudi),
et de nombreux représentants d'organisations d'immigrés, George
Bush a souligné l'apport "du talent, du caractère et du patriotisme
des familles d'immigrants" à la transformation des Etats-Unis "en
grande puissance".
Entre 8 et 12 millions d'immigrés illégaux, selon diverses estimations,
vivent aux Etats-Unis. L'application du nouveau plan de M. Bush leur permettrait
de travailler dans une légalité temporaire de plusieurs années.
Quelque 60% de ces sans-papiers viennent du Mexique.
Les problèmes migratoires étaient l'une des priorités
annoncées par le président Bush au début de son mandat,
lorsqu'il décrétait que "ce siècle sera le siècle
des Amériques". Les attentats islamistes du 11septembre 2001 ont bousculé
cette priorité continentale au profit d'une lutte quasi mondiale contre
le terrorisme, dans laquelle Washington a inscrit les guerres d'Afghanistan
et d'Irak.
Le plan de George Bush prévoit notamment les mesures suivantes:
-Moyennant le paiement préalable d'un droit d'enregistrement
dont le montant n'est pas encore précisé, l'immigré
sans papiers pourra solliciter un statut de travailleur temporaire, avec
un visa de trois ans -renouvelable- donnant accès au salaire minimum
et aux droits fondamentaux dont jouissent les travailleurs américains.
-Les travailleurs temporaires pourront entrer aux Etats-Unis, en sortir
et y amener leur famille, à condition de pouvoir subvenir à
ses besoins, mais ils devront rentrer dans leur pays à l'expiration
du permis.
-Ils auront néanmoins le droit de solliciter un permis de travail
définitif (green card), mais sans bénéficier d'avantages
par rapport aux immigrés qui ont suivi dès le départ
une filière légale.
-Un système d'offres et de demandes permettra aux entreprises d'engager
des étrangers si des travailleurs américains ne le sollicitent
pas.
Ces mesures sont les plus importantes annoncées aux Etats-Unis en
matière d'immigration aux cours des 18 dernières années.
En 1986, le président Ronald Reagan avait fait bénéficier
près de trois millions de sans-papiers d'une amnistie générale.
George W. Bush ne va pas aussi loin. Il a renouvelé mercredi son opposition
à une telle amnistie.
Il a en outre précisé que son programme vise "au retour
permanent dans leur pays des travailleurs temporaires à l'expiration
de leur période de travail aux Etats-Unis". Dans ce but, le président
Bush propose de favoriser fiscalement des comptes d'épargne dont les
immigrés jouiraient au retour dans leur pays. Dans le même ordre
d'idées, M. Bush veut conclure avec "des gouvernements étrangers"
des accords permettant aux immigrés de faire comptabiliser les années
passées aux Etats-Unis dans le système de retraites de leur
pays d'origine.
Malgré ces restrictions à une intégration durable
aux Etats-Unis, M. Bush a l'ambition, à dix mois de l'élection
présidentielle, de séduire 40% des électeurs hispaniques,
contre 35% qui avaient voté pour lui en 2000. C'est sans doute en
fonction de cette ambition que son plan a été présenté
cinq jours avant la réunion, à Monterrey (Mexique), du Sommet
spécial des Amériques. George Bush y sera l'hôte du
président mexicain Vicente Fox, pour qui la régularisation,
par Washington, des émigrés clandestins est une priorité.
Envois des émigrés mexicains: 14 milliards de dollars
en 2003
En 2003, le Mexique a reçu 14 milliards de dollars envoyés
à leur famille par des travailleurs (pour la plupart illégaux)
émigrés aux Etats-Unis. La première puissance mondiale
compte huit millions d'habitants nés au Mexique et près de
vingt millions d'habitants d'origine mexicaine. Les Etats-Unis déportent
en moyenne, les refoulant au-delà de la frontière, cinq mille
clandestins mexicains par jour, soit un million et demi par an.
Un communiqué officiel diffusé mercredi soir à Mexico
indique que le président Vicente Fox et son hôte du jour, le
président du Sénat des Etats-Unis, le républicain William
Frist, considèrent les propositions de George Bush comme "un bon premier
pas". Le président Fox, selon le même communiqué, estime
néanmoins qu'elles restent "en deçà" de ce qu'il souhaite.
A Washington, le groupe démocrate de la Chambre des représentants,
qui compte 22 élus hispaniques, qualifie le plan de "manoeuvre électorale".
Selon les démocrates, une régularisation temporaire éveillera
la méfiance de nombreux immigrés, qui choisiront de demeurer
dans l'illégalité de crainte d'être déportés
à l'expiration de leur visa de travail.
Pour faire approuver son plan, George Bush devra aussi ferrailler contre
l'aile dure de son Parti républicain, qui considère les sans-papiers
comme une menace pour la sécurité nationale. Il est "dangereux"
de récompenser ceux qui ont violé la loi avertit le congressiste
républicain Tom Tancredo.
La régularisation temporaire des clandestins serait donc insuffisante
aux yeux des démocrates, mais irait trop loin pour nombre de républicains.
L'essentiel pour George Bush est peut-être d'afficher un esprit généreux,
mais sans forcer sur la concrétisation, afin de demeurer acceptable,
sur le plan électoral, tant pour la forte minorité hispanique
que pour les adversaires de l'immigration.
Vous pouvez réagir à cet article sur notre forum
Texte anglais intégral du discours sur l'immigration prononcé
le 7 janvier 2004 à la Maison Blanche par le président George W. Bush:
Thanks for coming, thanks for the warm welcome, thanks for joining me as
I make this important announcement -- an announcement that I believe will
make America a more compassionate and more humane and stronger country.
I appreciate members of my Cabinet who have joined me today, starting
with our Secretary of State, Colin Powell. (Applause.) I'm honored that our
Attorney General, John Ashcroft, has joined us. (Applause.) Secretary of
Commerce, Don Evans. (Applause.) Secretary Tom Ridge, of the Department of
Homeland Security. (Applause.) El Embajador of Mexico, Tony Garza. (Applause.)
I thank all the other members of my administration who have joined us today.
I appreciate the members of Congress who have taken time to come: Senator
Larry Craig, Congressman Chris Cannon, and Congressman Jeff Flake. I'm honored
you all have joined us, thank you for coming.
I appreciate the members of citizen groups who have joined us today. Chairman
of the Hispanic Alliance for Progress, Manny Lujan. Gil Moreno, the President
and CEO of the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans. Roberto
De Posada, the President of the Latino Coalition. And Hector Flores, the
President of LULAC.
Thank you all for joining us. (Applause.)
Many of you here today are Americans by choice, and you have followed in
the path of millions. And over the generations we have received energetic,
ambitious, optimistic people from every part of the world. By tradition and
conviction, our country is a welcoming society. America is a stronger and
better nation because of the hard work and the faith and entrepreneurial
spirit of immigrants.
Every generation of immigrants has reaffirmed the wisdom of remaining open
to the talents and dreams of the world. And every generation of immigrants
has reaffirmed our ability to assimilate newcomers -- which is one of the
defining strengths of our country.
During one great period of immigration -- between 1891 and 1920 -- our nation
received some 18 million men, women and children from other nations. The
hard work of these immigrants helped make our economy the largest in the
world. The children of immigrants put on the uniform and helped to liberate
the lands of their ancestors. One of the primary reasons America became a
great power in the 20th century is because we welcomed the talent and the
character and the patriotism of immigrant families.
The contributions of immigrants to America continue. About 14 percent of
our nation's civilian workforce is foreign-born. Most begin their working
lives in America by taking hard jobs and clocking long hours in important
industries. Many immigrants also start businesses, taking the familiar path
from hired labor to ownership.
As a Texan, I have known many immigrant families, mainly from Mexico,
and I have seen what they add to our country. They bring to America the values
of faith in God, love of family, hard work and self reliance -- the values
that made us a great nation to begin with. We've all seen those values in
action, through the service and sacrifice of more than 35,000 foreign-born
men and women currently on active duty in the United States military. One
of them is Master Gunnery Sergeant Guadalupe Denogean, an immigrant from
Mexico who has served in the Marine Corps for 25 years and counting. Last
year, I was honored and proud to witness Sergeant Denogean take the oath
of citizenship in a hospital where he was recovering from wounds he received
in Iraq. I'm honored to be his Commander-in-Chief, I'm proud to call him
a fellow American. (Applause.)
As a nation that values immigration, and depends on immigration, we should
have immigration laws that work and make us proud. Yet today we do not. Instead,
we see many employers turning to the illegal labor market. We see millions
of hard-working men and women condemned to fear and insecurity in a massive,
undocumented economy. Illegal entry across our borders makes more difficult
the urgent task of securing the homeland. The system is not working. Our
nation needs an immigration system that serves the American economy, and
reflects the American Dream.
Reform must begin by confronting a basic fact of life and economics: some
of the jobs being generated in America's growing economy are jobs American
citizens are not filling. Yet these jobs represent a tremendous opportunity
for workers from abroad who want to work and fulfill their duties as a husband
or a wife, a son or a daughter.
Their search for a better life is one of the most basic desires of human
beings. Many undocumented workers have walked mile after mile, through the
heat of the day and the cold of the night. Some have risked their lives in
dangerous desert border crossings, or entrusted their lives to the brutal
rings of heartless human smugglers. Workers who seek only to earn a living
end up in the shadows of American life -- fearful, often abused and exploited.
When they are victimized by crime, they are afraid to call the police, or
seek recourse in the legal system. They are cut off from their families far
away, fearing if they leave our country to visit relatives back home, they
might never be able to return to their jobs.
The situation I described is wrong. It is not the American way. Out of common
sense and fairness, our laws should allow willing workers to enter our country
and fill jobs that Americans have are not filling. (Applause.) We must make
our immigration laws more rational, and more humane. And I believe we can
do so without jeopardizing the livelihoods of American citizens.
Our reforms should be guided by a few basic principles. First, America
must control its borders. Following the attacks of September the 11th, 2001,
this duty of the federal government has become even more urgent. And we're
fulfilling that duty.
For the first time in our history, we have consolidated all border agencies
under one roof to make sure they share information and the work is more effective.
We're matching all visa applicants against an expanded screening list to
identify terrorists and criminals and immigration violators. This month,
we have begun using advanced technology to better record and track aliens
who enter our country -- and to make sure they leave as scheduled. We have
deployed new gamma and x-ray systems to scan cargo and containers and shipments
at ports of entry to America. We have significantly expanded the Border Patrol
-- with more than a thousand new agents on the borders, and 40 percent greater
funding over the last two years. We're working closely with the Canadian
and Mexican governments to increase border security. America is acting on
a basic belief: our borders should be open to legal travel and honest trade;
our borders should be shut and barred tight to criminals, to drug traders,
to drug traffickers and to criminals, and to terrorists.
Second, new immigration laws should serve the economic needs of our country.
If an American employer is offering a job that American citizens are not
willing to take, we ought to welcome into our country a person who will fill
that job.
Third, we should not give unfair rewards to illegal immigrants in the citizenship
process or disadvantage those who came here lawfully, or hope to do so.
Fourth, new laws should provide incentives for temporary, foreign workers
to return permanently to their home countries after their period of work
in the United States has expired.
Today, I ask the Congress to join me in passing new immigration laws that
reflect these principles, that meet America's economic needs, and live up
to our highest ideals. (Applause.)
I propose a new temporary worker program that will match willing foreign
workers with willing American employers, when no Americans can be found to
fill the jobs. This program will offer legal status, as temporary workers,
to the millions of undocumented men and women now employed in the United
States, and to those in foreign countries who seek to participate in the
program and have been offered employment here. This new system should be
clear and efficient, so employers are able to find workers quickly and simply.
All who participate in the temporary worker program must have a job, or,
if not living in the United States, a job offer. The legal status granted
by this program will last three years and will be renewable -- but it will
have an end. Participants who do not remain employed, who do not follow the
rules of the program, or who break the law will not be eligible for continued
participation and will be required to return to their home.
Under my proposal, employers have key responsibilities. Employers who extend
job offers must first make every reasonable effort to find an American worker
for the job at hand. Our government will develop a quick and simple system
for employers to search for American workers. Employers must not hire undocumented
aliens or temporary workers whose legal status has expired. They must report
to the government the temporary workers they hire, and who leave their employ,
so that we can keep track of people in the program, and better enforce immigration
laws. There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties for
anyone, for any employer violating these laws.
Undocumented workers now here will be required to pay a one-time fee to register
for the temporary worker program. Those who seek to join the program from
abroad, and have complied with our immigration laws, will not have to pay
any fee. All participants will be issued a temporary worker card that will
allow them to travel back and forth between their home and the United States
without fear of being denied re-entry into our country. (Applause.)
This program expects temporary workers to return permanently to their home
countries after their period of work in the United States has expired. And
there should be financial incentives for them to do so. I will work with
foreign governments on a plan to give temporary workers credit, when they
enter their own nation's retirement system, for the time they have worked
in America. I also support making it easier for temporary workers to contribute
a portion of their earnings to tax-preferred savings accounts, money they
can collect as they return to their native countries. After all, in many
of those countries, a small nest egg is what is necessary to start their
own business, or buy some land for their family.
Some temporary workers will make the decision to pursue American citizenship.
Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way. They
will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures
from the start. I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic
path to citizenship. Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws,
and perpetuates illegal immigration. America is a welcoming country, but
citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America.
(Applause.)
The citizenship line, however, is too long, and our current limits on legal
immigration are too low. My administration will work with the Congress to
increase the annual number of green cards that can lead to citizenship. Those
willing to take the difficult path of citizenship -- the path of work, and
patience, and assimilation -- should be welcome in America, like generations
of immigrants before them. (Applause.)
In the process of immigration reform, we must also set high expectations
for what new citizens should know. An understanding of what it means to be
an American is not a formality in the naturalization process, it is essential
to full participation in our democracy. My administration will examine the
standard of knowledge in the current citizenship test. We must ensure that
new citizens know not only the facts of our history, but the ideals that
have shaped our history. Every citizen of America has an obligation to learn
the values that make us one nation: liberty and civic responsibility, equality
under God, and tolerance for others.
This new temporary worker program will bring more than economic benefits
to America. Our homeland will be more secure when we can better account for
those who enter our country, instead of the current situation in which millions
of people are unknown, unknown to the law. Law enforcement will face fewer
problems with undocumented workers, and will be better able to focus on the
true threats to our nation from criminals and terrorists. And when temporary
workers can travel legally and freely, there will be more efficient management
of our borders and more effective enforcement against those who pose a danger
to our country. (Applause.)
This new system will be more compassionate. Decent, hard-working people will
now be protected by labor laws, with the right to change jobs, earn fair
wages, and enjoy the same working conditions that the law requires for American
workers. Temporary workers will be able to establish their identities by
obtaining the legal documents we all take for granted. And they will be able
to talk openly to authorities, to report crimes when they are harmed, without
the fear of being deported. (Applause.)
The best way, in the long run, to reduce the pressures that create illegal
immigration in the first place is to expand economic opportunity among the
countries in our neighborhood. In a few days I will go to Mexico for the
Special Summit of the Americas, where we will discuss ways to advance free
trade, and to fight corruption, and encourage the reforms that lead to prosperity.
Real growth and real hope in the nations of our hemisphere will lessen the
flow of new immigrants to America when more citizens of other countries are
able to achieve their dreams at their own home. (Applause.)
Yet our country has always benefited from the dreams that others have brought
here. By working hard for a better life, immigrants contribute to the life
of our nation. The temporary worker program I am proposing today represents
the best tradition of our society, a society that honors the law, and welcomes
the newcomer. This plan will help return order and fairness to our immigration
system, and in so doing we will honor our values, by showing our respect
for those who work hard and share in the ideals of America.
May God bless you all.
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