Speech #1090123798

We have about half a million people who are here each year and we give them new temporary worker status. It is important to have them here as well. because in a vibrant. growing economy. we need more workers. We have an important debate to have about what to do about the 10 to 12 million people who are illegally here. and what I think is the most important part of the whole immigration debate and that is how do we make sure those who are not citizens of this country are. for the most part. becoming Americans so we do not leave this country a large enclave of people whose allegiance is to some other country. We are a big country. 300 million people. We have about 30 million people. or 10 percent of us today. who are noncitizensabout twothirds legally here and onethird of those illegally here. But we need to make sure that for the most part. people who are here who are not citizens are learning English. are learning the saga of American history. are learning about our founding documents and are willing to take the oath which foreswears allegiance to where they came from and adopts allegiance to this country. There are many important debates about immigration. but there is nothing more important than border security. Border security is the first issue before us because it is based upon the bedrock principle of the American character which is the rule of law. Most families who have come to this country are immigrant families. Almost all of us descend from those. Most of those families. in addition to wanting to make a dollar. wanting to improve their lives. wanting to gain freedom. wanted to come to a country where there is the rule of law.