LAT: Immigration Overhaul Seen as Key to Domestic Security (Chertoff)

[DeepModem Mom]

Immigration Overhaul Seen as Key to Domestic Security
Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff lays out his plans to overhaul his agency, and urges a guest worker program to help secure borders.
By Nicole Gaouette, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, portraying immigration policy as a vital weapon against terrorism, pledged Wednesday to tighten border security but also called on Congress to approve a guest worker program that would make it easier for foreign workers to enter the country legally.

"We must gain full control of our borders to prevent illegal immigration and security breaches," Chertoff said.

But, he added, "control of the border will also require reducing the demand for illegal border migration" by channeling needed workers through a new legal system. Implicit in the guest worker program would be an increase in the number of legal immigrants.

Chertoff vowed to carry his campaign for a guest worker program as well as other changes to Capitol Hill in the weeks ahead.

By linking the controversial subject of immigration policy to the popular goal of thwarting terrorists, Chertoff's plan could give new impetus to President Bush's stalled proposal for an expanded guest worker program and enhanced border security....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-homeland14jul14,0,125645.story?coll=la-home-nation