President's plan mostly supported by Hispanic community

COLUMBUS - President Bush's speech to the nation on immigration Monday brought mixed reactions from local Hispanic community leaders, but the majority were supportive of his message.

President Bush called on Congress to fund dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border. The president also said proposed legislation should include a legal provision for new guest workers for American employers who need them temporarily and that would allow many of the illegal immigrants already working in the United States to remain legally, enabling some of them to eventually seek citizenship.

Fernando Lopez said he approved of the president's position on re-enforcing the Mexican border and providing many illegal immigrants with temporary worker permits.

“I am happy with the decision President Bush makes,” Lopez said, “because it is creating hope to the people that are here to fix their situation.”

Lopez said he was also supportive of the guest-worker program because, if Congress approves the measure, many workers in Mexico seeking jobs in the United States would not need to put their lives at risk for the opportunity.

“It is going to eliminate the need for a lot of people to cross illegally,” he said. “(It will) eliminate the risk for people coming into the U.S.”

He said he understands the president's reasoning for the plan to send 6,000 National Guard soldiers to help secure the border because they will not actually patrol the border or apprehend illegal immigrants. The intent is rather for them to build fences, roads and barriers, run surveillance systems and analyze intelligence.

“(The additional support is) going to make it tougher not only for immigrants, (but for) terrorists and people that traffic drugs,” Lopez said.

Socorro Rodriguez said some people within the Hispanic community said they liked the idea of the temporary work permit for illegal immigrants, but were more skeptical of the National Guard at the border.

The immigration reform proposal is good, she said, but people don't think it is right that Bush is sending soldiers to the border.

Rodriguez said she did not expect a resolution to the immigration issue any time soon.

“They talk, but they never come to any conclusion,” she said. “They always say the same thing.”

Maria Davila disagreed after listening to the president's speech and said she was more optimistic.

“I think something is going to happen,” Davila said. “When I was listening to him, it sounded as if they are going to pass a law for people to get work permits.”

She said the National Guard at the border also was a positive idea.

“To me, in my own opinion, that is a good idea,” Davila said, “(because it is) not just for immigrants, but they are doing it for terrorists and illegal drug (traffickers).”

She said after discussing the decision by the president with some Hispanic community members, they said they were not concerned by the soldiers presence at the border.

“The comments they were making were ‘We are here in the U.S.,' so they think it is a good idea,” Rodriguez said. “If a terrorist crosses the border, we are going to be hurt, too.”

Ada Sanchez said the temporary work permit and guest worker programs supported by the president would result in favorable change.

“I think it is going to be a positive change,” Sanchez said. “In this community, there are a a lot of people working hard jobs who deserve a chance to stay here and become legal workers in the U.S.”