Both sides criticize Bush on immigration

By Darren Meritz / El Paso Times

Article Launched: 01/24/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

President Bush called for a temporary guest-worker program for legal migrants in his State of the Union address, stopping short of pushing an amnesty program for the millions of undocumented residents within the country.

But both advocates of more-secure borders and supporters of immigrants and their rights criticized the president for not taking a firm enough position on immigration reform and tighter security along the nation's borders.

Bush placed an emphasis on immigration laws and worker programs not seen in the past few years. One conservative lawmaker said that in the meantime too little was said about jobs for American workers, who might accept low-skilled jobs if those jobs offered higher wages.