Six days after President George W. Bush proposed new immigration policy on Jan. 7, the president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) said his agency “applauds [Bush] for bringing immigration reform into the center of policy debate.”
“As a nation that values immigration and depends on immigration, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud,” Bush said when he proposed the new policy.
“LIRS hopes the president’s speech will mark the beginning of an important new debate about comprehensive immigration reform,” said Ralston Deffenbaugh Jr.
He continued that he has “mixed reactions” to Bush’s temporary-worker proposal, and that LIRS “looks forward to a permanent solution to America’s broken immigration system.”
“President Bush is correct in saying that America’s immigration system is broken,” Deffenbaugh said, “and his temporary worker proposal will provide an opportunity to begin the debate on how best to create long-term, comprehensive immigration reform ….”
“LIRS looks forward to working with the Bush administration and Congress,” Deffenbaugh said, “to continue the work of crafting real immigration reform that unites families, ensures worker rights and human rights, allows immigrant workers to live freely and openly in our society, and gives those willing to contribute to our economy and society a true path toward citizenship in the United States.”
January 2004
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