Bush to tackle illegal workers

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush plans changes next year in immigration policy to allow more foreign workers to enter the country legally and easily.

The Washington Post, quoting unidentified Republican officials and lobbyists, said Wednesday the plan being developed would also help some of the estimated 8 million illegal aliens in the country regularize their immigration status.

The new policy, however, would not include a general amnesty for illegal aliens, which Bush has said he firmly opposes.

If a specific job is waiting for them, immigrants may cross the border legally, sources said. The sources said the administration also wants to provide a way for some undocumented workers in the United States to move toward legal status.

To placate conservatives, Bush will include stricter entry controls, including increased use of technology at the border and steps toward better enforcement of current visa restrictions and reporting requirements.

At his year-end news conference Bush said he was preparing to send Congress recommendations for an "immigration policy that helps match any willing employer with any willing employee."

Independent confirmation of the report was not immediately available.

The newspaper said the plan could feature a Labor Department Web-based registry where employers could advertise jobs. U.S. workers would get first crack, followed by immigrant workers who would apply for a special temporary worker visa.

The plan, if it came to fruition, would be the biggest change in immigration policy since President Ronald Reagan in 1986 gave amnesty to millions of illegals.