Bush takes immigration to Hispanic group

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush continued his push for the immigration reform bill Friday with a short speech at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast.

The president was joined by two senators he described as having "corazones grandes" (big hearts) on the issue, Democrat Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Republican Mel Martinez of Florida.

"Our responsibilities are straightforward -- we've got to enforce the border, basic duty of a sovereign nation," he said at the gathering at a Washington hotel. "We've got to create a lawful way for foreign workers to fill jobs that Americans are not doing. Our economy depends on them. And we must resolve the status of illegal immigrants already in our country without amnesty and without animosity, because that is the only practical way to fix the problem that has been decades in the making."

The audience applauded when Bush said he wants to sign an immigration bill this year.