NOGALES, Ariz., May 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Border Patrol agents say confusion over President Bush's proposed guest-worker program for illegal immigrants has fueled a rush across the border.
The agents say in intelligence reports that the increase in attempts to cross the southwest border from Mexico threatens to overwhelm the border patrol in some areas, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
Bush's plan is stalled in Congress and appears unlikely to be acted on this year.
The Times said Border Patrol administrators question the connection between the Bush plan and the sharp increase in illegal crossings. But reports compiled by agents in the field suggest the January announcement created confusion in Latin America, raising expectations of amnesty for new arrivals in the United States.
Although a primary goal of the president's proposal is to improve border security, agents said foreign terrororists may have an easier time slipping into the United States amid the border rush.
