George W. Bush

==== Immigration ====
[[File:Bush delivers statement at Mexican border.jpg|thumb|President Bush discussing border security with Secretary of Homeland Security [[Michael Chertoff]] near [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]], November 2005]]

Nearly eight million immigrants came to the United States from 2000 to 2005, more than in any other five-year period in the nation's history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-12-immigration_x.htm|title=Study: Immigration grows, reaching record numbers|last1=El Nasser|first1=Haya|date=December 12, 2005|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=November 19, 2019|last2=Kiely|first2=Kathy|archive-date=March 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314123156/https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-12-immigration_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Almost half entered illegally.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/dec/12/20051212-110459-2662r |title=Immigration surge called 'highest ever{{'"}} |newspaper=The Washington Times |date=December 12, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502232627/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/dec/12/20051212-110459-2662r |archive-date=May 2, 2013 }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=May 2020}} In 2006, Bush urged Congress to allow more than twelve million [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] to work in the United States with the creation of a "temporary guest-worker program". Bush also urged Congress to provide additional funds for border security and committed to deploying 6,000 [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] troops to the [[Mexico–United States border]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/29/bush.immigration/ |title=Bush takes tough talk on immigration to Texas |access-date=September 9, 2006 |publisher=CNN |date=November 29, 2005 |archive-date=June 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628192710/http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/29/bush.immigration/ }}</ref> From May to June 2007, Bush strongly supported the [[Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007]], which was written by a bipartisan group of Senators with the active participation of the Bush administration.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Fact Sheet: Border Security and Immigration Reform |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070517-7.html |date=May 17, 2007 |publisher=[[Executive Office of the President of the United States|The White House]] |access-date=February 3, 2012 |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502232627/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070517-7.html }}</ref> The bill envisioned a legalization program for illegal immigrants, with an eventual path to citizenship; establishing a guest worker program; a series of border and worksite enforcement measures; a reform of the [[Permanent residence (United States)|green card]] application process and the introduction of a point-based "merit" system for green cards; elimination of "[[chain migration]]" and of the [[Diversity Immigrant Visa]]; and other measures. Bush argued that the lack of legal status denies the protections of U.S. laws to millions of people who face dangers of poverty and exploitation, and penalizes employers despite a demand for immigrant labor.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070608-10.html |title=Best of the Immigration Fact Check: Top 10 Common Myths |date=June 8, 2007 |publisher=[[Executive Office of the President of the United States|The White House]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612191009/http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070608-10.html |archive-date=June 12, 2007 |access-date=February 3, 2012 }}</ref> Bush contended that the proposed bill did not amount to amnesty.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Fox News |date=June 26, 2008 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286705,00.html |access-date=May 30, 2008 |title=Senate Votes to Continue Work on Immigration Reform Compromise |author1=Garrett, Major |author2=Trish Turner |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017113444/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C286705%2C00.html }}</ref>

A heated public debate followed, which resulted in a substantial rift within the Republican Party, most conservatives opposed it because of its legalization or amnesty provisions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5449.html|title=Talk radio helped sink immigration reform|last=Allen|first=Mike|date=August 20, 2007|access-date=November 27, 2019|work=Politico|archive-date=February 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225004138/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5449.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The bill was eventually defeated in the Senate on June 28, 2007, when a [[cloture]] motion failed on a 46–53 vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/immigration-bill-goes-down-in-defeat-2007-06-28.html|title=46–53, immigration bill goes down in defeat|last=Marre|first=Klaus|date=June 28, 2007|work=The Hill|access-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104162605/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/immigration-bill-goes-down-in-defeat-2007-06-28.html|archive-date=January 4, 2009}}</ref> Bush expressed disappointment upon the defeat of one of his signature domestic initiatives.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/28/immigration.congress/index.html |title=Senate immigration bill suffers crushing defeat |publisher=CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502232627/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/28/immigration.congress/index.html |archive-date=May 2, 2013 }}; {{cite web |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070628-7.html |title=President Bush Disappointed by Congress's Failure to Act on Comprehensive Immigration Reform |date=June 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503024157/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070628-7.html |url-status=live |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |publisher=[[White House]] |archive-date=May 3, 2013 }}</ref> The Bush administration later proposed a series of immigration enforcement measures that do not require a change in law.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070810.html |title=The White House Fact Sheet: Improving Border Security and Immigration Within Existing Law |date=August 10, 2007 |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502232627/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070810.html |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |publisher=[[White House]] |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 19, 2010, former Israeli Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert]] said that Bush offered to accept 100,000 Palestinian refugees as American citizens if a permanent settlement had been reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ravid |first=Barak |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/olmert-bush-offered-to-absorb-100-000-palestinian-refugees-if-peace-deal-reached-1.314644?localLinksEnabled=false |title=Olmert: Bush offered to absorb 100,000 Palestinian refugees if peace deal reached |location=Israel |access-date=October 27, 2010 |date=September 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225062850/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/olmert-bush-offered-to-absorb-100-000-palestinian-refugees-if-peace-deal-reached-1.314644?localLinksEnabled=false |archive-date=February 25, 2008 }}</ref>