May 12 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush will announce Monday that he'll increase the security presence on the U.S.- Mexico border to stem the flow of illegal immigration, a senior administration official said.
The White House hasn't yet determined how many people will be deployed or where they will be sent, the official said. The forces will likely be comprised of National Guard troops, though private security is also being contemplated, the aide said.
Bush will offer more specifics when he addresses the nation in a prime-time speech from the Oval Office. The administration envisions increasing manpower on the border by fewer than 10,000 people, two senior administration officials said. The federal government would also likely commit money to help pay for the increased border presence, an aide said.
The U.S. Senate is beginning a debate on immigration-reform legislation that's in line with the principles Bush has pressed for throughout his presidency. It includes better border security as well as a program that would allow immigrants to temporarily work in the U.S.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on CNN that the ``situation on the border is very tenuous'' and he is ``glad the president is addressing this.''
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that focuses on border security, and Republican leaders in that chamber opposed the guest-worker program.
Visas
The proposed legislation in the Senate would create up to 400,000 guest-worker visas for unskilled workers and provide a path to legal status for many of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
The House in December approved a measure that cracks down on the hiring of undocumented immigrants and calls for the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the Mexican border, without addressing a guest-worker program or legal status for those in the country illegally.
The senior administration official who briefed reporters said Bush will also reiterate his commitment to offering a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and stress that illegal immigrants already in the country can't be massively deported.
