Bush weighs use of Guardsmen at borders

The official said that Bush is considering making federal aid available to states that use the National Guard to patrol US borders and allow border states to use guard troops from other states to supplement their ranks.

In the prime-time Oval Office speech, Bush plans to appeal for a comprehensive remaking of the nation's immigration laws, and will detail his support for a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants.

The Senate is scheduled to begin two weeks of debate on a sweeping immigration measure Monday, and Bush is hoping his voice will help the bill pass.

The White House said the speech, Bush's first prime-time address from the Oval Office on a matter of domestic policy, reflects the importance the president accords the issue of immigration.

''This is crunch time," said Tony Snow, the newly installed White House press secretary. ''The president does want comprehensive immigration reform addressed this year."

Bush's focus on securing the borders, which is separate from any legislative steps that Congress may take, is intended to mollify conservatives within the Republican Party, who favor a tougher approach that would bar immigrants who are in the country illegally from becoming citizens.

Bush also plans to endorse the concepts that underpin a compromise bill negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, though he remains open to changes, said the administration official, who described the outlines of Bush's speech to the press on condition of anonymity.

The president has signaled his support for the measure in the past but has stopped short of stating his outright endorsement.

The bill before the Senate, which most conservatives oppose, would allow the bulk of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States to achieve citizenship if they pay fines and back taxes, learn English, maintain steady employment, and obey the law.

''It's comprehensive in nature, and that's something the president's been calling for," said the administration official, who spoke with reporters in advance of the president's speech on the condition of anonymity. ''We're going to work as hard as we can to get the bill off the Senate floor. . . . It's not rational to say we're going to deport 12 million people."

The official said no decisions have been made about the use of National Guard troops and said the president is considering a range of options that would give governors more flexibility in patrolling their borders by employing guardsmen.

The governors of some border states, including Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, have used Guard troops in limited numbers to supplement patrols and to provide logistical support to US Customs and Border Protection agents. Federal funding would vastly expand what the states could afford, and send a message that the Bush administration is taking steps to secure the border.

Any federal move to allow more National Guardsmen to augment the border patrol could be controversial in Congress. Influential Republicans, including Senator John McCain of Arizona and John W. Warner of Virginia, Senate Armed Services chairman, have expressed concern that the National Guard is already under undue stress because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Separately, the Pentagon has been exploring ways for active-duty troops to be used along the border, but the administration official said Bush would not endorse that Monday. The official also said the president is unlikely to federalize control of National Guard troops, an extreme measure that is taken only in emergencies.

The president's prime-time address will occur at a time of record-low approval ratings and just days after another revelation about a secretly authorized surveillance program has renewed questions about the administration's antiterrorism policies.

By diving into the immigration debate as the Senate prepares to take the matter up, Bush is staking his reputation on an issue where passions on both sides run high -- and that exposes deep rifts within his own Republican Party.

Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican who opposes the bill that's now before the Senate, called on the president to disavow any measure that would provide ''amnesty" to those who broke the law by coming to the United States.

''The American people are so angry," Sessions said. ''The president has a great credibility problem. All he's ever done is talk about the need to have more people here."

Immigration represents what could be Bush's best chance for a major legislative accomplishment in a congressional term where he has been frustrated.

''They're trying to line up a few issues where they can claim some credit, at a time when their own supporters are writing them off," said Bruce Buchanan, a government professor at the University of Texas.

But there's no clear path to success for the president, given the divisions within the Republican Party, said Michael Franc, of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

''He's trying to thread the ultimate needle here," Franc said. ''So far the most striking thing that's happened is the way the Republicans have somehow managed to alienate both the Hispanic voting bloc and the Republican core constituency" that wants more heavily guarded borders.

Bush and many Democrats hope the president's voice will persuade skeptical Republicans -- particularly in the House, where harder-line conservatives are in powerful positions -- to go along with the Senate plan.

''We need the president, and we need him to be involved," said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who coauthored a bill with McCain that was the starting point for the current immigration bill and had urged Bush to weigh in on the issue. ''With his leadership, we'll get really an outstanding piece of legislation. And we're very hopeful that we'll be able to get it."

Susan Milligan of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Rick Klein can be reached at rklein@globe.com.