In a major policy speech that was perhaps a prelude to a presidential run, N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson outlined today his plan for immigration reform in the United States and said the Democratic-controlled Congress has a duty to act on it in 2007. During the speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Richardson called on Congress to repeal a law passed earlier this year to create a $6 billion fence along the border. He then outlined a four-point plan to deal with immigration reform: • Secure the border: Double the number of Border Patrol agents from approximately 12,000 to 24,000; place enough National Guard troops at the border to keep it covered in the short-term; give the Border Patrol better surveillance equipment; implement a system of “informant visas” and cash rewards for undocumented immigrants who provide law enforcement with information on human traffickers and document forgers; establish a task force to track the latest fraudulent documents being used; and work more closely with the Mexican government, using face-to-face diplomacy, to create jobs in the border region. • Increase legal immigration: Create clearer procedures and more rapid and efficient processing of immigration petitions; create a guest worker program that requires, among other things, a background check and stringent accountability requirements based on the needs of the U.S. economy. • Prevent employers from hiring illegal workers: Develop a system to reliably and instantaneously verify the legal status of every job applicant and worker using a national, non-duplicable electronic worker identification document. Continue Reading