LATINOS URGE AMNESTY FOR IMMIGRANTS LEGAL STATUS A POLITICAL ISSUE.

Byline: Bill Hillburg Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - A coalition of Latino civil rights groups on Thursday called on President George W. Bush to enact a plan to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants, including an estimated 2 million who live in Southern California.

The plan, supported by the National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and other groups, would grant legal status to all immigrants who can prove they have been living, working and paying taxes in the United States for at least three years.

Under their plan, immigrants living and working in the United States for fewer than three years would be given temporary legal status and future opportunities to make that status permanent. All legalized immigrants would also be allowed to travel freely between the U.S and their home country and would no longer be prey for smugglers.

``The Latino community is firmly and unequivocally united behind this issue,'' Raul Yzaguirre, president of the National Council of La Raza, said at a news conference at the National Press Club. He also said that a Bush legalization plan must include all eligible immigrants and not be limited to Mexicans.

Bush, who is considering a combination of temporary and permanent legalization for up to 3 million undocumented immigrants, has focused most of his attention on immigration from Mexico.

Bush is expected to unveil his legalization proposal during a White House visit by Mexico's President Vicente Fox on Sept. 5. Mexico's leader will be feted at the Bush administration's first official state dinner.

``Amnesty is bad news. It would promote more illegal immigration,'' said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank that advocates tightened border controls. ``We had an amnesty 15 years ago, and it resulted in an even higher level of illegal immigration.''

Krikorian's group has estimated the undocumented population of the five-county Southern California region at 2 million, including the nation's largest numbers of Mexican and Central American immigrants.

Brent Wilkes, executive director of LULAC, countered arguments by conservatives, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, that a legalization program would reward immigrants who have broken laws to enter the United States.

``We want to change a bad law,'' he said. ``When Congress raised the speed limit, you didn't hear anyone talking about rewarding people who had exceeded the limit in the past.''

Yzaguirre warned both Republicans and Democrats not to oppose legalization, lest they incur the wrath of the nation's fastest-growing population group.

``Republicans in California and (former Gov.) Pete Wilson were punished by Latinos for being anti-immigrant,'' he said. He also advised Democrats, who have enjoyed strong support from Latino voters, not to take that backing for granted.

``We are talking about a community that is very much in play. It is a conservative, value-oriented community that has much in common with many Republicans,'' he said. ``We'll be watching the Democrats closely on immigration. We're not looking to give them an election issue to use against Republicans. We want the president and both parties to help millions of hard-working people.''

Krikorian argued that enforcement of existing laws, rather than a new amnesty scheme, can best solve the nation's immigration problems.

He cited a recent Immigration and Naturalization Service report that found 400,000 persons per year leave the ranks of the undocumented by returning home or going through existing channels to achieve legal status.

The INS report also estimated the annual influx of undocumented immigrants at 600,000.

``Cut off that flow with increased enforcement at the border and among employers of illegal immigrants, and eventually the problem will largely take care of itself,'' Krikorian said.