Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said the creation of a new visa program to let aliens take jobs in the U.S. that Americans do not want is a necessary step in addressing the problem of illegal immigration.

``Together with Congress we are going to create a temporary worker program that is going to take pressure off the borders, bring workers out of the shadows,'' Bush told border patrol agents today at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. ``People in this debate must recognize that we will not be able to effectively enforce our immigration laws until we create a temporary worker program.''

Border issues will likely play a major role in next year's midterm congressional elections in the Southwest. Drug smuggling and violence by illegal immigrants prompted governors in Arizona and New Mexico to declare states of emergency on their borders. Bush will address the issue of border security again tomorrow in El Paso, Texas.

Bush's calls for a temporary worker program put him at odds with some in his party who believe the focus should only be on strengthening border security and increasing enforcement of current immigration laws.

To contact the reporters on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net; William McQuillen in Tucson, Arizona at bmcquillen3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 28, 2005 17:15 EST