WASHINGTON, March 25: As immigrants hold large rallies against plans to criminalise undocumented workers in the United States, President George Bush called on Saturday for legislation that does not force America to choose between being a welcoming society and one that uses laws to force immigrants out.

“America is a nation of immigrants, and we’re also a nation of laws,” Mr Bush said in his weekly radio address about the emotional immigration issue that has driven a wedge in his party.

The bill, passed last year by the House of Representatives, is scheduled to be debated in the Senate next week. Besides criminalising undocumented workers, the bill also proposes imposing new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erecting of fences along one-third of the US-Mexican border.

President Bush sides with business leaders who want legislation to let some immigrants stay in the country and work for a set period of time. Others say national security concerns should drive immigration reform.