WASHINGTON, Dec 21: President George Bush said flatly on Monday that America's immigration system is not working and that in his new term he would push for a temporary guest worker program.

At a news conference, Mr Bush spoke at length about US immigration problems. Last January he proposed allowing some of the estimated eight million to 10 million illegal immigrants in the United States to gain legal work visas for at least six years.

But the US Congress did not pass the plan. Some in Mr Bush's own Republican Party oppose concessions to illegal immigrants and would like to see restrictions placed on legal immigration as well.

Mr Bush said his plan would take pressure off the porous US-Mexican border, match willing workers with willing employers and cut out the "coyote" smugglers who carry immigrants in the back of trucks and sometimes allow them to suffocate. -Reuters