The Arizona lawmaker says the government needs to enforce current laws first.

  SERGIO BUSTOS
  Gannett News Service

  WASHINGTON - Congress should not entertain any legislation that would legalize illegal immigrants or
  admit foreigners as guest workers until the federal government enforces current laws to combat illegal
  immigration, Sen. Jon Kyl said yesterday.

  "I approach the notion of 'guest-worker' legislation very cautiously," the Arizona Republican wrote in a
  weekly column he distributes to statewide media. "If we are not enforcing current immigration laws,
  the question naturally arises: Why would we be any more likely to enforce new laws?"

  Kyl's remarks come when three of his fellow Arizona GOP lawmakers - Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jim
  Kolbe of Tucson and Jeff Flake of Mesa - are aggressively pushing passage of their Border Security
  and Immigration Reform Act.

  The legislation would create a nationwide guest-worker program and would offer scores of illegal
  immigrants the chance to become legal residents.

  Although he does not endorse or oppose temporary worker bills, Kyl questioned whether legalizing
  illegal immigrants or establishing guest-worker programs would encourage more illegal immigration.

  "Will we be sending the signal to others that, if they can get into the United States and lay low for a
  few years, they too could gain legal status, even citizenship, in the United States?" he asked.

  Between 8 million and 9 million illegal immigrants are believed to be in the United States, according to
  federal officials.

  An estimated 283,000 are believed to be in Arizona.

  Borrowing the words of Thomas Jefferson, Kyl said immigrants should abide by the law.

  "We should welcome all (immigrants), but take seriously the rules governing their entry and
  participation in American life," he wrote. "Anything less undercuts the sanctity of our laws and the
  value of being a citizen of the greatest nation on Earth."

  Kyl does not mention specific legislation in his column, but the McCain-Kolbe-Flake bill is one of several
  measures pending in Congress that include a guest-worker provision to deal with the country's
  growing population of illegal immigrants.

  McCain, Kolbe and Flake contend that their bill would reduce migrant deaths on the U.S.-Mexico
  border, fill low-skill labor needs of businesses nationwide and improve national security.

  Kyl's support would help smooth the way for the legislation in the GOP-led Senate because he holds a
  leadership post that gives him some influence with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

  In the House, also controlled by Republicans, Kolbe and Flake already face a challenging task because
  a significant number of House GOP members have resisted any bill that would reward immigrants who
  illegally entered the country.

  Efforts to reach Kolbe and McCain were unsuccessful.