President Bush proposes sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico as part of a major speech on immigration reform. Critics say the move is a politically motivated attempt to boost the president's sagging ratings.

President Bush is in Mexico, where the issue of immigration is likely to dominate the trilateral North American summit. The U.S. Senate is debating proposals ranging from tougher enforcement measures against illegal immigrants to providing them with a path to citizenship.

The U.S. Senate is debating punitive immigration measures as the new federal budget proposes heavy investments in "hardening" America's borders. The issue adds fuel to the election-year fire—particularly in the American southwest—as political passions rise.

As U.S. public opinion increasingly favors stronger immigration controls, the Senate considers a bill that would impose harsh penalties on illegal immigrants. The U.S.-Mexican relationship has suffered as a result.

North America is vulnerable on several fronts: the region faces terrorist and criminal security threats, increased economic competition from abroad, and uneven economic development at home. In response to these challenges, a trinational, Independent Task Force on the Future of North America has developed a roadmap to promote North American security and advance the well-being of citizens of all three countries. This report is also available in Spanish and French.

Three former high-ranking government officials from Canada, Mexico, and the United States call for a North American economic and security community by 2010 to address shared security threats, challenges to competitiveness, and interest in broad-based development across the three countries.