President George W. Bush, hoping to sway conservatives skeptical about his proposed U.S. immigration overhaul, stressed his commitment to tougher border controls on Tuesday in a swing through New Mexico and Texas.

Taking his immigration case to the front lines, Bush sought to shift the focus away from complaints that an immigration bill he backed passed by the Senate last month adds up to amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.

As he toured the Border Patrol's training academy in New Mexico, Bush insisted that Congress must pass a comprehensive new law coupling tighter border security with a path to eventual citizenship for many undocumented workers.

"We've got to enforce our borders," Bush told trainees as he touted efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants across the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) U.S.-Mexico border, including deploying 6,000 National Guard troops to back up the hard-pressed Border Patrol.

The Senate bill includes tightened border protection, a temporary worker plan and a mechanism to help illegal immigrants win citizenship, provided they pay fines and back taxes, learn English and maintain a crime-free record.

Bush said lawmakers trying to reconcile that bill with a much tougher House bill, that defines the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country as felons, were making progress. However many doubt that it will be possible to push through an immigration overhaul before congressional elections in November.

"There's a growing consensus among all parties and all regions of the country that fundamental reforms are needed," he said, adding that the current system was not working.

However, Bush declined to set a deadline for legislation. "My job is to continue to call people to account and say we've got to work together to get a bill done," he said.

Enforcement was the emphasis in Tuesday's visit to the Border Patrol academy, which is gearing up to meet Bush's pledge to add 6,000 agents by 2008, increasing the agency's manpower to 18,000.

Watchdog groups have questioned the academy's ability to prepare so many agents in so little time.

Standing with rolled-up sleeves in the sun-baked New Mexico desert, Bush watched a mock search of rail cars for stowaways, a simulated check of bus passengers' documents and the staged arrest of smugglers armed with plastic pistols.

Immigration has divided Republicans in an election year in which they are trying to keep control of Congress, while Bush is struggling with public approval ratings of around 35 percent or lower.

Bush could once count on rock-solid support from conservatives but their enthusiasm for him has cooled. Anger over his stance on immigration, plus his handling of the Iraq war and a series of political miscues have taken their toll.

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