NEW YORK – President Obama reaffirmed his strong commitment to achieving comprehensive immigration reform – reminding voters how he’s worked to build a consensus towards enacting meaningful reform – and how he’s devoted unprecedented resources to border security in the meantime:
“We are a nation of immigrants. We’re just a few miles away from Ellis Island. We all understand what this country has become because talent from all around the world wants to come here. People are willing to take risks, people who want to build on their dreams and make sure their kids have an even bigger dream than they have. But we’re also a nation of laws. So what I’ve said is we need to fix a broken immigration system, and I’ve done everything that I can on my own and sought cooperation from Congress to make sure we fix the system.
“The first thing we did was to streamline the legal immigration system to reduce the backlog, make it easier, simpler, and cheaper for people who are waiting in line, obeying the law, to make sure they can come here and contribute to our country, and that’s good for our economic growth. They’ll start new businesses, they’ll make things happen to create jobs here in the United States.
“Number two, we have to deal with our border, so we put more border patrol than any time in history, and the flow of undocumented workers across the border is actually lower than it has been in 40 years. What I’ve also said is if we’re going to go after folks who are here illegally, we should do it smartly and go after folks who are criminals, gang bangers, people who are hurting the community, not after students, not after folks who are here just because they’re trying to figure out how to feed their families, and that’s what we’ve done.
“What I’ve also said is for young people who come here, brought here oftentimes by their parents, have gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag, think of this as their country, understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers, then we should make sure that we give them a pathway to citizenship, and that’s what I’ve done administratively.”
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS AFFIRMED HIS COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
In His 2012 State Of The Union Address, President Obama Said: “We Should Be Working on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Right Now.” “I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.” [White House, Remarks by the President In State of the Union Address, 1/24/12]
PRESIDENT OBAMA WORKED TO BUILD A CONSENSUS TOWARDS ENACTING COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
In 2009, Expressing A Desire To “Actively Get Something Done” Around Comprehensive Immigration Reform, And “Not Put It Off.” President Obama Met With Lawmakers Of Both Parties To Work Towards An Agreement. “President Barack Obama began a push for comprehensive immigration reform Thursday, meeting with members of Congress to seek bipartisan help in reaching an accord on the politically explosive issue. Although he did not set a deadline for passing legislation, Obama said he and the group of about 30 lawmakers who gathered at the White House ‘want to actively get something done and not put it off until a year, two years, three years, five years from now.’” [Arizona Republic, 6/26/09]
• In August 2009, President Obama And Secretary Napolitano Held A White House Meeting To Discuss Immigration Policy With More Than 100 Representatives From Groups Supporting Immigration Reform. “At the White House meeting Thursday, both Obama and Napolitano reaffirmed their support for immigration reform to more than 100 representatives from labor, business, law enforcement, religious organizations and immigrant rights groups. The assembly broke into smaller groups to share ideas about how to address the main pieces of a comprehensive reform package: enforcement, guest workers, family visas and legalization of the nation’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. In a teleconference call Friday, several attendants expressed satisfaction with the meeting as a good step forward.” [Los Angeles Times, 8/22/09]
President Obama And Administration Officials Spurred Senators Schumer And Graham Towards Introducing A Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, Pushing For A Blueprint In Early 2010. “Despite steep odds, the White House has discussed prospects for reviving a major overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, a commitment that President Obama has postponed once already. Obama took up the issue privately with his staff Monday in a bid to advance a bill through Congress before lawmakers become too distracted by approaching midterm elections. In the session, Obama and members of his Domestic Policy Council outlined ways to resuscitate the effort in a White House meeting with two senators — Democrat Charles E. Schumer of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — who have spent months trying to craft a bill. According to a person familiar with the meeting, the White House may ask Schumer and Graham to at least produce a blueprint that could be turned into legislative language.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/5/10]
EVEN DURING THE 2009-2010 PERIOD OF DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN CONGRESS, REPUBLICANS FILIBUSTERED TO BLOCK EFFORTS AT PASSING IMMIGRATION REFORM, INCLUDING THE DREAM ACT
April 2010: Republicans Said That They Would Work Together To Block Democratic Efforts To Pass Immigration Reform. “Two Republican U.S. senators said Sunday they’ll join other GOP lawmakers to block Democrats’ efforts to push ahead with immigration reform…. The push for immigration reform by the White House and congressional Democrats comes amid widespread protests and threatened legal challenges over the nation’s toughest law targeting illegal immigrants, signed Friday by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said on CNN’s “State of the Union” other issues pending in Congress must take precedence over immigration reform.” [UPI, 4/25/10]
• “The Effect of All 41 Republicans Opposing Any Bill In The Senate Would Be A De-Facto Filibuster Of Any Immigration Bill.” [The Hill, 4/20/10]
In 2010, Senate Republicans Filibustered Efforts To Pass The DREAM Act. “Congressional Democrats’ last-ditch, pre-election effort to pass gay rights and immigration legislation fell victim to a Republican-led filibuster Tuesday, dealing a setback to those trying to lift the ban on openly gay troops serving in the U.S. military. The filibuster also ended Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s hopes of attaching an amendment legalizing illegal immigrant children to the defense bill. Immigrant- and gay-rights groups blasted the GOP move, and Democrats said they might try again later this year. In the meantime, they tried to get the maximum mileage politically out of Tuesday’s filibuster, with one Democratic leader accusing Republicans of ‘cowering’ behind procedural rules.” [Washington Times, 9/21/10]
