Immigration Reform Legislation on the Horizon
On Tuesday, President Obama told Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo, “We’re going to make sure that we begin the process of dealing with the immigration system that’s broken. We’re going to start by really trying to work on how to improve the current system so that people who want to be naturalized, who want to become citizens, like you did, that they are able to do it; that it’s cheaper, that it’s faster, that they have an easier time in terms of sponsoring family members. And then we’ve got to have comprehensive immigration reform. Now, you know, we need to get started working on it now. It’s going to take some time to move that forward, but I’m very committed to making it happen. And we’re going to be convening leadership on this issue so that we can start getting that legislation drawn up over the next several months.”
In addition to the President, prominent voices from the Obama Administration and other key allies have offered support for tackling immigration reform this year. In a recent interview with Hispanic journalists, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel noted the debate over the immigration-related components of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and stated that “the arrow is pointing in a different direction in relation to immigration politics in this country.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) highlighted his intention to pursue comprehensive immigration reform in 2009, stating “I hope that we can get it done in September, and I feel confident that we can get this done.” And labor leader John Wilhelm, President Hospitality Industry, UNITE HERE! Said the “American people have embraced the proposition that has always been true about our country: that we will succeed as a nation if we put our divisions aside and work together. As we work to rebuild this country, it is important that all workers and all employers are on an even playing field.”
For those who feel that immigration reform is nothing without border control, President Obama's statement comes during the same week as Napolitano's deadline for an agency assessment of current immigration and border security plans and policies. Napolitano recently reiterated her immigration policy during an interview with NPR, which includes securing the border and increasing interior enforcement.
Source:About.com