PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA REMAINS COMMITTED TO LEGALIZING IMMIGRANTS

Obama and ImmigrationWashington, D.C. – Despite the sinking economy, President Obama reportedly remains focused on providing a path towards citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants estimated to be residing in the United States. As a recent call-in guest on a radio talk show airing on Univision, President Obama reiterated his dedication to passing comprehensive immigration reform and “dealing with the immigration system that’s broken.” The President indicated plans to begin initiating immigration legislation within the next several months, citing the challenges immigration legislation will face given the current economic climate. Mr. Obama believes that immigration reform will most likely be “tougher now than it was, partly because of the fact that the economy has gotten worse.” However, he remains motivated and stated “…I’ve got to focus on the economy. I’ve got to focus on housing, and make sure that people feel a little bit more secure; at the same time, get the various immigrant rights groups together and have them start providing some advice in terms of what strategies we’re going to pursue in Congress.” In 2006, President Bush tried to pass a Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill; however, the Senate and House of Representatives disagreed on aspects pertaining to citizenship and the bill was squashed. (www.usimmigrationsupport.org)