Obama Clarifies Position On Immigration Reform Ahead Of 'National Day Of Action' Protests

With a National Day of Action set for tomorrow to protest President Obama's decision to involve local police officers in immigration enforcement, Latina asked the President last week to clarify his position on immigration as part of a wide-ranging interview that will appear in the magazine’s November issue.

"We want to send the message that we have to enforce the law," said President Obama, who has been blasted by Latino groups for overseeing the deportation of a record number of undocumented immigrants during his time in office. But the President maintained that his Administration remains focused on "targeting criminals" when it comes to upholding immigration law. "We are emphasizing our limited resources on those cases where people really do need to get deported," he said, "as well as making sure we are securing our borders, all of which can help create the framework for us to have the kind of comprehensive immigration reform laws that I think are so important."

When asked specifically about why he has not used his office to stop the deportation of DREAM Act-eligible students, the President responded, "Well, the truth of the matter is that we have exercised as much administrative discretion as we can."

President Obama did restate that he is "a huge supporter" of passing the DREAM Act, noting that the students who would be impacted “are going about their business and doing the right thing, and in many cases haven’t done anything wrong—other than the fact that their parents brought them here without legal documentation.”

The President emphasized that he is "going to keep pushing to get the DREAM Act passed," explaining that "these kids are extraordinarily talented and want to contribute to helping to build America. [They shouldn't be] under a cloud as they are going to school, serving in the military or starting a business."

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Comments

[DanniLopez]

01:30 AM on 08/18/2011

You have make it too hard to be citizen. We are only try to make an american dream why do you hate? We are good people work hard, no hurt nobody only want to make a better life for my children who now born here american citizen. Obama say he want dream act and amnesty we doing jobs american no want to do!

[Count of Anjou]

01:00 PM on 08/18/2011

The US does not have any obligation to allow anyone to become a citizen. Resources are limited and if we allowed everyone to become a citizen, there would be a crippling strain on the country. For these reasons, it needs to be hard to become a citizen. If you have something to offer that will benefit our country, then you should be allowed to become a citizen. But I would imagine that many want to come here that are unskilled and/or poorly educated. Theses people are generally a burden on society and should not be given the right to become citizens. I hope that you can achieve the American dream, if not here, then in your homeland. But part of beeing an American is abiding by the laws of our land and when millions of people break those laws and come her without permission, it naturally generates hatred of those people, who are nothing more than foreign invaders that have demonstrated that they will not follow our laws unless they are in their best interests, not the best interests of the country. Tell me why you cannot have a decent lifestyle in your own country? Why can you not work to make your country better? I have no doubt you are a hard worker, but we have many unemployed that need those jobs you claim no one else will do. I hope you can prosper my friend, but if you come here illegally, do not expect my support.

[Balloon Twister]

05:17 PM on 08/17/2011

can they not achieve in their own country? Mexico wants immigration reform because the money from here is a large portion of their finances. The people here send it there, mexico would be worse if it was not for the US. Hopefully the problem will be resolved, but first teach english by immersion.

[jesternhell]

11:17 AM on 08/17/2011

But the President maintained that his Administration remains focused on "targeting criminals" when it comes to upholding immigration law.

Is it not criminal to be here illegally? So you are targeting all illegal immigrates.

[cchapman16]

10:58 PM on 08/16/2011

if you are illegal and you protest, you should be arrested and sent home because you are a crimilal. if you dont like the laws of the usa..GO HOME

[davidleelambert]

01:25 PM on 08/20/2011

While that may be legally permitted by one reasonable construction of the First Amendment (which only guarantees a right of peaceable assembly to "the people", that is the same "people" to whom rights are reserved in the Tenth Amendment and who describe themselves as "We" in the Preamble), it's certainly against the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and what we tell the rest of the world. Long-term undocumented residents from Mexico and Guatemala are in fact oppressed and in danger, whether they stay here or "go home" (through a drug-trafficking war-zone, to towns decimated by colonialist exploitation an the lure of inconsistent immigration policies here), and it's perfectly reasonable for them to peaceably demonstrate against that oppression.

Note that this particular article didn't say anything about a demonstration; all the questions posed to the President probably came from U.S. citizen friends of the prospective deportees.

[cchapman16]

10:50 PM on 08/16/2011

if the ones who rally tomorrow, come forward as one who are ILLEGAL the authorities should be there to arrest as many as they can, for being criminals.

[cchapman16]

10:26 PM on 08/16/2011

if the object is to deport the one who are criminals, then if you are an IL legal alien you are a criminal. you need to be deported. at the rally tomorrow the ins should be there to arrest all the criminals there. everyonen who is ILLEGAL and send them home. not my home, there home.

[24f21elle]

02:35 PM on 09/09/2011

You should be arrested for your terrible grammar and spelling.

[Bobby Joon]

04:54 PM on 08/16/2011

I frankly am tired of waiting and just found out all this wait is going to be even longer, wonder if it's really worth becoming a citizen anymore!

The wait time has to be change, sign this petition please.

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-changing-the-wait-time-for-citizenship-for-legal-immigrants?share_id=iTTbyASjnw&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter via @change

[reddy52]

07:24 PM on 08/16/2011

We have too many immigrants, the wait time should be longer to discourage more people.

[Consequence]

03:26 PM on 08/16/2011

If Obama has been targeting - as he says - only the Illegals committing crimes...and he is deporting RECORD NUMBERS of Illegals...

...that means there is a large number of Illegals committing crimes within the U.S.

FOR THAT REASON ALONE the deportations are necessary and justified.

[Roque Planas]

03:56 PM on 08/16/2011

Secure Communities does not, in fact, target just people committing serious crimes. ICE keeps data on this, here it is, cited from the Los Angeles Times:

"From the program's inception in the fall of 2008 through March of this year, 55% of those flagged for deportation nationwide had either committed misdemeanors and infractions or were arrested for crimes but not subsequently convicted, ICE data show. Only 30% of those flagged for deportation had been the serious violent offenders — including murderers and rapists — that the program seeks to prioritize."

Full article here: http://lat.ms/ocDjvx

[24f21elle]

02:37 PM on 09/09/2011

True. Where should they send all the U.S. born criminals?

[allengoldchain]

02:36 PM on 08/16/2011

Solving the immigration issue doesn't just mean securing the border. Tougher penalties and loss of business license would be a good start. If no jobs are around then people won't illegally flock here to work. Then that removes the "they are here to do jobs that Americans don't want to do" out of the equation.

[allengoldchain]

02:30 PM on 08/16/2011

"We want to send the message that we have to enforce the law," said President Obama

In rare times I agree 100% with Obama on that statement. We have laws and if you do not follow those laws than their are consequences and not rewards.

[its2simple4u]

02:23 PM on 08/16/2011

If you don't like our immigration policies then GO HOME!

Break the law and be sent home! Just be glad we don't behead you like some Countries. What does Mexico do? Throw people in jail! Hypocrites.

[allengoldchain]

02:31 PM on 08/16/2011

the laws in mexico are worse. You are found without proper papers you are sent to jail and pay heavy fines. Then you are given the boot. people just need to read their immigration law.

[its2simple4u]

02:34 PM on 08/16/2011

I completely agree with you.

[24f21elle]

02:38 PM on 09/09/2011

How is that hypocritical?

[its2simple4u]

02:56 PM on 09/09/2011

figure it out!

[slinkybro]

01:26 PM on 08/16/2011

The DREAM acti is great. And in return for being allowed to stay, your parents have to leave. After all, they were the ones that broke the law.

[allengoldchain]

02:32 PM on 08/16/2011

I don't like the idea of separating families. Everyone goes. Then they can apply for reentry visa.

[its2simple4u]

02:34 PM on 08/16/2011

I agree with this statement as well.

[kolosochek]

01:01 PM on 08/16/2011

Obama is a fraud. He lied his way to the White House. He showed the whole world that anybody with questionable Birth Certificate can become a President Of United States.
I think his mother had him in Kenya. Then she brought him back to US. Who would question white women back then? She got him a Birth Certificate in Hawaii. Who would question white women in Hawaii back then?
So, since Obama never was Naturalized, he is ILLEGAL ALIEN and should be deported IMMEDIATELY. Since he wrongfully claimed American citizenship, he should be banned from returning to USA INDEFINITELY. Ironically, Obama even failed to legalize himself.

[Contact1972]

01:06 PM on 08/16/2011

This old tired pack of lies AGAIN? FAIL.

[Zara Yaqob]

02:04 PM on 08/16/2011

The other side of the aisle loves to lie about immigration as well.

[K August]

07:28 PM on 08/16/2011

And the hospitals and newspapers were in on it too huh?
The hospitals submitted the birth announcements for publication.........research it.

[PRR Fan]

11:44 AM on 08/16/2011

Gotta love it, a day dedicated to supporting people who disobey the law and the people who enable them. Keep wondering why the American people increasingly support closing the border and increasing deportations!

[DanSc]

11:43 AM on 08/16/2011

Enforce laws passed by elected representatives? What an interesting concept...

[bullsfan120]

12:32 PM on 08/16/2011

And tet you guys still hate him

[DanSc]

12:36 PM on 08/16/2011

tet I still hate who? And who am I being grouped with?

[Consequence]

03:30 PM on 08/16/2011

Just because you enforce immigration doesn't mean you aren't destroying the country in other areas.

Simple stuff. Try to keep up.

[allengoldchain]

02:34 PM on 08/16/2011

it is how out system works. what a concept is right. We actually have to enforce. The problem isn't just the border but going after the employers. I want to know how many employers would continue hiring illegal aliens if that meant losing their license for 10 years with additional fines? Would you chance that. Nope!

[DanSc]

02:57 PM on 08/16/2011

How do you know I wouldn't change that?

[TggerJen]

03:11 PM on 08/16/2011

Not just loss of license. We need to pass a federal law mandating the use of e-verify and then mandating the seizure of assets of any business caught employing illegal aliens. We can use the proceeds of auctioning off those business assets to fund further enforcement. If we did that, and enacted a permanent ban on legal status for anyone caught here illegally, the numbers of illegal aliens here would plummet.