In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama indicated emphatic support for Dreamers, by asking Congress to "send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away." Although more targeted at Congress than in the past, the president's nod to our country's broken immigration system reflected similar statements in his 2010 and 2011 State of the Union remarks. In each of these speeches, he has coupled border enforcement with providing a pathway to citizenship for those who are leading productive lives in the U.S.
In 2010, the president dipped his toe in the contentious waters of the immigration reform debate, indicating that an ambiguous "we" should take on the task:
And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system, to secure our borders and enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our Nation.In 2011, in recognition of the growing momentum among young people whose lives are dramatically affected by their undocumented status, who have come to be known as Dreamers, President Obama arguably clarified "we" as himself in conjunction with Congress:
Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense. Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. And I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws, and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.And this year, he shifted entirely the responsibility for immigration reform, particularly for those who came to the U.S. as children and know no other home, to Congress:
Let's also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: the fact that they aren't yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn't make sense.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.
But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.
So, Mr. President, if I may summarize:
You believe strongly that we should "take on illegal immigration."
"It makes no sense" to send away young people who have been educated and trained here only so they can contribute their talent to other countries.
But, we know that actions speak louder than words. And the actions of the Obama administration convey a different message than the one his national addresses indicate. More deportations in the 2010 fiscal year than in President Bush's last year in office, for a total of 400,000. And Secretary Napolitano has been reluctant to abandon the Secure Communities program, which deputizes local law enforcement to serve as immigration agents.
Millions of young people and their families -- students, taxpayers, and engaged citizens -- are buoyed by President Obama's rhetoric, but a slightly reworded message year after year is beginning to ring hollow. Time for more action than words on immigration reform, Mr. President.
Follow Sayu Bhojwani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@SayuBhojwani
Mr. Bhojwani, would you have approved if San Francisco had delivered Edwin Ramos over to Secure Communities?
I think you mean 287(g), not Secure Communities.
How does Secure Communities work?
When an individual is booked into a jail, his or her fingerprints are regularly sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to be checked against criminal databases. With Secure Communities, the FBI then sends the fingerprints to ICE, where they are checked against the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (US-VISIT) and the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT).
Hard to believe any reasonable person could be against this, but the open border lobby despises the idea of even checking the immigration records of persons already in jail. They simply don't want any accountability to the law.
Most of them are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States who are in full compliance with our immigration laws. They are to be commended, and should be encouraged to seek citizenship.
The illegals should be deported.
Alex De Tocqueville
The "Worst Recession in U.S. History began at the exact same time as our I.C.E. Deportation Program January 2008.
Arpaio's Maricopa County has been dubbed "The Epicenter of Foreclosures in America."
Since the Deportations began Maricopa County now has half a Million vacant Homes, the highest rate in the entire Nation.
Fact: For every good, hard working Immigrant Deported , America has lost over four times as many American jobs.
Fact: The HARD LABOR Immigrants gladly did for America was the very "Foundation" of our once Strong Economy, and this HARD LABOR supported all other American jobs.
I am saddened by Americans who have no problem rebuilding Nations around the Globe for even those that despise us, however can not even treat our own Citizen Children and their Parents as "Human Beings" in our Great "Homeland."
Sometimes Laws must be Tempered with Circumstancec, and oour American Ideals.
When we cancell the "Dream" of being an American for some we have cancelled a part of the Dream for all of us.
"Let he who is with out sin cast the first stone."
J.C.
This Great Nation of Immigrants was Built on Far Better Principles and Values, than to tear apart good Christian Families!
This is our I.C.E.'d Economy.
Lilke they would to other countries.
If the Mexicans are getting "picked" on as you say, it's because they are the ones flooding our border without regard to OUR LAWS regarding legal enter into this country.
As to whether Americans will pick vegetables, almost everyone in my family, at one point in their lives, worked a back breaking job. My father picked cotton in the summer. (He is white.)
I think he is just looking on the 26% of the Latinos voters that can make a difference on 2012 again.
If he really meant to do the immigration reform, why he did not do it in 2008, when the Democratic Party had the house and Congress majority? Why he is deporting more people than any president has done until now?
I want to see the action to believe instead of nice words.
There is a whole new set of polls out showing that more and more Americans support enforcement and those polls are from states like Vermont, Rhode Island, Conn., and places in the Northeast. It seems the tide is turning and during an election year it'll be interesting to see what Obama does when public opinion is so opposed.
Fact: For every Hard Laboring Immigrant Deported since January 2008 America has lost over four times as many American jobs.
The hardest hit States are the ones that Deported the most HARD LABORERS.
America needs back the HARD LABORERS!
I have seen enough of what the Brightest, and Smartest have done to my Nation.
To: The Washington "Brain Trust".
That's strange.....since Alabama enacted their immigration laws, unemployment has gone down.
http://cnsnews.com/node/505224
http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/01/alabamas_unemployment_rate_dro_2.html
Hmmm....Arizona too.
http://www.workforce.az.gov/
Australia is an island and their economy is prosper mostly because they ship everything to China. They are not as diverse as ours. We have this influx because our law is outdated, complex and poor. If we had a functioning host program, we would lure those hard working people here in a bus with air conditioning to harvest the fields, pay, collect taxes and send then back to collect the last pay check there. For those 10+ years here already fluent in English, with businesses and no criminal record, we should change the 10 years bar and let people go about their business, they could get the permanency but not the citiz.
As evidenced by ~ 13.2 million U.S. Citizens in the USA are out of work ~ Why add up to 2.2 million eligible The DREAMers to an already 8.5% U.S. Unemployment Rate, causing it to jump to a 10.0% U.S. Unemployment Rate?
How does that help the U.S. Economy?
Prior to January 2008 America's Economy was STRONG!
Fact: For every good, HARD WORKING Immigrant Deported America has lost over four times as many jobs!
Fact: The HARD LABOR Immigrants gladly did for America was the very "Foundation" of our once Strong Economy, and this HARD LABOR supported all other American jobs!
How can any intelligent Person, or even one with half an I.Q. point blame the Hardest Workers in the Nation for the Economic Crash that occurred when we began Deporting them?
Wake up Deportation has left Tens of Thousands of Homes vacant causing the "Foreclosure Crisi, This Recession, and the "High Unemployment ever since Deportations began in January 2008.
"There is a Forest just beyond that first row of trees."
Look at Reality.