Obama says GOP blocking path to immigration reform
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Obama says GOP blocking path to immigration reform
Reporting from Washington—
President Obama defended his deportation policies and said Republicans remain an obstacle to overhauling the immigration system so that undocumented immigrants have a pathway to legal status.
Speaking to a conference of Latino leaders Monday, Obama said that he and fellow Democrats are working to enact laws that would resolve the status of about 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
But Republicans have been a stubborn barrier, he said.
Obama's comments seemed aimed at defusing criticism that he has not done enough to change the nation's immigration laws, a source of rising Latino anger. When he ran for office in 2008, Obama said he would deal with the issue in his first year. But that promise was deferred while the healthcare overhaul got top priority and at this point, it's doubtful he can pass a bill until after the 2012 elections.
"I need a dance partner here," Obama said, "and the floor is empty."
He added, "So, yes, feel free to keep the heat on me and keep the heat on Democrats. But here's the only thing you should know. The Democrats and your president are with you. … Remember who it is that we need to move in order to actually change the laws."
In the absence of new legislation, some congressional Democrats are urging the president to retool deportation policies using executive authority.
Four House Democrats wrote a letter to Obama last week saying federal agents are splitting up families by deporting people with no criminal records. They asked Obama not to deport those who would have fallen under the protection of the DREAM Act, a measure that would have provided a path to legal residency for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who met certain criteria.
Congress never passed the DREAM Act.
"As colleagues, supporters, allies and friends, we write to express our profound moral concerns with the immigration enforcement policies of your administration and to let you know of steps we are preparing to take next week to bear witness to the immense suffering that is the direct result of these policies," wrote John Lewis (D-Ga.), Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Michael M. Honda (D-San Jose), and Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.).
Obama addressed the controversy at the conference, which was sponsored by the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group.
"Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own," he said.
At that, the audience began chanting, "Yes you can!" -- a twist on Obama's 2008 campaign slogan.
"Believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you. Not just on immigration reform, " said the president, who has also been warring with congressional Republicans over an increase in the federal debt limit. "But that's not how our system works."
Conference leaders said afterward they gave Obama credit for showing up. They said they sent invitations to five Republican presidential candidates – Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman Jr. , Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty -- and either got no answers or were turned down.
Yet they said they were disappointed by Obama's comments. They want to see the White House move more quickly to enforce immigration laws in ways that don't disrupt families.
"There was nothing new" in Obama's comments on immigration, said Clarissa Martinez, an NCLR official. "We would have liked to hear something more forceful because while we understand that the president alone cannot enact legislation, we do believe he has some authority to bring relief to the enforcement of what he admitted is a failed policy. But unfortunately, that wasn't articulated -- and it was made known by the audience."
In a reply to the congressmen dated Monday, Obama wrote that his administration is deporting fewer people without criminal records than in previous years. What's more, the non-criminals being deported aren't necessarily being yanked from families. Last year, nearly two-thirds were picked up at the border or had come back to the U.S. despite having been previously deported, the letter said.
"This means that, consistent with (Department of Homeland Security) enforcement priorities, the vast majority of the non-criminals who were removed from the country were either repeat offenders or very recent arrivals who were unlikely to be part of families who are being separated as a result of our enforcement efforts," Obama wrote.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la ... Stories%29
Reporting from Washington—
President Obama defended his deportation policies and said Republicans remain an obstacle to overhauling the immigration system so that undocumented immigrants have a pathway to legal status.
Speaking to a conference of Latino leaders Monday, Obama said that he and fellow Democrats are working to enact laws that would resolve the status of about 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
But Republicans have been a stubborn barrier, he said.
Obama's comments seemed aimed at defusing criticism that he has not done enough to change the nation's immigration laws, a source of rising Latino anger. When he ran for office in 2008, Obama said he would deal with the issue in his first year. But that promise was deferred while the healthcare overhaul got top priority and at this point, it's doubtful he can pass a bill until after the 2012 elections.
"I need a dance partner here," Obama said, "and the floor is empty."
He added, "So, yes, feel free to keep the heat on me and keep the heat on Democrats. But here's the only thing you should know. The Democrats and your president are with you. … Remember who it is that we need to move in order to actually change the laws."
In the absence of new legislation, some congressional Democrats are urging the president to retool deportation policies using executive authority.
Four House Democrats wrote a letter to Obama last week saying federal agents are splitting up families by deporting people with no criminal records. They asked Obama not to deport those who would have fallen under the protection of the DREAM Act, a measure that would have provided a path to legal residency for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who met certain criteria.
Congress never passed the DREAM Act.
"As colleagues, supporters, allies and friends, we write to express our profound moral concerns with the immigration enforcement policies of your administration and to let you know of steps we are preparing to take next week to bear witness to the immense suffering that is the direct result of these policies," wrote John Lewis (D-Ga.), Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Michael M. Honda (D-San Jose), and Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.).
Obama addressed the controversy at the conference, which was sponsored by the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group.
"Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own," he said.
At that, the audience began chanting, "Yes you can!" -- a twist on Obama's 2008 campaign slogan.
"Believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you. Not just on immigration reform, " said the president, who has also been warring with congressional Republicans over an increase in the federal debt limit. "But that's not how our system works."
Conference leaders said afterward they gave Obama credit for showing up. They said they sent invitations to five Republican presidential candidates – Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman Jr. , Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty -- and either got no answers or were turned down.
Yet they said they were disappointed by Obama's comments. They want to see the White House move more quickly to enforce immigration laws in ways that don't disrupt families.
"There was nothing new" in Obama's comments on immigration, said Clarissa Martinez, an NCLR official. "We would have liked to hear something more forceful because while we understand that the president alone cannot enact legislation, we do believe he has some authority to bring relief to the enforcement of what he admitted is a failed policy. But unfortunately, that wasn't articulated -- and it was made known by the audience."
In a reply to the congressmen dated Monday, Obama wrote that his administration is deporting fewer people without criminal records than in previous years. What's more, the non-criminals being deported aren't necessarily being yanked from families. Last year, nearly two-thirds were picked up at the border or had come back to the U.S. despite having been previously deported, the letter said.
"This means that, consistent with (Department of Homeland Security) enforcement priorities, the vast majority of the non-criminals who were removed from the country were either repeat offenders or very recent arrivals who were unlikely to be part of families who are being separated as a result of our enforcement efforts," Obama wrote.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la ... Stories%29
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Comments
Nobody worth 250/yr?
This moving train really is a vacuum
you can give businesses all of the tax breaks you want, but you can't make them hire anybody.
the gop is blocking immigration reform because that is all they have left. rich white men are becoming the minority and that in itself is driving them nuts. they will do whatever it takes to keep immigrants out.
i challenge anyone to dispute that the gop is blocking immigration reform. they dress it up all nice and say things like "we want them to come here legally and work on becoming citizens" while making the process that much more difficult.
i think cajunkiwi described his/her ordeal in a thread several months ago. it sounded like a nightmare.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Rich white men have always been a minority, nothing has changed, and this your argument about rich white men standing in the way of immigration makes no sense. For them, the more people in the work force the lower wages have to be to attract workers. that is a win for them.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
True. Maybe he should try to put people to work on infrastructure projects, or high speed rail projects, or clean energy........................
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
they are against ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. All people should be against illegal immigration.
Poor people, some minorities, are also against illegal immigration...seriously...it isn't about rich white men all the time.
Zogby isn't the best, but the results are pretty clear, even if they are off slightly...
http://www.examiner.com/immigration-ref ... gal-aliens
ignoring the criminal talk, it doesn't sound like Trump is against immigration at all in this video...just ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION...pretty important word to leave out Gimme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Uk4Fhaza4
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Godfather.
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
bullshit,I don't know who started that rumor but I have lived it seen it been there done that,they don't work harder than anybody else...but they will work cheaper than most so maybe that's where that rumor started.
I worked with a contractor who told me he could hire 5 ilegals for what he paid one white carpenter (his words) and save money so when you have 5 guy's working rather than one what the hell do think is going to happen ? worker harder my ass...more like work cheaper to edge out an american and not have to pay inscurance or other benefits to them.
Godfather.
Many of you agree with this person.....
Bullshit sympathy for illegal alien being deported because his son died in Iraq
October 9th, 2007
Ok I’m sick and tired of seeing these sympathy pieces by the mainstream media that are supposed to make us feel God damn guilty about enforcing our God damned laws. Just saw this story on CNN, complete with sad story about how their son was serving in Iraq and killed. The father is being deported and is NOT ELIGIBLE for any kind of amnesty or permanent residence - and why is that? Because he was deported in 1999 and CAME BACK AGAIN ILLEGALLY. So now we are supposed to feel sad because this guy is a repeat offender illegal alien just because his son died in Iraq? That son really belongs to US because we paid for his education, we paid for his birth, we paid for his food I am sure while growing up. That boy is not really HIS son. He raised that boy on OUR dime.
Now we are getting this sob story about breaking up his family and oh we are supposed to feel badly because he has been here since what - 1982 or something ridiculous? He STILL cannot speak English! And there is NOTHING stopping his “permanent resident” wife from going home to the motherland with him. It’s NOT OUR PROBLEM and he MUST GO. I feel zero sympathy for these people. It’s very simple. You broke the law and he repeatedly broke the law. He knew the risks when he broke the law every time. Now he is paying the price. Don’t freaking cry in MY cornflakes because his son died in Iraq. These people are without shame - using their children as anchors and pawns to stay in the country. And media like CNN play right into their hands and give them the sympathy time on the tube.
Where are the stories about AMERICANS who sacrifice much and have children who die in Iraq??? Why is CNN so bent on giving sympathy to yet another illegal alien. Attention CNN - we have no sympathy for illegal aliens. We have been taken advantage of by them for TOO LONG and we are FED UP. We don’t care if they clean our toilets or pick our vegetables. We don’t want our neighborhoods turned into BARRIOS. My town is something like 40% MEXICAN now - they are all from the same freaking TOWN even in Mexico like there is some kind of express train from Puebla, Mexico to my town. I call that an invasion and I am sick and tired of 40% of my town taking handouts and working under the table not paying taxes. If they are paying taxes they are using a stolen identity. I am sure at least 30% of that 40% are ILLEGAL ALIENS and I’m SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP.
Read the sob story about Enirque Soriano here at this link - make sure you have your tissues handy - NOT!
http://illegalprotest.com/2007/10/09/bu ... d-in-iraq/
eddie makes that much. Is he "capitalizing at the expense of the unemployed"?
people making 250K is "capitalism run amuck"? What is good capitalism then? evry1 makin just enuf for bills?
and to answer ur other question, I could use 250K!!! All the vinyl I could buy.....
The same 8 people on the same cyberspace merry-go-round discussing the same topics and ....
what was I talking about...?
oh well, back to the porch...
The guy has a good point. I think we all know Obama is looking for votes.