Washington: Pointing out that perpetuating a broken immigration system is not an option if
America is to win the future, the US President Barack Obama expressed his commitment to a comprehensive immigration reform, the White House said.
Obama reiterated his concern that the US educates the
best and brightest but then ships that talent overseas or
expels talented young people who have grown up as Americans
and want to further their education or serve in the military,
the White House said in a statement.
He said this during a meeting with influential
Hispanics from across the US to discuss the importance of
fixing the broken immigration system for America’s 21st
century economic and security needs.
"The President reiterated his commitment to
comprehensive immigration reform that both strengthens
security at borders while restoring accountability to the
broken immigration system, and pointed out that perpetuating a
broken immigration system is not an option if America is to
win the future," the White House said.
Obama expressed his deep disappointment that
Congressional action on immigration reform has stalled and
that the the Development, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors (DREAM) Act failed to pass in the Senate after being
passed in the US House with a bipartisan majority in December
last year, the statement said.
Obama also noted that the only way to fix the
immigration system is through legislative action in Congress, and that he cannot unilaterally change the law, it said.
He made it clear that while his Administration
continues to improve legal immigration system, secure borders,
and enhance immigration enforcement so that it is more
effectively and sensibly focused on criminals, more voices are
needed to elevate the immigration debate beyond the politics,
false debates, and rhetoric that have dominated the issue,"
the White House said.
Obama urged meeting participants to help elevate the
debate, and to forge partnerships across sectors and across
demographics.
"There was broad agreement that more voices are needed
to change the tone of the debate so that Congress acts to fix
the broken system in a way that upholds America`s history as a
nation of laws and a nation of immigrants," the statement
said.
Obama reaffirmed that he will continue to work to
forge bipartisan consensus and will intensify efforts to lead
a civil debate on this issue in the coming weeks and
months.
PTI
