Obama takes the issue of immigration, is more campaign pledge: In his speech critical
proposals to Congress does not mention a date for a reform
For the fifth time in a month the president Barack Obama said today favor of comprehensive immigration reform that includes regularize more than 11 million illegal immigrants, but with the almost zero chance of achieving this policy goal this year, some critics noted that his call appears to be part of an electoral strategy that a commitment to meet his promise.
In The Paso, Texas, on his first visit as president to the southwest border, Obama said his unprecedented achievements in security with more Border Patrol agents, Immigration, National Guard and increased deployment of technology and barriers as well as deportations record (almost 400 thousand a year, which exceeds that of his predecessor George W. Bush), and invited the Republican opposition to join the effort to fix what everyone agrees is a "broken immigration system."
noted that the achievements in border security meets the demands of the opposition and can no longer using that argument to stop the growing need for reform migration. "They wanted more border agents. Well, now there are more boots on the ground in the Southwest border at any time in our history, "he said. Now, he joked, Republicans "may require a pit. Maybe they want to alligators in the moat "along the border.
The economic argument
At the same time, offered an economic argument. "One way to strengthen the middle class in America is to reform our immigration system so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that operates as a source of cheap labor depresses wages for everyone else."
Although his rhetoric offered a great compliment to the contributions of immigrants throughout the history of this country, and said are key to achieving a prosperous future and a U.S. Supreme XXI century, the words did not offer more than a framework of it would be a reform and did not refer to a specific legislative proposal, let alone a date to do so.
reiterated four principles just mentioned for two years, including increased funding to enhance border security, penalizing businesses that hire undocumented workers, streamline the migration process and create a process to regularize the stay of undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship (if meet certain requirements and penalties for violating the law).
Obama also said he is willing to use his executive authority, as they have some lawmakers and activists sued to stop the deportation of students and others who could be benefited with partial reforms or suspend programs that allow local police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities . This led to suspicions
between Latino leaders and immigrant advocates that the aim of the renewed interest in the presidential issue is less to achieve a reform in the short term and a move for electoral purposes to restore deteriorating confidence of large segments Latino voters, who could be key to his re-election in 2012.
In his 2008 election, Obama enjoyed 67 percent of the Latino vote, which will have to get over, besides achieving Latino support in key Southwest states that could determine their future.
But the White House said that was not the case and that the president remains committed to promoting comprehensive reform on the grounds that want to generate greater popular pressure for the legislature to move towards that goal to get a bipartisan agreement.
The White House called on citizens, through Twitter and other cyber tools, offer suggestions and share opinions. In fact, it calls to "advise" Cecilia Munoz, an adviser to the president on immigration issues (readers of La Jornada www.whitehouse.gov/advise?utm_source=email114&utm_medium=text2&utm_campaign=immigration can do so), or arrange discussions in communities and report the results (www .whitehouse.gov / issues / immigration).
However, even for some who have supported Obama, among the advocates of reform is increasingly being questioned. "We all understand the importance of the legislative process and we need a bipartisan bill in the long term, but it takes a lot and given the political stalemate in Washington, is an uncertain outcome. Immigrant communities need help right now, our system is broken now, and the president can do something about it now, "said Rep. Luis Gutierrez.
"If you think this will involve a Latino electorate increasingly disappointed and think they are wrong. Will have to undertake a large executive action to overcome the fact that he promised something big, "said Frank Sharry, director of America's Voice Voter Education Fund, a group that promotes reform in an interview with the New York Times.
Ali Noorani, director of the National Immigration Forum, said Obama's speech is "welcome" but added, "we expect to see strong and consistent leadership of the president" and his team, "the same way they did with health reform and financial regulation." While in Washington
no decisive action, several states are promoting their own immigration measures, some in the style of Arizona law (such as Georgia and Alabama), Maryland and the Governor signed today a bill to grant rights to state education migrants, and in Illinois the governor suspended the agreement of cooperation between federal immigration authorities and state public safety officials, among other examples.
Others suggested that the speech Today was not only for electoral purposes, but a more cynical purpose: to travel today to discuss immigration, Obama lowers the cost to be paid by his campaign to reimburse the costs of travel to events to raise funds for his reelection.
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