Mooers Immigration » Obama

Obama – Willing to Work with House on Immigration Reform

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:20:17 +0000

Jeff Mason, Reuters

“U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he could support the House of Representatives taking a piece-by-piece approach to changing immigration policy as long as key elements such as a “pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants were included.”

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Obama, on Telemundo, Rules Out Freezing Deportations on Most Illegal Immigrants

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:16:49 +0000

David Nakamura, The Washington Post

“President Obama on Tuesday ruled out using his executive authority to freeze deportations for most of the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, saying such a move would violate federal law.”

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Obama Kicks Immigration Reform Push Into High Gear With Personal Appeals

Mooers Immigration — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 16:37:14 +0000

Fox News Latino

With House Republicans holding the fate of immigration reform, for now, in their hands, President Barack Obama is turning to Latinos for help.

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President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Mooers Immigration — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:21:53 +0000

Because so many of you have asked, here is what President Obama said about immigration in his January 24, 2012 State of the Union address:

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, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.

You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.

For the President’s full remarks, please go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/us/politics/state-of-the-union-2012-transcript.html?pagewanted=all

It’s refreshing to see these issues back in the national spotlight.

Obama’s Plan to Encourage Tourism

Mooers Immigration — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:06:35 +0000

Since 9/11, we have tightened our borders and amended our immigration laws in an effort to exclude potentially dangerous individuals from infiltrating our country. While we may now be safer than we were 10 years ago, this increased security has come at a cost. The number of international visitors to the US has severely decreased because obtaining even a simple tourist visa has become a difficult and lengthy process.

On Thursday, January 19 in front of Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle in Orlando, Florida, President Obama presented a new plan to make visiting the US easier, especially for Brazilian and Chinese nationals. By significantly decreasing the wait time for the majority of non-immigrant visa interviews, President Obama hopes to boost tourism and, as a result, the economy. A greater influx of tourists would inevitably result in billions of dollars of increased revenue and, according to White House estimates, the potential for more than 1 million new jobs in the next ten years. In addition to decreasing visa wait times, President Obama also plans to increase the number of countries whose citizens can enter the US without a visa. The following ABC News article provides a wealth of information about President Obama’s plan and the positive impact of tourism on our economy:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/president-obama-heads-to-disney-world-to-talk-tourism-jobs/

Obama Administration Showing Humanitarian Side

Mooers Immigration — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:05:34 +0000

In recent weeks, the Obama Administration has announced two major initiatives designed to assist individuals and families while at the same time stopping short of an immigrant amnesty.

The first, prosecutorial discretion, reflects a common-sense decision to target US Government resources to go after those considered truly bad actors – namely criminal offenders, individuals who defy court orders, etc. Those individuals whose only transgression was coming to the US to achieve the American Dream may see their cases deferred, delayed, or administratively closed in the coming months. There are many questions to be answered on this new policy, and DHS, DOJ, and immigrant experts are meeting to find answers to them.

The second initiative involves waivers of inadmissibility for the spouses of US citizens and permanent residents. Under current law, foreign born spouses barred from the US are eligible for a Green Card if the marriage is genuine AND the US citizen or permanent resident can show that he or she would suffer extreme hardship if the foreign spouse could not immigrate to the US. The waiver application can now be filed in the US before the person must leave the country for their Consulate interview. Since there is a two year wait for DHS to complete work on the waiver application, this means that families no longer have to spend years away from one another while a foreign spouse awaits an answer on the waiver.

It is good to see the Obama Administration taking positive measures to help our immigrant communities.