In his first speech before a joint session of Congress since
his reelection, President Barack Obama is expected to tackle several major
issues, including making immigration reform one of his top priorities.
It
seems illegal immigration has hit its political breaking point in Washington,
D.C.; Obama will be proposing changes to the current immigration policy.
During
the last election, Obama forged a bond with a growing Hispanic population and
has pledged to help solve immigration problems resulting from undocumented
immigrants.
We
can expect the President to propose legislation to make clear paths for
citizenship and to crack down on companies that employ illegal immigrants.
According
to the official White House website, Obama’s immigration reform includes four
main themes.
“Responsibility
by the federal government to secure our boarders, accountability for businesses
that break the law by undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented
workers, strengthening our economic competiveness by creating a legal
immigration system that reflects our values and diverse needs and responsibility
from people who are living in the United States illegally.”
Obama
did not wait to emphasize the importance of immigration reform. On Jan. 29,
Obama spoke to the media in Las Vegas and gave his full support to
comprehensive immigration reform.
“Now
is the time to fix the nation’s broken immigration system,” Obama said.
The
U.S. Senate proposed plan for immigration reform highlights similar ideas as
the president’s.
The
Senate would like to pass legislation that includes clear paths to citizenship,
border-state security, enforce fines to illegals and provide current illegal
citizens a chance to apply for permanent residency.
The
New York Times reported the proposed principles of the Senate were consistent
with those in Obama’s 29-page blue print for immigration reform, which he
issued during May 2011, and made a significant platform during his re-election
campaign.
The
last significant reform to immigration was passed into law more than two
decades ago.
The
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was signed during the presidency of
Ronald Reagan.
In
a recent interview with the Washington Post, Arizona governor, now Homeland
Secretary, Janet Napolitano wrote on immigration.
“For 20 years, our country has done basically nothing to
enforce the 1986 legislation against either the employers who hired illegal
immigrants or those who crossed our borders illegally to work for them,”
Napolitano said.
The
Boston Globe published a recent editorial that said the time is ripe for
comprehensive immigration reform.
The Globe said business leaders and farmers are unified in
demanding a system that meets 21st century economic needs, which recognizes more
than 12 million illegal immigrants who are already inside our borders.
In
a time when U.S. farmers struggle to find work because of the cheap labor
provided by illegal immigrants, Obama will be faced to address the growing
issue of immigration.
Obama
may change how the system works to legalize immigrants, but he needs to take a look
at a bigger problem. He needs to secure the border from those who illegally
come to our country.
I
have no personal dislike of immigrants, and I’m the son of Cuban political
refugees. My family understands the need of escaping a bad situation in a
foreign country.
I
am proud to say that my family did it the correct way. Even though it was a
struggle, they waited until it was legal for them to move to Miami.
With
immigration reform, we do not need to help those immigrants who tried to avoid
becoming a U.S. citizen, but those who plan on seeking it.
Obama
will also be speaking on the topics of women’s rights, climate change, gay
rights and the economy.
Equality
in the work place will be an area Obama will be looking to push as he has campaigned
for equal rights for woman in the work force.
One
think is sure tomorrow's speech is going to set the tone for the Obama’s
presidency.
No comments:
Post a Comment