Texas: President Barack Obama has called for broad reform of the US immigration system, while highlighting steps he has taken to strengthen border security. In Texas, Obama backed a path to legal status for illegal immigrants, as well as crackdowns on employers who hire illegal workers. He called on Congress to reject “the usual Washington games” and enact a comprehensive overhaul.
An estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them Hispanic, live in the US.
In El Paso, a Texas border city, Obama said he had satisfied calls from conservatives to tighten security at the border and to increase deportations of illegal immigrants.
He called on Congress to reform the immigration system in a manner that would encourage skilled and motivated immigrants to participate in American society while ending what he called an underground economy that preys on low-wage illegal immigrants.
“We need to come together around reform that reflects our values as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, that demands everyone take responsibility,” he said.
Immigration reform is of particular importance to the growing Hispanic electorate, which is Democratic-leaning and whose continued support Obama will need in his 2012 re-election bid.
Ahead of Obama’s speech, White House aides stressed Obama remained committed to reform, even though Republicans derailed overhaul efforts in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
In Texas, Obama mocked Republican opponents on the issue.
“We have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement,” Obama said.
“But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I suspect there will be those who will try to move the goal posts one more time… Maybe they’ll say we need a moat. Or alligators in the moat.”
Opponents, mostly conservatives, have criticised proposals as an unacceptable “amnesty” for people who have broken the law – even though one major proposal backed by Democrats would have applied only to those who came to the US as children.
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