USA IMMIGRATION NEWS

Obama Administration Takes Positive Steps towards Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

In a sign that immigration reform is a priority for the Obama administration's agenda, it announced on May 6th, 2009, that it will allot $27 billion in the proposed 2010 budget to address border and transportation security.

On May 6th, 2009, Secretary Napolitano also testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security", to discuss how these funds would be utilized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Secretary Napolitano testified that the DHS will focus on protecting U.S. borders and interior enforcement. The Secretary testified that, "America has a significant security stake in the success of Mexico’s fight against the drug cartels" and announced the implementation of the southwest border strategy. The DHS hopes to prevent the southbound flow of illegal weapons and cash into Mexico by increasing manpower, equipment and technology. On the issue of interior enforcement the Secretary stated:

"We must engage in effective worksite enforcement to reduce the demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation's lawful workforce."

"In advance of any comprehensive immigration reform that may come, DHS is focused on smart, tough, and effective enforcement of the laws we currently have. Active enforcement of our immigration laws must address not just the illegal workers themselves, but also the employers who hire illegal labor and fuel the phenomenon of illegal immigration into the United States. Last year, the Department made more than 6,000 arrests related to workplace enforcement; only 135 of these arrests were of employers."

This statement by Secretary Napolitano echoes statements made by President Obama at a recent press conference where he commented on the possibility of comprehensive immigration reform saying:

"If the American people don't feel like you can secure the borders, then it's hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, 'Well, you're just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year.' "

It seems clear that the Obama Administration is focusing on enforcement and border security before moving towards attacking the complicated and controversial issue of comprehensive immigration reform. However, this announcement of the administration’s investment in border security and workforce enforcement has been taken as a positive sign, by some immigrant advocates that comprehensive immigration reform is not far behind.

Charles H. Kuck, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) commented on the announcement and the Secretary’s testimony saying:

"Overall, this was another positive day in the movement towards comprehensive immigration reform, President Obama continues to steer his administration in the direction of comprehensive immigration reform, the Secretary's statements and the elements of the President's budget that were presented indicate to us that a serious debate on comprehensive immigration reform is on track for this year."

The Immigration Policy Center issued a press release saying "The Obama Administration is clearly in sync on immigration today".

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