Obama Breaks Immigration Reform Promise

Breaking the promise he made on August 10th in Guadalajara, Jalisco, United States President Barack Obama will not present a “rough draft” for an integral immigration reform plan before the end of this year. He and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano have now delegated that responsibility to Congress.

An official of Obama’s administration clarified that while there will not be a draft, the president is committed to realizing immigration reform in order to help regularize the residential status of some 12 million undocumented immigrants.

“Let me be clear: when I talk about ‘immigration reform,’ I’m referring to what I call the ‘three-legged stool’ that includes a commitment to serious and effective enforcement, improved legal flows for families and workers, and a firm but fair way to deal with those who are already here. That’s the way that this problem has to be solved, because we need all three aspects to build a successful system,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano in a speech before the Center for American Progress.

Napolitano’s speech was initially thought to be the unveiling of the U.S. president’s immigration reform project, keeping in mind that Obama had made a promise in front of President Felipe Calderon last August 10th in Guadalajara, Jalisco, to have a draft for immigration reform before the end of 2009.

Secretary Napolitano never referred to her speech as the watershed of Obama’s expectations regarding the immigration issue. Instead, she clarified that Congress should be the entity to take the initiative on pushing for immigration law reform.

“We need Congress to create the legal foundation for bringing the millions of illegal immigrants in this country out of the shadows, require them to register and pay all taxes they owe, and enforce the penalties that they will have to pay as part of earning legal status,” Napolitano noted.

According to a White House source, Obama’s decision to revoke his promise to present a draft for immigration reform before the end of this year is partly due to the risk that the presidential initiative could be attacked on all fronts, as he faces challenges not only from Republican legislators, but also from conservative groups that are opposed to immigration changes. The White House will work with the Senate and the House of Representatives to construct a legal project with bipartisan support so as to increase its chances of being passed into law.

Secretary Napolitano emphasized that it would be unacceptable to adhere to the status quo on immigration matters in light of the current reality in the United States, keeping in mind that Congress and the White House have not been able to reach an agreement in order to approve any reform measures in the past two years.

“A steady influx of undocumented workers, crossing our borders illegally in search of work and a better life. A market among employers willing to flout the law in order to hire cheap labor. And, as a result, some 12 million people here illegally, living in the shadows – a source of pain and conflict,” remembered Napolitano.

In addition to benefiting the 12 million undocumented immigrants, Obama’s expected immigration reforms should improve the country’s capacity to enforce immigration laws without treating undocumented workers as criminals, while applying a firm hand to those who make a profit from the traffic of workers: the polleros [which roughly translates to “chicken wranglers”] and employers.

“Improved interior and worksite enforcement is a critical part of comprehensive immigration reform,” added Napolitano.