US to Reform Immigration Laws

This past Monday, a group of eight senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. reported that they have reached agreement in creating a proposal to change the immigration law. President Obama shared his views on the proposal in a speech on Tuesday in Nevada. The agreement is centered around some difficult and controversial issues.

President Obama has long supported a program that will give citizenship to the 11 million immigrants who live in the United States illegally. The program will ask the immigrants specific questions they must answer before receiving their U.S. citizenship. Those immigrants seeking permanent residency, also known as a green card, must pay taxes, work and be able to speak English fluently. President Obama has also made clear that children who have studied in the U.S. should be granted citizenship. Some children were born in the U.S. or came to the States at a very young age with their parents and are completely unaware of their parent’s country or culture. President Obama has made it clear that children should not be punished because of their parents.

During his speech, President Obama said, “Our journey will not be complete until we welcome the immigrants who see the U.S. as a land of opportunity and hope, until the brightest students and engineers receive their proper place, rather than being expelled by the U.S.”* But there remains strong opposition to this proposal. Rosemary Jenkins, a U.S. citizen, said that the legalization of illegal immigrants will only give the message to the world that “you can come to the U.S. illegally, and break the law for a long time, and then be awarded the prize of being able to legally live in the U.S.”*

*Editor’s note: This quote, though accurately translated, could not be verified.