Obama plans to begin addressing the creation of a path for illegal immigrants to become legal. Presumably this legislation would also address the continued retrogression of family and employment Immigrant Visas.
Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties. The timetable is consistent with pledges Obama made to Hispanic groups in last year’s campaign. These public statements fall on the heels of a an Immigration ICE raid in March that angered hispanic groups and seemed to take everyone by surprise including the President.
He said then that comprehensive immigration legislation, including a plan to make legal status possible for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, would be a priority in his first year in office.
Republicans, say they will seek to mobilize anti immigrant groups. Just last month, Mr. Obama openly recognized that immigration is a potential minefield. "I know this is an emotional issue; I know it’s a controversial issue...I know that the people get real riled up politically about this." But, he said, immigrants who are long-time residents but lack legal status “have to have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows.”
The new plan would not add new workers to the American work force, but that it would recognize millions of illegal immigrants who have already been working here. Despite the deep recession, there is no evidence of any wholesale exodus of illegal immigrant workers.
New legislation would require the payment of fines and penalties and prevent future illegal immigration by strengthening border enforcement and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
