This past weekend, at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to reforming the broken U.S. immigration system. Obama met with the Central American Integration System (Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana), and was “especially receptive” to the requests coming from the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Belize for a workable immigration system that advances the economic and humanitarian interests of both sending and receiving nations. According to the Latin American Herald Tribune
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On the immigration issue, which completely dominated the meeting, the leaders also discussed matters like the possibilities for ensuring family reunification, quotas for agricultural jobs and the fight against drug trafficking, all within a friendly atmosphere amid which the leaders agreed in general terms on almost everything they talked about.
Guatemalan president Álvaro Colom indicated that a compromise to support comprehensive immigration was reached among the presidents. The details weren’t discussed, but Colom stressed that Obama and the Central American leaders agreed to support the process, describing the atmosphere as “…good, cordial, and sincere.” Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, also emphasized that “there is a new, totally different attitude in Obama’s discussion: more openness, more dialogue, more respect.” Obama has expressed his support of comprehensive immigration reform both abroad and at home. Shortly before leaving for Latin America last week, Obama told Univision anchor Jorge Ramos:
…I am absolutely going to keep my promise that I am going to push for comprehensive immigration reform, I already met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, reaffirmed my commitment. My administration and key congressional leaders are already beginning the work of how do we shape a package that could have the opportunity of getting through both the house and the senate…I can’t guarantee that I will have a bill on my desk before the end of the year — what I can guarantee is that we will have a package and we will be moving the process forward because I continue to believe that it is in the interest of everybody, and in the interest of the U.S. economy over time for us to resolve this issue in a comprehensive way that provides a pathway to legalization but also deals more effectively with our borders.
Meanwhile, at this weekend’s Fifth Summit of the Americas Obama stressed, “As neighbors, we have a responsibility to each other and to our citizens. And by working together, we can take important steps forward to advance prosperity, security, and liberty.” The summit ended with a formal agreement amongst the participating nations to work together in the fight against drug trafficking, corruption, and organized crime and to promote policies that respect the human rights of immigrants. Latin American leaders, along with President Obama, hailed the summit as a success Andrea Christina Nill Andrea Christina Nill is a Communications Associate at the Immigration Policy Center, an immigration research organization dedicated to guiding a rational debate on immigration in the U.S. Republished with permission from Immigration Impact. Photo from whitehouse.gov
Copyright 2009 LA Progressive
Brittancus says
First and foremost we are a nation of laws, or as we are all anticipated? But years of previous administrations have neglected the illegal immigrant problem, to the detriment of American workers. Ever since the inception of the 1986 Immigration & Reform Act, signed into law by Ronald Reagan, the politicians have pushed for a new AMNESTY. In addition, anytime a new law has been drafted to combat the illegal immigrant occupation of our country, they have behind closed doors killed it or weakened it’s enactment. The law of given instant citizenship to babies intentionally born here, is a complete misinterpretation of the 14th amendment, after the civil war that emancipated African slaves.
It was never meant for (Anchor Babies) to give pregnant illegal alien mothers the right to legal status? The law has been badly mauled because the children can then draw on US education, free medical care, free baby delivery and after care, low income housing and it is a route to many government handouts. The major problem now facing the Obama White House is are the children of illegal immigrants to blame for their parents breaking the law? Obviously the left-wingers are to blame for this conundrum, but both parties have added to neglect to the sovereign laws of our nation. I think we should follow other countries “Rule of Law” and cement in place that children who have proven themselves can go to a place of higher learning. We desperately need a wide scope of professionals in Engineering, Science and 21st Century technology. But also remember that our government settles the largest population of new immigrants on Earth. What we don’t need is more poorly educated, non-English speaking, impoverished aliens, looking for handouts. Like other developed nations we must be very specific, who we pick and choose as new citizens. We must also restrain ourselves from chain migration, who are liable to become a public charges, because the family sponsors have decided the US taxpayer should carry the financial weight?
We can thank our corrupt liberal politicians, judges in the past as drafting a passive law, instead of entering America being a criminal offense. Now we have uncountable number of illegal aliens squatting here, because of the absolute intentional neglect of our lawmakers. Is there any other country in the world, that makes illegally crossing into their sovereign territory a Civil Crime–I really don’t think so? Our laws deliberately drafted this way in favor of the open border, big Catholic church and special interest groups. To HXXX with the American people, who are forced to fight for their jobs?
But if American defeat the next Amnesty ready to pounce on the unsuspecting legal population, we must make an example in using the 1986 law. We as a people must build-on the E-Verify application, upgrade, modify to extract illegal job applicants from the workplace. Illegal immigrants who have overstayed visas, illegal crossed the border and children must be exempt from any pardon. All children of illegal parents that have committed crimes, been expelled or just deserted school should leave with parents in the usage of self-deportation. This is a compliance way to remove foreign nationals and any criminal businesses that employ them, must receive mandatory, fines, asset confiscation and prison terms. The use of a in-perpetuity E-Verify will be a ultimate deterrent and see movement of illegal labor and families packing and leaving under the term of “ATTRITION” We must force our reluctant politicians to be governed by–THE PEOPLE’S–WILL or face the dire consequences in the election process. This will surely happen when Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi and 48 other Senate lawmakers come up for re-election. They underfunded E-Verify, that obviously is working efficiently for them to kill it.
The open border, free traders, special interest groups will use any contradictions, epithets, racial slurs to annul any new law–which they have done successfully up to now. But American should realize strongly, that this has nothing to do with a persons color, religion or ethnic background–and EVERYTHING–to do with being–CARTE BLANCHE–for parasite employers, who pay nothing to illegal immigrant upkeep? It’s left to Taxpayers? Its everything to do with billions of dollars spent, to pacify the big Catholic church, a portion of Liberal voters and others who see nothing wrong in loading citizens, residents down with sky high taxes. Supposedly the last White House promised no thoughts of a Path to Citizenship until the border was orderly and closed to undesirable With another drafted and secret Amnesty on the House and Senate table, like always–this is not the case. Drug smuggling and incessant illegal immigration is still very prevalent. The rumors from the new White House are clearly signaling another push for AMNESTY?
So go to these sites: VDARE, FAIRUS, JUDICIALWATCH, NUMBERSUSA, AMERICANPATROL, CAPSWEB & ALIPAC. The stakes are sky high because Amnesty means, thousands more will swamp the border looking for yet a 3rd—AMNESTY.