WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said it may not be the easiest thing to do politically but he will keep on fighting for comprehensive immigration reform and work with Democrats and Republicans to get it done.
There are about 12 million people living in the US illegally, including 150,000 to 200,000 overstaying Filipinos, and they could be eligible for permanent resident cards, more popularly known as “Green cards,” under the proposed immigration reform.
“We have to respect our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants and that means that everybody is going to have to take responsibility,” he said at a White House reception on Monday celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage month.
Business has to be held accountable when they exploit undocumented workers and individuals who are here illegally have to take responsibility by paying a fine and back taxes, learning English, and going to the back of the line so that they take a legal path towards citizenship, he said.
President Obama said the government has a responsibility to secure the border and enforce laws but at the same time it has an obligation to set clear, common-sense rules, including rules that no longer punish and divide families that are doing the right thing and following the law.
“Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have known tremendous unfairness and injustice during our history. But we also know that generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders helped to build this country, defend this country, and make America what it is today,” he said.
Obama is committed to working with Congress on a comprehensive bill to fix a “broken immigration system” but the odds that he’ll get everyone on board to solve the contentious issue this year don’t look too good with midterm elections in November looming.
Arizona recently passed a new state law that authorizes police to question the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally.