President Barack Obama Friday said he was committed to comprehensive immigration reform, amid rising calls by Hispanic supporters for a path to citizenship for 12 million illegal immigrants. Obama did not, however, lay out a timetable for action on one of the most perilous issues in the United States, which political leaders struggle to reconcile with the political heat of a two-year congressional election cycle.
"Together we must build a future where the promise of America is kept for a new generation," said Obama, at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. "We also know that keeping this promise means upholding America's tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. "Those things aren't contradictory, they're complementary. That's why I'm committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform as president of the United States."
Obama laid out general outlines of reform, saying people should not be allowed to come to the United States against the law and that employers must not exploit low-wage, illegal labour. He also called for an attempt to "clarify" the status of millions of immigrants, who entered the United States illegally years ago and put down roots. Obama, who picked appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee, also held out the prospect the community would rise even further in US politics and fulfil the American dream.
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