Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano met with almost 100 immigrant advocates, business leaders and law enforcement representatives today at the White House to discuss immigration policy. After the meeting, Napolitano released the following statement:
“Today’s meeting on comprehensive immigration reform was an important opportunity to hear from stakeholders and build on the significant time I’ve spent on the Hill meeting with members of Congress on this critical subject. I look forward to working with President Obama, my colleagues in Congress and representatives from law enforcement, business, labor organizations, the interfaith community, advocacy groups and others as we work on this important issue.”
President Obama recently talked about immigration reform and said it would likely not happen until early 2010 due to an already busy legislative agenda. The President made an unexpected brief appearance at today's meeting, and according to participants, emphasized his administration's commitment to push forward on immigration reform legislation.
Meeting participant Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, had this to say:
“Today’s meeting represents a positive step in that President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform in this Congress. Secretary Napolitano also made it clear that she received our message that she has to communicate more effectively in favor of reform. But as always, the proof will be in the pudding. What we are looking for going forward is public advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform from Secretary Napolitano, a concrete proposal presented in Congress early this fall, and continued promotion of this urgent issue by the President.”
Julie Kruse from Immigration Equality also shed some light on the meeting:
"Attendees spoke eloquently in small group breakouts on the need to fix the broken immigration system soon to end the unnecessary suffering of immigrants and families, and the need for Secretary Napolitano and President Obama to speak out forcefully to move reform forward."
In a nutshell, nothing's changed. Obama wants us to believe that immigration reform remains a high priority even though it keeps getting pushed further and further back on the calendar, Napolitano's still on board and advocates are still hopeful and waiting for something to happen. If anyone's still holding their breath expecting some measurable movement on the issue, they might as well relax--at least for a few months.
Comments
From a humanitarian perspective, our fellow human beings, who migrate to support their families, continue to suffer at the hands of immigration policies that separate them from family members and drive them into remote parts of the American desert, sometimes to their deaths. This suffering should not continue.
Now is the time to address this pressing humanitarian issue which affects so many lives and undermines basic human dignity. Our society should no longer tolerate a status quo that perpetuates a permanent underclass of persons and benefits from their labor without offering them legal protections.
Followed all the rules to achieving AOS in 2007.
With a EB3 n PD 09/2003 still waiting for GC.
Cost of wait: Could not attend father’s funeral;Lost several opportunities;unable stand up to employer’s whims. Crossing 50 and feel yet not settled.
OH God! when this endless process will end.
Is there no hope for legal applicants!
Need some fresh air soon