Can Obama Keep His Immigration Reform Vow?

(CBS/AP)  President Obama promised to make overhauling the immigration system a top priority in his first year as president. He's now in Year Two, and the odds that he'll get to sign a bill before the November midterm elections appear long.

Grass-roots activists are frustrated by the wait for a new system and are organizing a rally Sunday on the National Mall by what they hope will be thousands of people from across the country loudly voicing their displeasure at the pace of action.

Obama, for his part, pledged Thursday "to do everything in my power" to get immigration legislation moving in Congress this year.

The president said work on an immigration bill should move forward based on an outline released Thursday by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"A critical next step will be to translate their framework into a legislative proposal, and for Congress to act at the earliest possible opportunity," Obama said.

In meetings last week, Obama sought to assure activists and senators who are drafting a bill of his "unwavering" commitment to comprehensive immigration changes. But that same day, the White House also signaled that the issue is not on its priority list for action before the entire House and one-third of the Senate face voters in November.

Asked about the priorities after health care, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said financial regulation, energy legislation and watering down a recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance are among the "big priorities" - not to mention jobs and the economy.

Gibbs said nothing would happen on immigration without strong bipartisan support. "It's got to be more than the president wants to get something done," he said.

How to handle the estimated 12 million people in the U.S. illegally is a volatile issue, with some interests opposing any attempt to help them become citizens and others insisting on stronger border controls first. Lawmakers failed to agree in 2006 and 2007 when they last tried to overhaul the immigration system, and the political climate this year is tougher than it was back then.

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Advocates remain hopeful and say Congress has plenty of time to send Obama a bill by November.

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., released an outline of their bill Thursday, and Obama pledged to get immigration legislation moving through Congress this year.

The outline calls for illegal immigrants who want to get on the path to legal status to admit they broke the law by entering the U.S., pay fines and back taxes and perform community service. They also would be required to pass background checks and be proficient in English before working toward legal residency, required before becoming a citizen.

Obama tapped Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to oversee the effort, and she has sought support for immigration overhaul in dozens of meetings with lawmakers from both parties.

Her department also has taken steps to improve the current system by focusing deportations of undocumented immigrants on those with criminal histories and by going after employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, rather than the workers themselves.

But those steps haven't eased the anger and disappointment felt by immigration reform advocates and Latinos, who voted heavily for Obama in the 2008 presidential election largely because of his promise.

Obama's position is that the system needs to be fixed to better track who goes in and out of the U.S., crack down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants and help those people come out of the shadows and contribute to society, including paying taxes. He wants them to register, pay a fine, learn English and not skip ahead of anyone already in the citizenship pipeline.

"It will be one of my priorities on my first day (as president) because this is an issue that we have demagogued," candidate Obama told the National Association of Latino Elected Officials in June 2008. "There's been a lot of politics around it, but we haven't been serious about solving the problem. And I want to solve the problem."

"I will make it a top priority in my first year as president," he told the League of United Latin American Citizens the following month.

Five months after taking office, Obama said after meeting at the White House in June 2009 with a bipartisan group of about 30 lawmakers that immigration overhaul would be a difficult undertaking. But he said work on it must get under way that year.

By August 2009, the rhetoric had changed.

Asked about immigration overhaul at a news conference during a visit to Mexico, Obama said changing the system would have to wait until 2010 while he focused on other priorities, such as overhauling the health care and financial regulatory systems.

In appearances after that, Obama promised action but dropped references to any timetable.

[infantryman1968]

RCP (which leans to the dems big time)

Job Approval Approve Disapprove Spread
Obama 47.5% 47.7% -0.2%
Congress 19.0% 75.8% -56.8%
Direction of Country Right Direction Wrong Track Spread
RCP Average 33.8% 60.5% -26.7%

[jgg000101]

if obama ramrods the healthcare bill through and then signs an amnesty bill making illegal immigrants "legal" and eligible for healthcare which we will all have to pay for, there will be a revolution.

[avigil2]

My aunt recently found out that as a newborn, she came to the United States along with her parents to work. She has worked for the same school district for over 30 years, had children and even has grandchildren. That was over 50 years ago. It wasn't until she was applying for a US passport to go on vacation to Mexico that she learned of her illegal status. She's a law abiding citizen, loves her church and yet, with the current law, she's supposed to be deported to a country that she doesn't know. Needless to say, she's talking with an immigration lawyer. We need an overhaul on the current system PRONTO!

[avigil2]

by GTR5 - Yes I do!

Spoken like a true redneck bigot.

[electronicname]

President Obama not all Latin citizens are concerned with immigration reform. Those that can't vote because of immigration status are consumed with this issue. Regular Latino voters are concerned about jobs and healthcare.

[dmwj2]

Yes - Legalizing the desirable immigrants. You people that think we can simply round'em up and ship'em back are delusional. Not only would it be a logistical nightmare, but the uproar from the hispanic community and human rights groups would mire any mass deportation for years! And, of course cost the tax payers a lot of money. The better plan, is to offer in good will a way to become legal, screen them, and deport or imprison the undesirables. Come on people - THINK!

[tundraline]

The argument that there is no way to rid our country of most illegal immigrants unless the federal government rounds them up and deports them is a red herring. A much more effective way to handle the problem, at virtually no cost to the taxpayer, would be to deny jobs, government benefits, driver's licenses, health care for all but life-threatening injuries or diseases, and education to illegal immigrants. This would require beefing up and improving the e-Verify program, and screening children for citizenship or immigration status in our schools. The result would be a mass exodus of illegal immigrants who would leave of their own accord because there would be no reason to stay here. We need to stop being stupid. When you ring the dinner bell like we do, people will of course come. We need to stop ringing the dinner bell and look after our own.

[dmwj2]

tundra - one other thing you need to include in your proposal - mandatory jail-time for employers that hire illegals... I believe in most cases around the US, the illegals are males that have come here to get constuction/maintenance jobs... and send most of their money back to families in their home country. These illegals are being paid cash, and are not significantly taxing social services. The drain on social services is in the "haven cities"... which is another issue that needs to be addressed...

[Dgunner]

I will take and aid in any legal fashion any immigrant not legally in this country.I would trade you four american born non child supporting dead beat parents for one hard working tax paying immigrant.

[iirishamerican]

Why would anyone want to come here anyway it can't be because of the jobs, there are none. You would have a better chance at getting a higher paying job in mexico these days. Unless they want some free 800 billion $ medical that they don't have to pay taxes for.

[theskeptical1]

Let's see, right now he's trying to ram Obamacare down America's throat and announces that he plans to follow that with Scamnesty. This proves to me that Obama is actually a closet Republican. Why else would he be trying to systematically destroy the Democratic Party.

[tsigili]

The issue is.....the people want to curtail illegal immigration, and send the illegals home, but the administration, and indeed government in general just wants to legalize the illegals.

Therein lies the problem. The people, and the government are totally at odds, on the issue, so the government continues to avoid it, because they know what they want to do, will be IMMENSELY unpopular! At least as bad as health care.....if not even worse!

[stn_sage]

This was a promise Obama should have never made!
Because, it has one very SERIOUS flaw...
it presupposes that the Senate will get off it's collective arses
and DO SOMETHING!
And that, is not likely to happen...unless...

The voters make it clear to these 'do-nothings' that the 'free ride' and 'gravy train' days are over, and vote these idiots out of office in November 2010!