Obama Tackles Illegal Immigration, Too

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority.” It describes the current administration’s plans for “policy reform” on illegal immigration.

The article shows President Obama’s faithfullness to his campaign commitments. He made promises to many Hispanic groups about tackling the controversial issue of illegal administration and make it a priority. As a result, he received substantial support, not surprising considering the Republican Party’s nativistic viewpoint in this regard.

When are people going to learn that this President means what he says? He has proceeded to address many other issues promised during the campaign as well, despite pressure from both critics and friends to go slow, to raise one issue at a time, or other tactics designed to make him back away from his word.

The issue of illegal immigration, as described in the article, carries particular poignancy because many families are being destroyed as a result of our current short-sighted system. Husbands with American wives and American children, and a steady job, are facing deportation.

And the argument about foreign workers taking jobs that could otherwise go to citizens during the current recession just shows the lack of compassion by the people who raise it. First of all, illegal immigrants generally take jobs Americans refuse such as backbreaking farm work or other “sweatshop” or demeaning labor. Secondly, we are all human beings, and we need a certain amount of empathy for the less fortunate among us.

Kudos to President Obama for refusing to be limited to one issue at a time, as his true enemies would prefer!