Last night President Obama weighed in again on the immigration debate and Arizona's controversial new law, according to Scott Wilson of the Washington Post:
President Obama told a White House reception Wednesday that he wants "to begin work this year" on comprehensive immigration reform, warning the audience that securing the legislation will be difficult but possible.
Addressing an audience celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the Rose Garden, Obama said, "America's diversity is America's strength." That, he added, is why he has spoken out against Arizona's recently passed immigration law, which has raised concerns of racial profiling.
"We can't start singling out people because of who they look like," he said to applause. "That's why we have to close the door on this kind of misconceived action by meeting our obligations here in Washington."
The Arizona law has given more urgency to the push for immigration reform, as have the imperatives of election-year politics.
The President has come under fire from Latino and immigrant advocacy groups in the past weeks and months for a perceived lack of concrete action on his promise to overhaul the nation's dysfunctional immigration system in a fair way. This is epitomized by mounting criticism against the Administration's ratcheted-up enforcement policies in the absence of federal reform. Right now there's no way for undocumented immigrants to get into the system and get legal, and unscrupulous employers continue to be able to exploit workers.
According to the AP:
Latino groups have been calling for Obama to deliver on his campaign promise of making immigration reform a top priority, with some activists and lawmakers in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus complaining he wasn't doing enough.
Obama clouded the issue last week by saying "there may not be an appetite" in Congress to deal with another hot-button issue immediately after grueling fights over health care and financial regulation.
In fact, these concerns, mixed with outrage over Arizona's new immigration law, boiled over on Saturday, May 1st. Hundreds of thousands of protesters in over 100 cities across the country took to the streets to peacefully but firmly put their foot down against Arizona's SB 1070 and stand up for immediate, federal action on immigration. In Washington, D.C., these protests included escalated calls for action. Irish Central characterized Chicago Congressman Luis Gutierrez' act of civil disobedience at the DC immigration rally a wake up call for the Administration, in terms of how serious the Latino and immigrant communities are on this issue.
Watch the video of Rep. Gutierrez being arrested in front of thousands of supporters at the White House, to get a sense of the mood:
But it is not just Latino and immigrant communities who think a fair fix to immigration is long overdue.
Last night on "Hardball," Chris Matthews took on the "appetite" of the American people for a comprehensive overhaul measure, in light of continued controversy over Arizona. Matthews explained a new CBS/New York Times poll that found that the majority of Americans want to reduce illegal immigration but also deal with those here illegally in a fair, common-sense way. Most media outlets have reported the controversial news that a small but firm majority of Americans favor measures like the one instituted in Arizona in the absence of federal reform. What they have mostly failed to mention, which Matthews points out, however, is that "2/3 say [immigrants here illegally] should be permitted to stay here, either on a path to citizenship or as a visiting worker."
In other words, the poll demonstrates broad support for a path to legal status for the undocumented, while only 32% supported the enforcement-only option, "require to leave jobs and the U.S." Support for making unauthorized immigrants into full legal citizens and taxpayers is nothing new-- support for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform remains quite high across the political spectrum.
The politics of immigration reform may be confusing, but one thing is clear: Latinos see immigration reform as a defining issue civil rights issue, and the public strongly supports comprehensive immigration reform that stops illegal hiring and includes a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.
As Chris Matthews concludes, "...So why is it so hard to do what the American people -- most of us -- so plainly want done?"
Watch the "Hardball" clip:
Cross-posted at America's Voice.