The National Journal reported on the latest White House immigration meeting with Obama.
It seems Obama stands with the Republicans on the new children arriving:
Angelica Salas, executive director of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, piped up and warned Obama that the driving energy to reach the United States could not be stopped. "Mr. President, when my family and I came to the country, I was 5 years old, and when we were caught crossing the border and were sent back, we didn't give up," Salas said. "We kept trying until we made it."
Obama, according to those present, would have none of it. Kids all over the world have it tough, he said. Even children in America who live in dangerous neighborhoods would like to live somewhere else, but he can't solve everyone's problems. He told the groups he had to enforce the law—even if that meant deporting hard cases with minors involved. Sometimes, there is an inherent injustice in where you are born, and no president can solve that, Obama said. But presidents must send the message that you can't just show up on the border, plead for asylum or refugee status, and hope to get it.
"Then anyone can come in, and it means that, effectively, we don't have any kind of system," Obama said. "We are a nation with borders that must be enforced."
It must be very confusing to those surging the border today and the many more that will come tomorrow.
What moral case can Obama make that those that broke the law by sneaking in yesterday deserve a benefit that those who will break it tomorrow do not deserve?
Thoughts?
8:26 AM PT: Update:
limpidglass has added a donut to a comment I posted about the website www.progressivesforimmigrationreform.org
The immigration debate has the capacity to lose many progressives. The website www.progressivesforimmigrationreform.org has valid , well thought out progressive reasons to control immigration for the benefit of poor and minority citizens.
I am updating the diary to include this, because I believe people can make up their own minds and don't need to be told what to think.