Immigration Reform Returns to the Forefront of National Attention

June 8, 2009 by Matt Placek

After several years on the backburner the topic of immigration reform has once again been pushed to the forefront of U.S. politics. However, this time may be different than previous attempts to get a comprehensive immigration reform bill passed into a law. This difference is due in large part to the policy of the Obama White House.

President Obama’s policy comprises of developing a system which would allow American citizen status to illegal immigrants already residing in the United States. Obama hopes to have legislation on this plan drafted by the end of the year, and passed through Congress by early 2010.

Proponents of the plan claim that a national comprehensive immigration reform plan is necessary because states are too small to form and carry out their own immigration policy, and it would be next to impossible to deport all of the two million illegal immigrants already living in the United States. Also, taking on such a project would require a large amount of resources that simply are not available.

President Obama claims that after this batch of illegal immigrants are given citizenship status, he will then work with border control agencies to tighten border security, and stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.He also plans to work with Mexico and remove incentives for immigrants to enter illegally.