Miami Dade College At Focus Of Obama's Call For Immigration Reform
MIAMI (CBS4) - Ian Sequeira just got his Associates Degree from Miami-Dade College and is looking forward to a bright future.
"I graduated with an A.A. in computer engineering and I'm transferring to the University of Wisconsin in the fall," he told CBS4's Natalia Zea.
Sequeira legally emigrated from India to the United States when he was a child. But some of his friends fellow students are undocumented and will likely be sent back to the country's their parents came from.
"They want to be scientists, doctors and engineers and for them to have roadblocks is very depressing. Some of them are smarter than me....They should be allowed to stay because they are the people that create more business and make this country even better," said Sequeira.
That is one of President Barack Obama's major arguments for immigration reform. He spoke Tuesday afternoon on the border in El Paso, Texas urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act. And he highlighted the immigrant students at Miami-Dade College. He recently spoke at their graduation.
"These are kids who grew up in this country," President Obama told the crowd. "They love this country. They know no other place to call home. The idea that we'd punish them is cruel."
The President says it's time for reform, because he has made the border more secure, like Republicans demanded.
"They wanted more agents at the border. Well, we now have more boots on the ground on the southwest border than at any time in our history....And now we need Congress to catch up. Now we need to come together around reform," said President Obama.
But some Republican leaders say there will be no reform without more border security.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement, "With all due respect to the President today, the borders are not secure, and anyone living on the border can attest to that."
There are a number of bills in the U.S. House and Senate addressing border security and reform. Wednesday, Democrats are expected to re-introduce the DREAM Act, though experts say it is likely to fail again.
