Obama calls for revived conversation on immigration reform
President Obama on Tuesday met with a group of administration officials and stakeholders to discuss the importance of reviving a constructive conversation about immigration reform.
In the meeting, which included the likes of AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a variety of local law enforcement officials, religious leaders, and business representatives, the president solicited various perspectives on the issue and emphasized the need to keep it on the national agenda, according to attendees.
"It was a very unusual meeting in which the president not only addressed the 70-some odd leaders, but actually listened to each one of us that wanted to give input from various perspectives," Rev. Al Sharpton told reporters after the event.
Sharpton said he thought the president ultimately hoped for a "collective consensus kind of movement toward immigration reform" - but that he expected help in mounting the effort.
"If all of us hit the ground with a collective message, all politicians need to listen to their base," Sharpton said.
As the 2012 presidential campaign heats up, candidates on both sides of the aisle will almost certainly face pressure to outline their positions on immigration reform - particularly to the rapidly-growing Latino community and Americans concerned about border control.
Mr. Obama has long voiced his support for comprehensive immigration reform, but Congress' inability last year to pass the DREAM Act-- a bill that aimed to provide upstanding young undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship - has led some to question Democrats' seriousness on the issue.
In an interview on Monday, the president urged Republicans to work with him on an immigration overhaul.
"The question is going to be, are we going to be able to find some Republicans who can partner with me and others to get this done once and for all, instead of using it as a political football?" he told a reporter for the Dallas-based WFAA-TV.
Many believe there is little chance of passing any sort of reform while Republicans control the House of Representatives. The GOP has moved rightward on the issue in recent years, all but abandoning former President George W. Bush's call for moderate reform and pushing instead for stringency in punishing undocumented immigrants.
The issue took center stage last April when Arizona passed a controversial law requiring immigrants to carry documentation with them at all times -- and which gave police officers unprecedented authority to detain people they suspected of being illegal. The legislation, which was widely believed to be the broadest and strictest such measure in generations, incited a slew of national protests and drew widespread criticism from Hispanics and immigration activists.
It received wide supported from Republican lawmakers, however - including Ariz. Sen. John McCain, once a staunch advocate for reform. In his defense of the law, McCain cited the need for a sufficient response to border-related violence in the state.
"That legislation was enacted by the Arizona legislature and signed by the governor because of the frustration that the governor and the legislature, and indeed the majority of my constituents, have incredible frustration over the federal government's failure to carry out its responsibility to secure our border," McCain said.
"Many viewed this as a civil rights issue," he added. "There is no intention whatsoever to violate anyone's civil rights, but this is a national security issue." (The legislation has since been put on hold because of court challenges.)
Some Republicans, however, are advocating a more moderate approach: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother of former president George W. Bush, has repeatedly advocated for comprehensive immigration reform, and has gone so far as to express support for the goals outlined in the DREAM Act.
And while the former governor has made clear his belief that "the first element of comprehensive immigration reform must be to control the border," he has also condemned the Arizona legislation as likely to create "unintended consequences."
Bush has also formed an organization, called the Hispanic Leadership Network, aimed toward improving the relationship between Latino voters and Republicans.
"Without the active involvement of Hispanics, we will not be the governing philosophy of our country," Bush said in a January speech.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was present at the Tuesday meeting, has also called for reform.
Calling Congress' failure to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul "irresponsible," Schwarzenegger, in a 2010 interview with Jay Leno, described the situation as "a huge mess."
"We have all this stuff. We have the daily crossings. We have the crime. We have the guns that are being transported down to Mexico. We have cocaine and other drugs brought up here from Mexico, and we have human trafficking," he said. "I mean, it's a huge, huge mess."
