[Occupymendocino] Fwd: Response to Your Message

[nlnelson at mcn.org]

I agree, John - with "mixed feelings" - I do not agree with a militarized
southern border - especially when Walmart and other gigantic container
ships come into all our ports with virtually NO surveillance - it's a
shame we have to confuse/conflate "national security" with all other
issues - and, it seems, always let fear trump reason and humane
considerations....why have we let ourselves forget FDR's words about fear
being the only thing we have to fear....?

Nancy Wallace-Nelson


> It's funny. I wrote Obama more than a month ago, the day I was asked to
> moderate a panel on immigration for our annual celebration of Martin
> Luther King, Jr. I asked the president what Dr. King would think of his
> immigration policies. The White House responded today. I wish I could
> have asked the panelists for their reaction. I have mixed feelings about
> the response, reproduced below.
>
> -------- Original Message --------
>
>
> The White House, Washington
>
>
> Thank you for writing.  I have heard from many Americans who are
> concerned about immigration, and I appreciate your perspective.
>
> Americans are frustrated with our Nation's broken immigration system,
> and I share that frustration.  We need an immigration system that is
> fair and helps grow the middle class by ensuring everyone plays by the
> same rules.  That is why I have proposed a commonsense plan that would
> continue to strengthen our borders; crack down on employers who
> knowingly hire undocumented workers; create a path to earned citizenship
> for immigrants here illegally that requires them to pay taxes, learn
> English, and pay a fine; and streamline the legal immigration system so
> America can continue to be a magnet for the best and the brightest from
> around the world.  That is how we can reaffirm our heritage as both a
> Nation of immigrants and a Nation of laws.
>
> To make these fixes, we need Congress to act---and I remain deeply
> committed to working in a bipartisan way to enact commonsense
> immigration reform.  But until they take action, my Administration will
> continue to do everything we can to strengthen our borders and enforce
> the law.
>
> Since I took office, we have invested an unprecedented amount of
> resources, technology, and manpower to secure our borders.  Our efforts
> are producing real results.  Today, our Southern border is more secure
> than ever, with more law enforcement personnel than at any time in
> American history---and there are fewer illegal crossings now than at any
> time in the past 40 years.  Crime rates along the border are down, and
> we have seized more illegal guns, cash, and drugs than in years past.
>   In addition to doing what is necessary to secure our borders, my
> Administration is implementing a smart, effective immigration
> enforcement policy that includes taking action against employers who
> knowingly exploit people and break the law.
>
> Smarter enforcement also includes focusing our resources on
> high-priority individuals who threaten our national security or pose a
> threat to the safety of American communities, and not on young people
> who were brought to this country as children through no fault of their
> own.  On June 15, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security announced it
> would allow eligible young people who do not present a risk to our
> national security or public safety to apply for temporary relief from
> deportation proceedings and apply for work authorization.  This is not a
> path to citizenship, and it is not a permanent fix---only Congress can
> provide that.  It is a temporary measure to allow us to focus our
> resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented,
> driven, and patriotic young people who are American in every way but on
> paper.
>
> My Administration has also worked to strengthen, streamline, and update
> our legal immigration system through administrative reforms---making it
> easier for employers, immigrants, and families to navigate the system.
>   Through the innovative "Entrepreneurs in Residence" initiative, we are
> gaining insight into business realities and streamlining existing
> pathways for highly skilled, foreign-born entrepreneurs to create
> businesses and jobs in our country.  In 2012, I issued an Executive
> Order to make it easier and safer for international travelers to visit
> America, and to create a national strategy to better reap the economic
> benefits of travel and tourism.  We have worked to support family unity
> by providing a provisional waiver for certain American families to
> reduce the length of time United States citizens are separated from
> their loved ones during the immigrant visa application process.  We have
> also reduced barriers to citizenship by creating tools to help
> applicants through the naturalization process.
>
> By creating a 21st-century immigration system that is true to our
> principles, our Nation will remain a land of opportunity, prosperity,
> and freedom for all.  To learn more about my Administration's plan for
> immigration reform, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/Immigration
> <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration?utm_source=Immigration&utm_medium=ImmigrationMain&utm_campaign=OPC>.
>   For additional information and resources on current immigration and
> enforcement efforts, I encourage you to visit www.DHS.gov
> <http://www.DHS.gov> or call 1-800-375-5283.
>
> Thank you, again, for writing.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Barack Obama
>
>
> Visit WhiteHouse.gov <http://www.whitehouse.gov>
>
>
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