Obama still committed to 'comprehensive immigration reform'

President Obama has repeated his commitment to "comprehensive immigration reform," which combines tougher border protection with a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States.

"This reform must provide lasting and dedicated resources for border security, while also requiring accountability from both individuals in the U.S. illegally and unscrupulous employers who game the system for their own economic advantage," the White House said in a statement on Obama's meeting yesterday with Hispanic lawmakers.

The problem is that many Republicans and a few Democrats regard a path to citizenship as amnesty for lawbreakers, and there are congressional elections coming up in less than 50 days. Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he is hearing no talk about immigration legislation before the Nov. 2 elections.

The White House said that, in the meeting with Obama, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., "discussed the comprehensive immigration reform bill that he plans to introduce in the coming weeks. The president told Senator Menendez that he looks forward to reviewing the bill, noting that he strongly supported the proposal that Senate Democrats outlined earlier this year."

One item that is on the agenda: The DREAM Act, which would enable children of illegal immigrants to earn citizenship by completing higher education or military service.

Obama also pledged to push for the DREAM Act in his meeting with Menendez, D-N.J., and U.S. Reps. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

"The president noted that it is time to stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents, especially when those youth grew up in America and want to serve this country in the military or pursue a higher education they have earned through academic excellence," said the White House statement.

The proposal has bipartisan support, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, R-Nev., has attached it to a defense authorization bill that already has one controversial rider on it: Repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies regarding gays.

Attaching the DREAM Act to a defense bill "may cause even some supporters to vote against it," said Stewart, the McConnell spokesman. "This is a political vote, not a real attempt to move it."

(Posted by David Jackson)