Das White House hat nochmals bestätigt, dass es noch in diesem Jahr die im letzten Jahr gescheiterte Comprehensive Immigration Reform umsetzen will. Teil der Reform unter Obama ist auch wieder ein Amnestie Programm für die ca. 12. Millionen Illegalen und ein Abbau der erheblichen Wartezeiten bei den Familienzusammenführungen.

For Immediate ReleaseWhite House Announces Plans For Immigration Reform Obama Administration to Make Good on Promise to Fix Our Nation's Most Complex Problems April 9, 2009   Washington, DC - As the New York Times reported today, the Obama administration has reiterated its intention to tackle comprehensive immigration reform this year. Recent statements from Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid have also signaled their support. Yet some observers had assumed that the promise President Obama made during his campaign to reform the dysfunctional U.S. immigration system during his first year in office would be sidelined by the current recession. But, as the White House made clear today, the President intends to make good on his promise. The following is a statement by Angela Kelley, Director of the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) in Washington, DC.   "We applaud the White House, Senator Harry Reid, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for their vision, leadership, and commitment to passing comprehensive and meaningful immigration reform this year. The United States, now more than ever, needs workable solutions that fix our broken immigration system, support our economic recovery, and allow honest and hardworking people to become lawful and contributing members of our society.   The White House said a key component of comprehensive immigration reform will be the creation of a pathway to legal status for the roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants now living in the United States. Although critics of reform often deride anything short of mass deportation as a blanket 'amnesty,' a well-tailored legalization program would, in fact, bring order and legality to bear on what is now a chaotic and unregulated situation. Moreover, legalization would not add new workers to a U.S. economy already reeling from high unemployment. Rather, it would give legal status, and the full protection of labor laws, to workers who are already here. Undocumented immigrants applying for legal status would not only have to register with the federal government, but would also have to meet a number of other requirements, including paying taxes, getting criminal background checks, learning English, and paying a fine.   In addition, comprehensive reform will have to address many of the other flaws and inequities within our immigration system. It will have to reduce the enormous backlog of applications for family reunification, which impose lengthy waiting times on individuals abroad who are trying to rejoin their families in the United States. It will have to create smarter and more targeted enforcement mechanisms that find individuals who pose a danger to public safety or national security, rather than expending resources on chasing workers and breaking apart families. And it will have to consider appropriate legal limits on immigration that rise and fall with the labor needs of our economy, rather than arbitrary numerical caps that bear no relationship to labor demand.   The time is now to resolve this ongoing and complex problem. Fixing our immigration system is an important part of addressing our nation's economic, healthcare, and homeland security challenges. The White House has taken the first step today and we stand committed in supporting their efforts towards achieving sensible and comprehensive reform this year." ### For press inquiries contact:Wendy Sefsaf, 202-507-7524 or email Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann. Andrea Nill, 202-507-7520 or email Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann.

The Immigration Policy Center (IPC), established in 2003, is the policy arm of the American Immigration Law Foundation. IPC's mission is to shape a rational national conversation on immigration and immigrant integration. Through its research and analysis, IPC provides policymakers, the media, and the general public with accurate information about the role of immigrants and immigration policy on U.S. society. IPC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor opposes any political party or candidate for office. A division of the American Immigration Law Foundation.Visit our website at www.immigrationpolicy.org.Visit our blog at www.immigrationimpact.com