On President Obama's Speech on Immigration Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Following is a statement from Ms. Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition:

Today President Obama spoke eloquently about the need to fix our broken immigration system, and we thank him for putting a spotlight on the issue in a pragmatic, compassionate, and straightforward way. We appreciate his linking comprehensive immigration reform to the politics of hope, his implicitly linking such measures as Arizona’s SB1070 to the politics of fear, and his recognition that fixing our immigration system must be a national priority.

By highlighting the issue, the president defied conventional wisdom that tells politicians not to touch the issue with a ten-foot pole. But he could have, and should have, gone further. As president, he can determine policies followed by his administration. If, as he acknowledged himself, the immigration system is fundamentally flawed, he has the responsibility not to pour salt on the wound by continuing to pursue the failed policies of enforcement-only that further disrupt families, communities, and business, but fail to fix the problem. Unfortunately, he did not outline steps he could now take to shift course on his administration’s tactics and begin to repair the system. We urge him to follow through on the unspoken promise of his speech today by announcing concrete action steps he will take in the coming days—for instance, repeal the current policy that turns police officers into immigration agents and divides them from the communities they serve; stop the implementation of the Arizona law; stop the relentless enforcement against workers; restore due process to immigrants; completely overhaul an immigration detention system that operates with impunity.

Yes, we need all members of Congress to come to the table. Yes, we need Republicans to stop the roadblocks and ugly divisiveness. Yes, we need the president to speak forcefully and honestly about an issue of such importance, and we are grateful he did that. But we also need to see action—a first step by the president to provide a real fix, a first step that will serve as inspiration for other leaders in D.C. to follow suit.