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- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by Alex Kingsbury
Obama outlined a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States
In his first major speech on immigration reform since taking office, President Obama called for a "practical, common sense approach" to dealing with one of the highest-voltage third rails in American politics. While thin on specifics, he outlined a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States that would include paying a fine, waiting in line behind legal immigrants, and learning to speak English. "The politics of who is and who is not allowed to enter the country, and on what terms, has always been contentious," Obama said at
Using the term "contentious" appears to understate just how polarizing the issue of illegal immigration has become. The state of Arizona this spring passed one of the strictest ordinances in the country, criminalizing those living in the state without proper papers and allowing local police to ask about the immigration status of those detained for even minor crimes. Yesterday, the
But passage of the Arizona law is only a symptom of the larger national anxiety over the estimated 11 million people living illegally in the country. The stagnant economy and high unemployment, ongoing violence along the border connected with the drug trade, and a surge in domestic right-wing political activism have all helped push immigration forcefully back into the national spotlight. Recent national polling suggests that the public favors some form of comprehensive reform, while disapproving of the government's current efforts. Polls also show that a large majority of respondents, 60 percent, consider illegal immigration a "very serious problem" and that a similarly large majority, 58 percent, support the Arizona law.
Since comprehensive reform was first made a national priority by the Bush administration in 2006, the federal government has conducted more raids on employers hiring illegal workers and expanded border security efforts. Most likely in anticipation of Republican counter-arguments, Obama pointed out in his speech that the current force along the southern U.S. border is the largest ever. Securing the border has been a persistent precondition for support for comprehensive immigration reform from many Republicans and an increasing number of Democrats.
Inside the beltway, however, the political reality for the Democrats is clear: They need 60 votes in the
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