Once Again, Obama Presses for Immigration Reform… to a Hispanic Audience

Obama once again comes out for immigration reform on Hispanic media. (Photo: The White House)

Obama once again comes out for immigration reform on Hispanic media. (Photo: The White House)

President Barack Obama is again insisting on keeping the pressure on Congress to pass immigration reform… on Spanish-language media.

Obama, in a conference call with Hispanic broadcasters Friday, said he hopes a comprehensive immigration reform bill will take shape by the end of this year or in early 2010.

As has happened in the past, the president has chosen media aimed at the Hispanic population to maintain his presence on this issue, while in mainstream appearances he is busy with other topics, like health care reform or the economy.

According to Spanish-language wire service Agencia EFE, Obama said immigration reform is “something we want to move forward on.

The president announced that, after last month’s first meeting with lawmakers on the issue, there will be more sessions to work on the details in the next few months.

“Our hope is to be able to have a bill ready for a vote and for moving forward in committees either at the end of the fall or very early next year,” said the president, according to the Spanish-language story.

“We’re going to have to keep the pressure for this happen,” added Obama.

The president asked Latinos to keep the pressure on both Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate and said he is confident “we can do it.”

“We are in a good position to be able to make serious progress”, he said.

Obama also noted his government has already made administrative changes to immigration-related programs –like those run by the Department of Homeland Security– to guarantee that “people are treated fairly and respectfully.”

Still, the president underlined once again that immigration reform will include measures to strengthen border security and fines for undocumented immigrants already in the U.S., who will have to go back “to the end of the line.”

AboutDiego Graglia
Diego Graglia is a bilingual multimedia journalist who has worked at major media outlets in the U.S. and Latin America. He is currently the editor-in-chief at Expansion, Meixco’s leading business magazine.