Many activists blame President Obama for not making Immigration a priority in the nation. In fact, the Obama administration has deported a record number of undocumented immigrants, hitting a record 392,000 in the fiscal year of 2010. In hopes to change the anger communities feel towards his administration, Obama has made some recent moves to draw attention back to immigration reform.
The Wall Street Journal and numerous other outlets have reported that Obama has held private meetings to discuss immigration with political figures such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, business leaders such as John Engler, president of the Business Roundtable; and religious leaders such as Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House, stated to the New York Times that Obama intends to start the immigration debate this year. In a town meeting last month, Obama stated that immigrants who are long-time residents but lack legal status “have to have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows.”
It is clear that Obama has started to push for immigration legislation; however, many still have doubts regarding the President's sincerity and suspect his actions are solely for political reasons. Opposition is always anticipated where talks about immigration reform develop. During these times, advocates are encouraged to build support for proposals, especially for one expected from the President shortly.
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