President Barack Obama says that the time to reform the “broken” immigration laws in the United States has come and has renewed his appeals to lawmakers to cement a deal that he says is now reachable. During a swearing-in ceremony for new US citizens at the White House Obama praised the bipartisan push being made in Congress to reach a deal on immigration reform, but also pushed both of the major parties to finish what they had started.
“We’ve known for years our immigration system is broken, that we’re not doing enough to harness the talent and ingenuity of those that want to work hard and find a place here in America,” Obama noted. “And after avoiding the problem for years, the time has come to fix it once and for all. The time has come for a comprehensive, sensible immigration reform.”
The President sent forth his call for action at the ceremony for 28 people given US citizenship who took their oath on Monday in the east room of the White House. “In each of you, we see the true spirit of America,” he declared, adding that the story of almost everyone in the United States was likewise traceable back to a similar moment.
Efforts to reform immigration laws, which had been stalled for years, gained momentum following Obama’s November re-election where Hispanic voters gave him their overwhelming support. Obama has been courting the leaders of the Republican Party on the issue and senators from both parties have almost completed an agreement.