State of the Union Address and Immigration Reform

On Tuesday night (2/12/13) President Obama gave his fifth State of the Union (SOTU) address. The address was a little more than one hour long with only about two minutes dedicated to the subject of Immigration Reform. I have included that portion of the speech on Immigration Reform below so you can read it for yourself. Everything the President included on Immigration Reform was part of his proposal, “Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century“.

The reaction in Congress was positive, with loud applause coming from both the Democrats and Republicans, which was not the case with other portions of the President’s address. Another good indication that a true bipartisan agreement is possible is that four of the Senators (two from each party) that proposed the “Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform” were seated together and reacted together when Immigration Reform was mentioned. MVP Law Group looks forward to working with any changes Congress may make that improves the lives of our clients!

Portion of the 2013 SOTU address on Immigration Reform:

“Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Real reform means strong border security, and we can build on the progress my Administration has already made – putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history, and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years.

Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship – a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning English, and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally.

And real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy.

In other words, we know what needs to be done. As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts. Now let’s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away.”

Complete Transcript of President Obama’s SOTU address is available from UPI.com.

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