The President?s Blueprint for Building a 21st Century Immigration System

Editor's Note: Join the conversation to fix the immigration system for America's 21st century economy.

Today, the President travels to El Paso, Texas – a historic, thriving and diverse border community – to discuss his commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and the importance of building a new one for the 21st century. He believes we need to reform our immigration laws so that they address our economic and security needs while also honoring our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. 

Over the last several weeks, the President has met with and heard from leaders and stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including faith, business and law enforcement officials, as well as current and former elected officials and others. Like many Americans, these leaders know that the generations of immigrants who have braved hardship and great risk to reach our shores have made America what it is today – a strong and prosperous nation, engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world.

We have already made significant progress securing the borders, enforcing the law, and improving the legal immigration system. Over the last two years, the Obama Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to these efforts. There are more boots on the ground on the Southwest border than at any time in our history. The buildup began under the previous administration, and has continued. We have also tripled the number of intelligence analysts, deployed unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, and nearly completed the fence that was demanded back in 2007. These efforts have helped to make our country more secure. But we cannot solve the problems of our broken immigration system through enforcement alone.

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Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/05/10/president-s-blueprint-building-21st-century-immigration-system

Donna Edwards Doris O. Matsui Douglas L. Lamborn Duncan D. Hunter