Will Immigration Reform Happen During the Obama Administration?

Chances are dim, but advocates will still push for immigration reform. This is the headline in today’s Washington Post.

During his Presidential State of the Union televised addressed on January 27, 2010, which lasted approximately 70 minutes, President Obama uttered only the following about immigration: “We should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system. . . and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” Obama offered no specific remedy or timing to “fix out broken immigration system.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has taken the lead in drafting a Senate bill, rushed to reassure immigrant advocates and Latino groups that they were still working with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) to find Republican backers for a bipartisan bill, while shying away from setting a timetable.

Only time will tell whether any reform to “fix our broken immigration system” will occur in the Obama Administration. As it is right now, the administration’s focus is creating jobs and fixing the economy. Indeed, economic benefits of immigration reform cannot be ignored.

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Ruchi Thaker

Ruchi Thaker is New York City-based immigration attorney with extensive experience and excellent reputation for effective legal representation in simple and difficult immigration cases. I have experience in areas of deportation defense (criminal and non-criminal), federal court litigation, representation on appeals and motions with the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, family-based immigration, asylum, naturalization, and consular processing.