The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
January 29, 2013
Remarks by the President on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Del Sol High School
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:40 A.M. PST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you!
(Applause.) Thank you! Thank you so much. (Applause.) It
is good to be back in Las Vegas! (Applause.) And it is good to be
among so many good friends.
Let me start off by thanking everybody
at Del Sol High School for hosting us. (Applause.) Go Dragons!
Let me especially thank your outstanding principal, Lisa Primas.
(Applause.)
There are all kinds of notable guests here, but I
just want to mention a few. First of all, our outstanding Secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, is here.
(Applause.) Our wonderful Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar.
(Applause.) Former Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis.
(Applause.) Two of the outstanding members of the congressional delegation
from Nevada, Steve Horsford and Dina Titus. (Applause.) Your own
mayor, Carolyn Goodman. (Applause.)
But we also have
some mayors that flew in because they know how important the issue wefre going
to talk about today is. Marie Lopez Rogers from Avondale, Arizona.
(Applause.) Kasim Reed from Atlanta, Georgia. (Applause.) Greg
Stanton from Phoenix, Arizona. (Applause.) And Ashley Swearengin
from Fresno, California. (Applause.)
And all of you are
here, as well as some of the top labor leaders in the country. And we are
just so grateful. Some outstanding business leaders are here as
well. And of course, wefve got wonderful students here, so I could not be
prouder of our students. (Applause.)
Now, those of you have a
seat, feel free to take a seat. I donft mind.
AUDIENCE
MEMBER: I love you, Mr. President!
THE PRESIDENT: I
love you back. (Applause.)
Now, last week, I had the
honor of being sworn in for a second term as President of the United
States. (Applause.) And during my inaugural address, I talked about
how making progress on the defining challenges of our time doesnft require us to
settle every debate or ignore every difference that we may have, but it does
require us to find common ground and move forward in common purpose. It
requires us to act.
I know that some issues will be
harder to lift than others. Some debates will be more contentious.
Thatfs to be expected. But the reason I came here today is because of a
challenge where the differences are dwindling; where a broad consensus is
emerging; and where a call for action can now be heard coming from all across
America. Ifm here today because the time has come for common-sense,
comprehensive immigration reform. (Applause.) The time is now.
Now is the time. Now is the time. Now is the
time.
AUDIENCE: Sí se puede! Sí se
puede!
THE PRESIDENT: Now is the
time.
Ifm here because most Americans agree that itfs
time to fix a system thatfs been broken for way too long. Ifm here because
business leaders, faith leaders, labor leaders, law enforcement, and leaders
from both parties are coming together to say now is the time to find a better
way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as the
land of opportunity. Now is the time to do this so we can strengthen our
economy and strengthen our countryfs future.
Think about it -- we
define ourselves as a nation of immigrants. Thatfs who we are -- in our
bones. The promise we see in those who come here from every corner of the
globe, thatfs always been one of our greatest strengths. It keeps our
workforce young. It keeps our country on the cutting edge. And itfs
helped build the greatest economic engine the world has ever
known.
After all, immigrants helped start businesses like
Google and Yahoo!. They created entire new industries that, in turn,
created new jobs and new prosperity for our citizens. In recent years, one
in four high-tech startups in America were founded by immigrants. One in
four new small business owners were immigrants, including right here in Nevada
-- folks who came here seeking opportunity and now want to share that
opportunity with other Americans.
But we all know that today,
we have an immigration system thatfs out of date and badly broken; a system
thatfs holding us back instead of helping us grow our economy and strengthen our
middle class.
Right now, we have 11 million
undocumented immigrants in America; 11 million men and women from all over the
world who live their lives in the shadows. Yes, they broke the
rules. They crossed the border illegally. Maybe they overstayed
their visas. Those are facts. Nobody disputes them. But these
11 million men and women are now here. Many of them have been here for
years. And the overwhelming majority of these individuals arenft looking
for any trouble. Theyfre contributing members of the community.
They're looking out for their families. They're looking out for their
neighbors. They're woven into the fabric of our
lives.
Every day, like the rest of us, they go out and
try to earn a living. Often they do that in a shadow economy -- a place
where employers may offer them less than the minimum wage or make them work
overtime without extra pay. And when that happens, itfs not just bad for
them, itfs bad for the entire economy. Because all the businesses that are
trying to do the right thing -- that are hiring people legally, paying a decent
wage, following the rules -- theyfre the ones who suffer. They've
got to compete against companies that are breaking the rules. And the
wages and working conditions of American workers are threatened,
too.
So if we're truly committed to strengthening our middle class
and providing more ladders of opportunity to those who are willing to work hard
to make it into the middle class, we've got to fix the
system.
We have to make sure that every business and every
worker in America is playing by the same set of rules. We have to bring
this shadow economy into the light so that everybody is held accountable --
businesses for who they hire, and immigrants for getting on the right side of
the law. Thatfs common sense. And thatfs why we need comprehensive
immigration reform. (Applause.)
Therefs another economic
reason why we need reform. Itfs not just about the folks who come here
illegally and have the effect they have on our economy. Itfs also about
the folks who try to come here legally but have a hard time doing so, and the
effect that has on our economy.
Right now, there are
brilliant students from all over the world sitting in classrooms at our top
universities. Theyfre earning degrees in the fields of the future, like
engineering and computer science. But once they finish school, once they
earn that diploma, therefs a good chance theyfll have to leave our
country. Think about that.
Intel was started with the
help of an immigrant who studied here and then stayed here. Instagram was
started with the help of an immigrant who studied here and then stayed
here. Right now in one of those classrooms, therefs a student wrestling
with how to turn their big idea -- their Intel or Instagram -- into a big
business. Wefre giving them all the skills they need to figure that out,
but then wefre going to turn around and tell them to start that business and
create those jobs in China or India or Mexico or someplace else? Thatfs
not how you grow new industries in America. Thatfs how you give new
industries to our competitors. Thatfs why we need comprehensive
immigration reform. (Applause.)
Now, during my first term, we
took steps to try and patch up some of the worst cracks in the
system.
First, we strengthened security at the borders so that we
could finally stem the tide of illegal immigrants. We put more boots on
the ground on the southern border than at any time in our history. And
today, illegal crossings are down nearly 80 percent from their peak in
2000. (Applause.)
Second, we focused our enforcement
efforts on criminals who are here illegally and who endanger our
communities. And today, deportations of criminals is at its highest level
ever. (Applause.)
And third, we took up the cause of
the DREAMers -- (applause) -- the young people who were brought to this country
as children, young people who have grown up here, built their lives here, have
futures here. We said that if youfre able to meet some basic criteria like
pursuing an education, then wefll consider offering you the chance to come out
of the shadows so that you can live here and work here legally, so that you can
finally have the dignity of knowing you belong.
But because this
change isnft permanent, we need Congress to act -- and not just on the DREAM
Act. We need Congress to act on a comprehensive approach that finally
deals with the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are in the country right
now. That's what we need. (Applause.)
Now, the
good news is that for the first time in many years, Republicans and Democrats
seem ready to tackle this problem together. (Applause.) Members of
both parties, in both chambers, are actively working on a solution.
Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators announced their principles for
comprehensive immigration reform, which are very much in line with the
principles Ifve proposed and campaigned on for the last few years. So at
this moment, it looks like therefs a genuine desire to get this done soon, and
thatfs very encouraging.
But this time, action must
follow. (Applause.) We can't allow immigration reform to get bogged
down in an endless debate. We've been debating this a very long
time. So it's not as if we don't know technically what needs to get
done. As a consequence, to help move this process along, today Ifm laying
out my ideas for immigration reform. And my hope is that this provides
some key markers to members of Congress as they craft a bill, because the ideas
Ifm proposing have traditionally been supported by both Democrats like Ted
Kennedy and Republicans like President George W. Bush. You don't get that
matchup very often. (Laughter.) So we know where the consensus
should be.
Now, of course, there will be rigorous debate
about many of the details, and every stakeholder should engage in real give and
take in the process. But itfs important for us to recognize that the
foundation for bipartisan action is already in place. And if Congress is
unable to move forward in a timely fashion, I will send up a bill based on my
proposal and insist that they vote on it right away.
(Applause.)
So the principles are pretty straightforward.
There are a lot of details behind it. We're going to hand out a bunch of
paper so that everybody will know exactly what we're talking about. But
the principles are pretty straightforward.
First, I believe
we need to stay focused on enforcement. That means continuing to
strengthen security at our borders. It means cracking down more forcefully
on businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers. To be fair, most
businesses want to do the right thing, but a lot of them have a hard time
figuring out whofs here legally, whofs not. So we need to implement a
national system that allows businesses to quickly and accurately verify
someonefs employment status. And if they still knowingly hire undocumented
workers, then we need to ramp up the penalties.
Second, we have to
deal with the 11 million individuals who are here illegally. We all agree
that these men and women should have to earn their way to citizenship. But
for comprehensive immigration reform to work, it must be clear from the outset
that there is a pathway to citizenship.
(Applause.)
Wefve got to lay out a path -- a process that
includes passing a background check, paying taxes, paying a penalty, learning
English, and then going to the back of the line, behind all the folks who are
trying to come here legally. That's only fair, right?
(Applause.)
So that means it wonft be a quick process but it will
be a fair process. And it will lift these individuals out of the shadows
and give them a chance to earn their way to a green card and eventually to
citizenship. (Applause.)
And the third principle is wefve got
to bring our legal immigration system into the 21st century because it no longer
reflects the realities of our time. (Applause.) For example, if you
are a citizen, you shouldnft have to wait years before your family is able to
join you in America. You shouldn't have to wait years.
(Applause.)
If youfre a foreign student who wants to pursue a
career in science or technology, or a foreign entrepreneur who wants to start a
business with the backing of American investors, we should help you do that
here. Because if you succeed, youfll create American businesses and
American jobs. Youfll help us grow our economy. Youfll help us
strengthen our middle class.
So thatfs what comprehensive
immigration reform looks like: smarter enforcement; a pathway to earned
citizenship; improvements in the legal immigration system so that we continue to
be a magnet for the best and the brightest all around the world. Itfs
pretty straightforward.
The question now is
simple: Do we have the resolve as a people, as a country, as a government
to finally put this issue behind us? I believe that we do. I believe
that we do. (Applause.) I believe we are finally at a moment where
comprehensive immigration reform is within our grasp.
But I
promise you this: The closer we get, the more emotional this debate is
going to become. Immigration has always been an issue that enflames
passions. Thatfs not surprising. There are few things that are more
important to us as a society than who gets to come here and call our country
home; who gets the privilege of becoming a citizen of the United States of
America. That's a big deal.
When we talk about that in the
abstract, itfs easy sometimes for the discussion to take on a feeling of gush
versus gthem.h And when that happens, a lot of folks forget that most of
gush used to be gthem.h We forget that.
(Applause.)
Itfs really important for us to remember
our history. Unless youfre one of the first Americans, a Native American,
you came from someplace else. Somebody brought you.
(Applause.)
Ken Salazar, hefs of Mexican American descent, but he
points that his family has been living where he lives for 400 years, so he
didn't immigrate anywhere. (Laughter.)
The Irish who
left behind a land of famine. The Germans who fled persecution. The
Scandinavians who arrived eager to pioneer out west. The Polish. The
Russians. The Italians. The Chinese. The Japanese. The
West Indians. The huddled masses who came through Ellis Island on one
coast and Angel Island on the other. (Applause.) All those folks,
before they were gus,h they were gthem.h
And when each new
wave of immigrants arrived, they faced resistance from those who were already
here. They faced hardship. They faced racism. They faced
ridicule. But over time, as they went about their daily lives, as they
earned a living, as they raised a family, as they built a community, as their
kids went to school here, they did their part to build a
nation.
They were the Einsteins and the Carnegies. But
they were also the millions of women and men whose names history may not
remember, but whose actions helped make us who we are; who built this country
hand by hand, brick by brick. (Applause.) They all came here knowing
that what makes somebody an American is not just blood or birth, but allegiance
to our founding principles and the faith in the idea that anyone from anywhere
can write the next great chapter of our story.
And thatfs still
true today. Just ask Alan Aleman. Alan is here this afternoon --
where is Alan? He's around here -- there he is right here.
(Applause.) Alan was born in Mexico. (Applause.) He was
brought to this country by his parents when he was a child. Growing up,
Alan went to an American school, pledged allegiance to the American flag, felt
American in every way -- and he was, except for one: on
paper.
In high school, Alan watched his friends come of
age -- driving around town with their new licenses, earning some extra cash from
their summer jobs at the mall. He knew he couldnft do those things.
But it didnft matter that much. What mattered to Alan was earning an
education so that he could live up to his God-given potential.
Last
year, when Alan heard the news that we were going to offer a chance for folks
like him to emerge from the shadows -- even if it's just for two years at a time
-- he was one of the first to sign up. And a few months ago he was one of
the first people in Nevada to get approved. (Applause.) In that
moment, Alan said, gI felt the fear vanish. I felt
accepted.h
So today, Alan is in his second year at the College of
Southern Nevada. (Applause.) Alan is studying to become a
doctor. (Applause.) He hopes to join the Air Force. Hefs
working hard every single day to build a better life for himself and his
family. And all he wants is the opportunity to do his part to build a
better America. (Applause.)
So in the
coming weeks, as the idea of reform becomes more real and the debate becomes
more heated, and there are folks who are trying to pull this thing apart,
remember Alan and all those who share the same hopes and the same dreams.
Remember that this is not just a debate about policy. Itfs about
people. Itfs about men and women and young people who want nothing more
than the chance to earn their way into the American
story.
Throughout our history, that has only made our nation
stronger. And itfs how we will make sure that this century is the same as
the last: an American century welcoming of everybody who aspires to do
something more, and who is willing to work hard to do it, and is willing to
pledge that allegiance to our flag.
Thank you. God
bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
(Applause.)
END
12:05 P.M. PST