Obama's immigration speech from El Paso

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery

Immigration and Border Security

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

El Paso, Texas

Hello, El Paso! It’s great to be back here with all of you, and to be back in the Lone Star State. I love coming to Texas. Even the welcomes are bigger down here. So, to show my appreciation, I wanted to give a big policy speech… outdoors… right in the middle of a hot, sunny day.

I hope everyone is wearing sunscreen.

Now, about a week ago, I delivered the commencement address at Miami Dade Community College, one of the most diverse schools in the nation. The graduates were proud that their class could claim heritage from 181 countries around the world. Many of the students were immigrants themselves, coming to America with little more than the dreams of their parents and the clothes on their backs. A handful had discovered only in adolescence or adulthood that they were undocumented. But they worked hard and gave it their all, and they earned those diplomas.

At the ceremony, 181 flags – one for every nation represented – was marched across the stage. Each was applauded by the graduates and relatives with ties to those countries. But then, the last flag – the American flag – came into view. And the room erupted. Every person in the auditorium cheered. Yes, their parents or grandparents – or the graduates themselves – had come from every corner of the globe. But it was here that they had found opportunity, and had a chance to contribute to the nation that is their home.

It was a reminder of a simple idea, as old as America itself. E pluribus, unum. Out of many, one. We define ourselves as a nation of immigrants – a nation that welcomes those willing to embrace America’s precepts. That’s why millions of people, ancestors to most of us, braved hardship and great risk to come here – so they could be free to work and worship and live their lives in peace. The Asian immigrants who made their way to California’s Angel Island. The Germans and Scandinavians who settled across the Midwest. The waves of the Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Jewish immigrants who leaned against the railing to catch that first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

This flow of immigrants has helped make this country stronger and more prosperous. We can point to the genius of Einstein and the designs of I. M. Pei, the stories of Isaac Asimov and whole industries forged by Andrew Carnegie.

And I think of the naturalization ceremonies we’ve held at the White House for members of the military, which have been so inspiring. Even though they were not yet citizens, these men and women had signed up to serve. One was a young man named Granger Michael from Papua New Guinea, a Marine who deployed to Iraq three times. Here’s what he said about becoming an American citizen. “I might as well. I love this country already.” Marines aren’t big on speeches. Another was a woman named Perla Ramos. She was born and raised in Mexico, came to the United States shortly after 9/11, and joined the Navy. She said, “I take pride in our flag … and the history we write day by day.”

That’s the promise of this country – that anyone can write the next chapter of our story. It doesn’t matter where you come from; what matters is that you believe in the ideals on which we were founded; that you believe all of us are equal and deserve the freedom to pursue happiness. In embracing America, you can become American. And that enriches all of us.

Yet at the same time, we are standing at the border today because we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand in hand with being a nation of immigrants. This, too, is our heritage. This, too, is important. And the truth is, we’ve often wrestled with the politics of who is and who isn’t allowed to enter this country. At times, there has been fear and resentment directed toward newcomers, particularly in periods of economic hardship. And because these issues touch on deeply held convictions – about who we are as a people, about what it means to be an American – these debates often elicit strong emotions.

That’s one reason it’s been so difficult to reform our broken immigration system. When an issue is this complex and raises such strong feelings, it’s easier for politicians to defer the problem until after the next election. And there’s always a next election. So we’ve seen a lot blame and politics and ugly rhetoric. We’ve seen good faith efforts – from leaders of both parties – fall prey to the usual Washington games. And all the while, we’ve seen the mounting consequences of decades of inaction.

Today, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Some crossed the border illegally. Others avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas. Regardless of how they came, the overwhelming majority of these folks are just trying to earn a living and provide for their families. But they’ve broken the rules, and have cut in front of the line. And the truth is, the presence of so many illegal immigrants makes a mockery of all those who are trying to immigrate legally.

Also, because undocumented immigrants live in the shadows, they’re vulnerable to unscrupulous businesses that skirt taxes, pay workers less than the minimum wage, or cut corners with health and safety. This puts companies who follow those rules, and Americans who rightly demand the minimum wage or overtime or just a safe place to work, at an unfair disadvantage.

Think about it. Over the past decade, even before the recession, middle class families were struggling to get by as costs went up but incomes didn’t. We’re seeing this again with gas prices. Well, one way to strengthen the middle class is to reform our immigration system, so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labor while depressing wages for everyone else. I want incomes for middle class families to rise again. I want prosperity in this country to be widely shared. That’s why immigration reform is an economic imperative.

And reform will also help make America more competitive in the global economy. Today, we provide students from around the world with visas to get engineering and computer science degrees at our top universities. But our laws discourage them from using those skills to start a business or power a new industry right here in the United States. So instead of training entrepreneurs to create jobs in America, we train them to create jobs for our competition. That makes no sense. In a global marketplace, we need all the talent we can get – not just to benefit those individuals, but because their contributions will benefit all Americans.

Look at Intel and Google and Yahoo and eBay – these are great American companies that have created countless jobs and helped us lead the world in high-tech industries. Every one was founded by an immigrant. We don’t want the next Intel or Google to be created in China or India. We want those companies and jobs to take root in America. Bill Gates gets this. “The United States will find it far more difficult to maintain its competitive edge,” he’s said, “if it excludes those who are able and willing to help us compete.”

It’s for this reason that businesses all across America are demanding that Washington finally meet its responsibility to solve the immigration problem. Everyone recognizes the system is broken. The question is, will we summon the political will to do something about it? And that’s why we’re here at the border today.

In recent years, among the greatest impediments to reform were questions about border security. These were legitimate concerns; it’s true that a lack of manpower and resources at the border, combined with the pull of jobs and ill-considered enforcement once folks were in the country, contributed to a growing number of undocumented people living in the United States. And these concerns helped unravel a bipartisan coalition we forged back when I was a United States Senator. In the years since, “borders first” has been a common refrain, even among those who previously supported comprehensive immigration reform.

Well, over the past two years we have answered those concerns. Under Secretary Napolitano’s leadership, we have strengthened border security beyond what many believed was possible. They wanted more agents on the border. Well, we now have more boots on the ground on the southwest border than at any time in our history. The Border Patrol has 20,000 agents – more than twice as many as there were in 2004, a build up that began under President Bush and that we have continued.

They wanted a fence. Well, that fence is now basically complete.

And we’ve gone further. We tripled the number of intelligence analysts working the border. I’ve deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the skies from Texas to California. We’ve forged a partnership with Mexico to fight the transnational criminal organizations that have affected both of our countries. And for the first time we are screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments – to seize guns and money going south even as we go after drugs coming north.

So, we have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement. But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I suspect there will be those who will try to move the goal posts one more time. They’ll say we need to triple the border patrol. Or quadruple the border patrol. They’ll say we need a higher fence to support reform.

Maybe they’ll say we need a moat. Or alligators in the moat.

They’ll never be satisfied. And I understand that. That’s politics.

But the truth is, the measures we’ve put in place are getting results. Over the past two and a half years, we’ve seized 31 percent more drugs, 75 percent more currency, and 64 percent more weapons than before. Even as we’ve stepped up patrols, apprehensions along the border have been cut by nearly 40 percent from two years ago – that means far fewer people are attempting to cross the border illegally.

Also, despite a lot of breathless reports that have tagged places like El Paso as dangerous, violent crime in southwest border counties has dropped by a third. El Paso and other cities and towns along the border are consistently rated among the safest in the nation. Of course, we shouldn’t accept any violence or crime, and we have more work to do. But this progress is important.

Beyond the border, we’re also going after employers who knowingly exploit people and break the law. And we are deporting those who are here illegally. Now, I know that the increase in deportations has been a source of controversy. But I want to emphasize: we are not doing this haphazardly; we are focusing our limited resources on violent offenders and people convicted of crimes; not families, not folks who are just looking to scrape together an income. As a result, we increased the removal of criminals by 70 percent.

That is not to ignore the real human toll. Even as we recognize that enforcing the law is necessary, we don’t relish the pain it causes in the lives of people just trying to get by. And as long as the current laws are on the books, it’s not just hardened felons who are subject to removal; but also families just trying to earn a living, bright and eager students; decent people with the best of intentions. I know some here wish that I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself. But that’s not how a democracy works. What we really need to do is keep up the fight to pass reform. That’s the ultimate solution to this problem.

And I’d point out, the most significant step we can take now to secure the borders is to fix the system as a whole – so that fewer people have incentive to enter illegally in search of work in the first place. This would allow agents to focus on the worst threats on both of our borders – from drug traffickers to those who would come here to commit acts of violence or terror.

So, the question is whether those in Congress who previously walked away in the name of enforcement are now ready to come back to the table and finish the work we’ve started. We have to put the politics aside. And if we do, I’m confident we can find common ground. Washington is behind the country on this. Already, there is a growing coalition of leaders across America who don’t always see eye-to-eye, but who are coming together on this issue. They see the harmful consequences of this broken system for their businesses and communities. They understand why we need to act.

There are Democrats and Republicans, including former-Republican Senator Mel Martinez and former-Bush administration Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; leaders like Mayor Michael Bloomberg; evangelical ministers like Leith Anderson and Bill Hybels; police chiefs from across the nation; educators and advocates; labor unions and chambers of commerce; small business owners and Fortune 500 CEOs. One CEO had this to say about reform. “American ingenuity is a product of the openness and diversity of this society… Immigrants have made America great as the world leader in business, science, higher education and innovation.”

That’s Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, and an immigrant himself. I don’t know if you’re familiar with his views, but let’s just say he doesn’t have an Obama bumper sticker on his car.

So there is a consensus around fixing what’s broken. Now we need Congress to catch up to a train that’s leaving the station. Now we need to come together around reform that reflects our values as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants; that demands everyone take responsibility.

So what would comprehensive reform look like?

First, we know that government has a threshold responsibility to secure the borders and enforce the law. Second, businesses have to be held accountable if they exploit undocumented workers. Third, those who are here illegally have a responsibility as well. They have to admit that they broke the law, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English. And they have to undergo background checks and a lengthy process before they can get in line for legalization.

And fourth, stopping illegal immigration also depends on reforming our outdated system of legal immigration. We should make it easier for the best and the brightest to not only study here, but also to start businesses and create jobs here. In recent years, a full 25 percent of high-tech startups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants, leading to more than 200,000 jobs in America. I’m glad those jobs are here. And I want to see more of them created in this country.

We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status.

Our laws should respect families following the rules – reuniting them more quickly instead of splitting them apart. Today, the immigration system not only tolerates those who break the rules, it punishes the folks who follow the rules. While applicants wait for approval, for example, they’re often forbidden from visiting the United States. Even husbands and wives may have to spend years apart. Parents can’t see their children. I don’t believe the United States of America should be in the business of separating families. That’s not right. That’s not who we are.

And we should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents – by denying them the chance to earn an education or serve in the military. That’s why we need to pass the Dream Act. Now, we passed the Dream Act through the House last year. But even though it received a majority of votes in the Senate, it was blocked when several Republicans who had previously supported the Dream Act voted no.

It was a tremendous disappointment to get so close and then see politics get in the way. And as I gave the commencement at Miami Dade, it broke my heart knowing that a number of those promising, bright students – young people who worked so hard and who speak to what’s best about America – are at risk of facing the agony of deportation. These are kids who grew up in this country, love this country, and know no other place as home. The idea that we would punish them is cruel and it makes no sense. We are a better nation than that.

So we’re going to keep up the fight for the Dream Act. We’re going to keep up the fight for reform. And that’s where you come in. I will do my part to lead a constructive and civil debate on these issues. We’ve already held a series of meetings about this at the White House in recent weeks. And we’ve got leaders here and around the country helping to move the debate forward. But this change has to be driven by you – to help us push for comprehensive reform, and to identify what steps we can take right now – like the Dream Act and visa reform – areas where we can find common ground among Democrats and Republicans to begin fixing what’s broken.

I am asking you to add your voices to this debate – and you can sign up to help at whitehouse.gov. We need Washington to know that there is a movement for reform gathering strength from coast to coast. That’s how we’ll get this done. That’s how we can ensure that in the years ahead we are welcoming the talents of all who can contribute to this country; and that we are living up to that basic American idea: you can make it if you try.

That idea is what gave hope to José Hernández, who is here today. José’s parents were migrant farm workers. And so, growing up, he was too. He was born in California, though he could have just as easily been born on the other side of the border, had it been a different time of year, because his family moved with the seasons. Two of his siblings were actually born in Mexico.

They traveled a lot and José joined his parents picking cucumbers and strawberries. He missed part of the school year when they returned to Mexico each winter. He didn’t learn English until he was 12. But José was good at math, and he liked it. The great thing about math was that it’s the same in every school, and it’s the same in Spanish.

So he studied hard. And one day, standing in the fields, collecting sugar beets, he heard on a transistor radio that a man named Franklin Chang-Diaz – a man with a name like his – was going to be an astronaut for NASA.

José decided that he could be an astronaut, too.

So he kept studying, and graduated high school. He kept studying, earning an engineering degree and a graduate degree. He kept working hard, ending up at a national laboratory, helping to develop a new kind of digital medical imaging system.

And a few years later, he found himself more than 100 miles above the surface of the earth, staring out the window of the Shuttle Discovery, remembering the boy in the California fields with a crazy dream and an unshakable belief that everything was possible in America.

That is what we are fighting for. We are fighting for every boy and girl like José with a dream and potential just waiting to be tapped. We are fighting to unlock that promise, and all that it holds not just for their futures, but for the future of this great country.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

The Dream Act and Colin Powell's immigration bomb

A recap of the latest news on The Dream Act. Legislators will debate the merits of adding the controversial measure to the defense bill this week. The Dream Act would give some illegal immigrant students a chance to become citizens if they complete two years of college or military service.

Colin Powell drops immigration bomb
Associated Press
Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell says illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S. and he has firsthand knowledge of that -- because they fix his house.

Dream Act has little chance this time around…
Los Angeles Times
The chances that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can deliver on his promise to move the so-called DREAM Act toward passage in the Senate this week range from slim to none. But the announcement that it would be added as an amendment to the Defense Department authorization bill has energized pro-immigrant groups, even as it underlines the fact that there'll be no comprehensive immigration reform any time in the near future. Not this year, certainly, and probably not next year either.

Editorial supports Dream Act
Chicago Tribune
Every year, 65,000 youngsters who are here illegally graduate from high school to an uncertain future. They don't qualify for most scholarships, student loans or resident tuition rates; they also can't legally work here. Those who can afford tuition hesitate to apply for fear of being deported. With no ties to any other country, most end up staying and working underground. U.S. taxpayers, meanwhile, are deprived of the talent and legal labor of hundreds of thousands of young men and women they paid to school.

If we can't amend, enforce:
Los Angeles Times
It would be nice to get rid of the anachronism of birthright citizenship, but that may be practically impossible. So here's an alternative idea: How about enforcing the immigration laws we've got? ...The worst offender, however, has been the Obama administration, which seems to be doing everything in its power to ensure that those numbers continue to rise. It has pushed for amnesty, refused requests to beef up border enforcement, made it difficult to detain illegal immigrants pending deportation proceedings, and waged an all-out courtroom war against legal efforts to slow illegal immigration in Arizona.

Poll results show most in state want illegals barred from public colleges
Athens Banner-Herald
Two-thirds of Georgians want to bar illegal immigrants from attending the University of Georgia and other public colleges, even if they pay out-of-state tuition, according to results from a recent poll. Sixty-seven percent of people polled last week by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for the Georgia Newspaper Partnership favor a law requiring proof of legal residency to attend a Georgia college or university, while 22 percent opposed such a law and 11 percent were undecided.

Low poll numbers for Obama on hot topic
Orange County Register (California)
Most U.S. voters disapprove of President Barack Obama's handling of illegal immigration, according to a recent national poll by Quinnipiac University. The poll showed that 60 percent of respondents disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration, while 25 percent approved and the rest didn't know.

Photo: Immigration activists held a rally in May on the campus of the University of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James, Chicago Tribune / September 20, 2010)

Does Obama have congressional support needed to pass reform?

That's a big question mark.

When Mexican president Felipe Calderon visited the White House in May, President Obama said he didn't have enough congressional support to pass immigration reform.

"The political challenge is, is that I have confidence that I can get the majority of Democrats, both in the House and the Senate, to support a piece of legislation of the sort that I just described. But I don’t have 60 votes in the Senate. I’ve got to have some support from Republicans."

It will be interesting to hear whether something has changed between then and now.

WATCH LIVE: Obama makes case for immigration reform

At 10:45, President Obama is expected to make his case for providing a path to legal status for some 11 million illegal immigrants. Obama is speaking at American University's School of International Service.

Watch the speech live by clicking here.

You can also watch the speech here.

Congressmen insulted by Mexican president's 'lecture'

The Mexican president said the Arizona law "ignores a reality that cannot be erased by decree."

Several Republican congressmen thought Mexican President Felipe Calderon violated accepted rules of international diplomacy when he criticized U.S. policy following an invitation to speak in congressional chambers.

Calderon criticized Arizona's new immigration law and called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Arizona's new law requires law enforcement to question people they reasonably suspect are here illegally.

While Calderon received cheers mainly from Democrats, some Republicans criticized the Mexican president for inappropriately intruding on U.S. policy.

Arizona Senator John McCain said in a statement that it was "unfortunate and disappointing the president of Mexico chose to criticize the state of Arizona by weighing in on a U.S. domestic policy issue during a trip that was meant to reaffirm the unique relationship between our two countries."


The video above is the response of Rep. Tom McClintock of California who took “strong exception” to Calderon’s speech to Congress.

“It’s highly inappropriate for the president of Mexico to lecture Americans on American immigration law,” he said. “Just as it would be for Americans to lecture Mexico on its own laws. It’s obvious President Calderon doesn’t understand the nature of America or the purpose of our immigration law.”

“Unlike Mexico’s immigration law which is brutally exclusionary, the purpose of America’s law is not to keep people out. It is to assure as people come to the United States, they do so with the intention of becoming Americans and raising their children as Americans.”

“Unlike Mexico our nation embraces legal immigration and what’s make that possible is assimilation.”

Transcript: President Obama and Mexico President Calderón talk immigration

Here are the full remarks by President Obama and President Calderón of Mexico at Wednesday's joint press conference in the Rose Garden. Sections on immigration have been highlighted.

12:20 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon. Buenas tardes. I want to again welcome President Calderón to the White House. Michelle and I are delighted to be hosting the President and First Lady Margarita Zavala and their delegation for this state visit, and we’re looking forward to returning the hospitality -- the wonderful hospitality that we received in Mexico when we have our state dinner this evening.

I’ve often said that in our interconnected world, where nations and peoples are linked like never before, both the promise and perils of our time are shared. Nowhere is this clearer than among the neighbors -- the United States and Mexico.

The trade and tourism between us creates jobs and prosperity for both our peoples. When a flu spreads, or an earthquake strikes, or cartels threaten innocent people, it affects lives on both sides of our common border. When our neighbors are in need, whether in Honduras or in Haiti, we respond together. And when we expand partnerships between our people, it forges connections that leads to greater prosperity and opportunity for decades to come.

In pursuit of our shared future, I have a true partner in President Calderón. We’ve worked together in Mexico City and Guadalajara, in Washington and Pittsburgh, in London and L’Aquila. And when he speaks before a joint session of Congress tomorrow, I believe the American people will see what I see -- they’ll see a leader who is guiding his country through very difficult times with vision and with courage, and he has been an outstanding partner to me and an outstanding partner to the United States.

Indeed, our progress today marks another step forward in a new era of cooperation and partnership between our countries -- a partnership based on mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility.

We agreed to continue working aggressively on our highest economic priority, which is creating jobs for our people. Mexico is one of our largest trading partners, with trade that supports countless jobs here in America and in Mexico. And because 80 percent of the trade passes over our land border, we reaffirmed our commitment to a 21st century border that is modern, secure and efficient. And we’re directing our governments to develop an action plan to move in this direction, because our shared border must be an engine, and not a brake, on our economic growth.

To create jobs and increase our competitiveness in the global economy, we agreed to streamline regulations and strengthen the protection of intellectual property. We agreed to continue working with our G20 partners to encourage that global economic growth is balanced and sustained, especially as we approach next month’s Toronto summit. And as the United States works to increase our exports, and the jobs that come with it, we’ll be working closely with our partners in Mexico, which is one of the largest markets for American exports.

To create clean energy jobs and industries of the future, we’re building on a partnership we launched last year with new initiatives to promote regional renewable energy markets, green buildings and smart grid technology. These initiatives will also help us implement the commitments we made at Copenhagen, especially as we work toward the climate conference in Cancun later this year. And let me say that, as a leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and in helping developing countries do the same, Mexico’s leadership under President Calderón has been and will be critical.

For the sake of our shared prosperity and security, we discussed the need for immigration that is orderly and safe, and we acknowledged that both our countries have responsibilities. President Calderón is working hard to create jobs so that more Mexicans see a future of opportunity in their country.

To fix our broken immigration system, I reaffirmed my deep commitment to working with Congress in a bipartisan way to pass comprehensive immigration reform. And comprehensive reform means accountability for everybody: government that is accountable for securing the border; businesses being held accountable when they exploit workers; people who break the law by breaching our borders being held accountable by paying taxes and a penalty and getting right with the law before they can earn their citizenship. We’ve been working hard to get this done. There’s a strong proposal in the Senate, based on a bipartisan framework, and it can and should move forward.

We also discussed the new law in Arizona, which is a misdirected effort -- a misdirected expression of frustration over our broken immigration system, and which has raised concerns in both our countries. Today, I want every American to know my administration has devoted unprecedented resources in personnel and technology to securing our border. Illegal immigration is down, not up, and we will continue to do what’s necessary to secure our shared border.

And I want everyone, American and Mexican, to know my administration is taking a very close look at the Arizona law. We’re examining any implications, especially for civil rights. Because in the United States of America, no law-abiding person -- be they an American citizen, a legal immigrant, or a visitor or tourist from Mexico -- should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look like.

President Calderón and I also reaffirmed our commitment to stand together against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities. Mr. President, you and the Mexican people have shown great resolve in a fight for the security and safety of your country. And as I’ve pledged to you before, Mexico can count on the United States as a full partner in this effort.

As your partner, we’ll give you the support you need to prevail. Through increased law enforcement on our side of the border, we’re putting unprecedented pressure on those who traffic in drugs, guns, and people. We’re working to stem the southbound flow of American guns and money, which is why, for the first time, we are now screening 100 percent of southbound rail cargo. And guided by our new National Drug Control Strategy, we’re bringing new approaches to reducing the demand for drugs in our country.

As regional partners, the President and I discussed the situation in Honduras and the need for continued cooperation to support the people of Haiti as they recover and they rebuild. And as global partners, and given Mexico’s seat on the U.N. Security Council, we agreed on the need for Iran to uphold its international obligations or face increased sanctions and pressure, including U.N. sanctions. And I’m pleased that we’ve reached an agreement with our P5-plus-1 partners on a strong resolution that we now have shared with our Security Council partners.

Finally, I’m proud that we’re expanding exchanges between our college and university students and launching a new exchange program for our high school students. I’d note that it was a Mexican student at an American university who went on to become the President who stands next to me today. And with these exchanges we’ll bring together the next generation of American and Mexican leaders.

This is the progress that we’ve made today. It’s progress that calls to mind a Mexican proverb that I am told says, “Tell me who you walk with, and I will tell you who you are.” Mr. President, the United States is proud to walk with Mexico. And through our work, we’re reminded again of who we are -- which is two neighbors, two partners bound by a common vision of prosperity and security for both our people.

President Calderón.

PRESIDENT CALDERÓN: (As translated.) Thank you, President.
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, good afternoon. First of all, I would like to thank the kind invitation of the people and the government of the United States to carry out this visit. And I am the bearer of a respectful and affectionate greeting of the Mexican people to this nation, which is our neighbor and friend. I would like to thank the words and the hospitality of President Barack Obama.

The United States and Mexico are nations that trade, dialogue, and complement each other economically and mutually. We are nations that have a political understanding of the highest level. And we are also countries with a fruitful, dynamic, and ties between people, communities, public and private institutions throughout 3,000 kilometers of border. Our relationship is characterized by an honest and open dialogue based on trust, respect, and co-responsibility.

As it has been stated by President Obama, this morning we held a broad and fruitful dialogue. We’ve reviewed our bilateral relationships -- the problems, the challenges and also the many opportunities that we face. We analyzed different proposals and visions on the side of Mexico and the United States to strengthen North America as a region.

We talked about the relevance of solving our differences and trade problems in the fastest possible way. We covered the border topics such as security, migration, and we also examined initiatives to consolidate our cooperation in global scenarios and global interests.

I can highlight here that the areas where we agree are broader than our differences. There’s a broad convergence of interest. And this is not only given to the fact that we share common goals, but there is a will in both of us to turn the fact of being neighbors into a partnership that will act as a leveler for shared development.

Fortunately, the serious economic global crisis is giving up. This opens up a window of opportunity for Canada, the United States and Mexico to re-position Mexico and North America as a vigorous region -- competitive and prosperous, capable of generating more and better jobs; a region that will be attractive for investments, trade exchange and tourism, with great perspectives facing the future.

Together, we should increase our exporting capacity in a contest of growing competitiveness among different regions of the world. We talked about the different obstacles that are there for complying with transportation obligations that have been established at NAFTA, a situation that impacts jobs, companies and consumers in Mexico and in the United States. And we shall work in order to achieve a quick solution with a constructive, creative solution in the long term in this and many other areas.

As the President has stated, we gave special attention to the border matters. The border is not only a place of encounter for both our nations, but it’s also an area of opportunity for our aspirations that we share regarding development. For this we will allocate more resources for the border infrastructure in order that it will be at the height of the needs of our economies and communities, and that it will benefit both sides of the border. We will strengthen the coordination among the government officials on both sides of the border to reinforce security.

We want to make this quite clear: We, both countries, want to have a safe border, a safe border for our people. We agreed upon the urgency to reinforce the actions to stop the flow of drugs, weapons, and cash. And for this we will work with full abidance to the legislations and jurisdictions of each country in a co-responsible way.

In reference to the migratory issue, I acknowledge the sensitivity and the commitment of President Obama to look for a comprehensive solution that will be respectful of the rights of the individual and will be adjusting itself in a realistic way to the needs of both our economies. We talked openly about this and other issues.

We identified that the economies of our countries are clearly complementing each other, and when we -- integrating them, they are a powerful tool to bring productivity and competitiveness up within the whole region. Greater competitiveness in North America means more jobs and better living conditions for the people of the United States and for the people of Mexico.

In Mexico, we are and will continue being respectful of the internal policies of the United States and its legitimate right to establish in accordance to its Constitution whatever laws it approves. But we will retain our firm rejection to criminalize migration so that people that work and provide things to this nation will be treated as criminals. And we oppose firmly the S.B. 1070 Arizona law given in fair principles that are partial and discriminatory.

This and other issues were covered during this meeting, which I will dare to say that it’s historic given the level of understanding and trust that we have reached.

For the meantime, I would just like to highlight this open and honest and constructive dialogue that we keep and hold with the government of President Obama and these two countries that allows me to see the strength and leadership of the President of the United States.

Thank you, President Obama, for your hospitality. I want to thank all of you for your kind attention.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. President Calderón called again the Arizona law discriminatory and called it destructive. Do you agree with him? What impact do you think the Arizona law could have on U.S.-Mexico relations, the prospect for immigration reform, and the opinions of Mexican Americans in this country? And what actions did you tell President Calderón that you would --

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think the Arizona law has the potential of being applied in a discriminatory fashion. Now, after it was initially passed, the Arizona legislature amended it and said that this should not be carried out in a discriminatory way. But I think a fair reading of the language of the statute indicates that it gives the possibility of individuals who are deemed suspicious of being illegal immigrants from being harassed or arrested. And the judgments that are going to be made in applying this law are troublesome.

What I’ve directed my Justice Department to do is to look very carefully at the language of this law to see whether it comports both with our core values and existing legal standards, as well as the fact that the federal government is ultimately the one charged with immigration policy. And I expect to get a final report back from the Justice Department soon, at which point we’ll make some decisions in terms of how we are going to address that law.

Now, what I’ve also said, though, is that the Arizona law, I think, expresses some of the frustrations that the American people have had in not fixing a broken immigration system and, frankly, the failures of the federal government to get this done. I’m sympathetic to those frustrations; I share those frustrations -- which is why, from the time that I was a U.S. senator through the time that I ran for President, until now, I have consistently said that I’m supportive of a comprehensive immigration reform approach.

And I think the majority of American people are open to a comprehensive immigration reform approach, which would say the following things: Number one, that the federal government takes its responsibilities for securing our border seriously. And as I just stated in my opening remarks, we have actually put more resources, more personnel on the borders, and illegal immigration is actually down on the borders, not up. I know that’s not the perception out there, but that’s the fact.

But we haven’t done enough. So we’ve got a responsibility to create an orderly border, and that’s something that we have to do not unilaterally, but also working with the Mexican government -- because there are enormous flows of trade and tourists and people along the border region; the economies are interdependent; and we’ve got to control the borders, but do so in a way that does not have an adverse impact on the economies of those regions.

The second thing we’ve got to do is we’ve got to make sure that businesses are following the rules and are not actively recruiting undocumented workers so that they don’t have to abide by overtime laws, they don’t have to abide by minimum wage laws, they don’t have to abide by worker safety laws and otherwise undercut basic worker protections that exist. And they have to be held accountable and responsible.

The third thing we have to do is to make sure that those who have come to this country illegally are held accountable. And that means they need to pay a fine, they need to pay back taxes. I believe they should learn English. I believe that it is important for them to get to the back of the line and not in the front, but that we create a pathway so that they have an opportunity, if they are following the rules, following the law, to become legal residents and ultimately citizens of this country.

Now, that kind of package in which everybody has responsibilities I think is one that can pass. And it is one that I am fully supportive of. And I’ve said this again and again. And I think if we get that done, then you will be less likely to see the kinds of measures that we saw in Arizona.

Here’s the challenge that we have politically. The political challenge is, is that I have confidence that I can get the majority of Democrats, both in the House and the Senate, to support a piece of legislation of the sort that I just described. But I don’t have 60 votes in the Senate. I’ve got to have some support from Republicans. When we made an effort of this sort a few years ago, it was under the leadership of John McCain and Ted Kennedy. And because there was a bipartisan effort, we were actually able to generate a majority of votes in the Senate. And we just missed being able to get it done in the House.

If we can re-create that atmosphere -- I don't expect to get every Republican vote, but I need some help in order to get it done. And there have been people who have expressed an interest. But if they're willing to come forward and get a working group and get this moving, I’m actually confident that we can get it done. And the American people -- including the people of Arizona -- are going to prefer that the federal government takes responsibility and does what it’s supposed to do.

And it’s my job to work with members of Congress to see that happen. And it’s also my job to work with the Mexican government to make sure that it happens, because President Calderón recognizes that he has responsibilities on his side of the border, as well.

And the last point I’ll make on this topic is this: I think all of us recognize that some of the pressures with respect to immigration just arise out of economics. People in Mexico are looking for opportunity, and they feel that they can make more money here in the United States. What we also have to recognize -- and I talked about this with President Calderón -- is every nation also has the right to secure its borders and make orderly decisions about who comes in and who comes out.

And the key here is for us to keep both principles in mind, that people want to find a better life where they can, and if they have opportunity in America, they're going to want to come here. We can’t just try to use force to prevent that. On the other hand, the United States has to be able to make determinations about who comes in and who comes out in an orderly fashion. And if we are both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, then I think we will not only be true to our core values, but we’re also going to be creating a more prosperous future for everybody.

Yes.

Q (Translated.) President Obama, several issues, but not to detour from this same topic, I would like to know if you have already a strategy planned in regards to the Arizona law? Because it is violating the fundamental rights of people. How are you going to turn around this trend, President Obama, that is being shown in different states of the United States against migrants -- this migratory reform that you’re talking about -- to know when it will be taken to Congress and what’s the scope that it will have?

The second area regarding security, President Obama, I would like to know how do you value the battle against organized crime that President Calderón is having? Has this been a success? What is it missing? And following this issue, to know if you have seen that the weapons that illegally cross from the United States to Mexico are the ones that are used by the organized crime people in Mexico? Shouldn’t there be an initiative that will regulate guns as they are sold? Is there going to be a ban?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: -- a pretty comprehensive answer earlier, so I’m just going to take your second question and that is the issue of security. This is obviously a shared concern and is going to require shared effort on the part of both of our nations. I said the first time I met President Calderón and have said ever since that I greatly admire his courage, his dedication, his tenacity in trying to deal with the drug traffickers and cartels that have created such a public safety crisis in many communities within Mexico.

As we pointed out, this is not just an issue of the drug trade -- this is an issue of how is it affecting people’s day-to-day lives within Mexico. And the Mexican people have an interest in dealing with this. And he has stood up consistently because he recognizes that his foremost job, his most important task as President is to keep the Mexican people safe.

So we are fully supportive of the efforts that he’s been making. We have had extensive collaboration over the last several years in making sure that, in a way that respects Mexico’s sovereignty, we are responsive to whatever requests are made by the Calderón administration. To the extent that we can help through the Merida Initiative -- provide equipment, provide training, provide technologies that can help in these efforts -- we have done so. And we will continue to coordinate as effectively as we can with the Calderón administration to make sure that we deal with this problem.

Now, as you point out, this is not just a problem in Mexico. It is a problem that the United States has to address. And the two things that we have to address -- and I said this when I was in Mexico, and I will repeat here -- it is absolutely true that U.S. demand for drugs helps to drive this public safety crisis within Mexico and so we’ve got an obligation not to drive the demand side of the equation. And so most recently we’ve put forward our new strategy that emphasizes not just enforcement, but also prevention, also treatment, so that we can drive down demand and weaken the grip that these drug cartels have.

The second aspect of this that we have to deal with is the southbound flows from the United States of both weapons and cash that helps to empower these drug cartels. And so what I’ve directed my Department of Homeland Security, ATF, all our various agencies that have responsibilities in these areas to do is to ramp up our efforts at interdicting these southern flows.

And I already mentioned to you, for example, we’ve now instituted a policy where we are searching 100 percent of rail cargo that’s going south. That is a significant investment of law enforcement resources on our part, but it’s the right thing to do. We want to crack down on illegal gun dealers who are selling weapons into Mexico. All those are steps that we are doing in coordination with the Calderón government, and we will continue to emphasize the importance not only to Mexico, but also the United States of tackling this problem.

Okay? Thank you very much, everybody.

Video: Second grader prods first lady on immigration

Little girl asks if president is "taking everybody away" that doesn't have papers like her mom.

First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Washington-area school yesterday with Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala.

While sitting in a circle with other students and the first ladies, the young girl expressed concern about her mother’s legal status. Here is the brief exchange:

Student: "My mom said, I think that she says that, Barack Obama is going to take away everybody that doesn't have papers."

Obama: "Yeah, well, that's something that we have to work on, right? To make sure that people can be here with the right kind of papers, right? That's exactly right," she said.

Student: "But my mom doesn't have any."

Obama: "[W]ell we have to work on that; we have to fix that and everybody's got to work together in Congress to make sure that happens."

The school did not release the name of the student.

Immigration officials said this morning that they will not deport the little girl’s mother.

“ICE is a federal law enforcement agency that focuses on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes criminal aliens who pose a threat to our communities," Matthew Chandler, a spokesman for the Homeland Security Department, said in an e-mail to news outlets. "Our investigations are based on solid law enforcement work and not classroom Q and As.”

Obama halts deportations to Haiti

In response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the Obama administration announced that it is halting deportations back to the devastated country.

Advocates are also calling on the federal government to grant Haitian nationals living in the United States Temporary Protected Status, which is given to nationals of countries the government deems unsafe for return.

``TPS is in the range of considerations we consider in a disaster, but our focus remains on saving lives,'' Matthew Chandler, deputy Homeland Security press secretary, said in an e-mail to El Nuevo Herald after the department announced it was halting deportations.

ICE fights criticism, reveals Obama's quandary

A top immigration official responded to criticism of a program to remove dangerous illegal immigrants.

John Morton, an assistant secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wrote in a letter to the New York Times that a new federal fingerprinting program has led to the identification of more than 11,000 arrested illegal immigrants “charged with or convicted of serious crimes like rape and murder.”

His letter was in response to a Times editorial last month calling for immigration reform and saying that it was wrong for Janet Napolitano, President Obama's homeland security secretary, to “boast” about the program known as Secure Communities. (The Mecklenburg County Sheriff will soon be using the program in conjunction with its 287(g) program.) The Times editorial board said Napolitano failed to point out that minor violators were also caught up in a program that is aimed at more serious offenders.

"Laws must be enforced, but doing it this way hurts the innocent, creating a short line from Hispanic to immigrant to illegal to criminal. Having brown skin, speaking Spanish, seeming nervous in the presence of flashing police lights — none of those things say anything about whether you are here illegally or not, are deport able or not. But any one of them can be enough to get you pulled over in jurisdictions across the country” -- The New York Times editorial board.

Obama says he wants a similar form of immigration reform that the Times editorial board calls for. Napolitano and Morton point out that reform is necessary, but not, as Morton wrote, “without also providing smart and effective enforcement tools.”

The back and forth highlights the two public faces Obama is trying to present as he seeks to curry favor with opposing sides of the immigration debate.

To pass any immigration reform bill, Obama needs to convince citizens that 1.) it’s necessary and good for the country to allow law-abiding illegal immigrants a chance to earn legal status and 2.) that the government can actually control the borders and curb immigrant-related crime.

As can be seen by the Times editorial board, it's not going to be easy.

"President Obama has repeatedly assured 12 million illegal immigrants that he will fight to give them the chance to earn the right to stay. His administration should not undermine that noble effort by carelessly lending credibility to the view that the future citizens living and working among us are a class of criminals."

Photos: AP

Joe Wilson's war

If you didn't know Joe Wilson before, you probably do now.

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson is the talk of the nation today after yelling "You Lie" at President Barack Obama during his speech to congress last night. Wilson was responding to the president’s statement that illegal immigrants will not receive coverage under the proposed healthcare plan.

The S.C. Republican is getting reviled on the left. The reactions on the right vary from withering criticism to high fives. One conservative blogger questioned why "Joe Wilson didn’t throw a shoe at Obama."

Wilson apologized for letting “my emotions get the best of me,” but said he disagreed with the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the healthcare bill.

Democrats and some Republicans took the congressman to task for disrespecting the President while speaking in the hallowed halls of Congress.

"I've never seen anything like that before," said Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., "We do not invite the president of the United States into the House of Representatives and hurl insults."

Wilson's website crashed last night. At 11:30 a.m. this morning, it was still down from excessive traffic.

Conservative bloggers have hailed Wilson as a hero, calling on supporters to send him thank you notes, money, and push their representatives to act more like him.

“President Obama tried to lie to the whole nation tonight and a brave Congressman by the name of Joe Wilson called him on it,” Alipac wrote on its website.

Conservatives continue to raise questions about whether illegal immigrants could benefit from healthcare reform. The House version of the bill prohibits spending federal money to help illegal immigrants get coverage. They would likely be able to continue to receive emergency room treatment as they do now.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The issue that just won't die

Eleven percent of Americans do not believe President Obama was born in the United States, according to a DailyKos/Research 2000 poll released today. Another 12 percent are not sure.

The matter continues to thrive despite the embarrassment of many U.S. leaders, including Republicans, who have tried to put a clamp on the far-fetched theory that the President was actually born in Kenya, his father's birthplace, and therefore not eligible to be president of the United States.

Several lawsuits were filed during the campaign challenging then-Sen. Obama's eligibility to be president. All were rejected. The White House has tried to ignore the issue, but apparently felt compelled to speak out earlier this week. The Hawaii governor and health director have also spoken out recently in support of the President.

Based on the poll, some folks are not convinced.

Click here to see the Research 2000 poll, sponsored by the Daily Kos, a liberal blog.

The conservative website WorldNetDaily claims more than 400,000 people have signed a petition demanding more information on Obama's birth.

In the South, even fewer people believe the President is a naturally born citizen. Researchers found that that 23 percent of Americans in the Southeast do not believe President Obama was born in the United States, according to the Research 2000 poll. Another 30 percent are not sure.

A breakdown Research 2000 findings by party:

Democrats: 93 percent believe President Obama is U.S. born, 4 percent do not, and 3 percent are not sure.

Republicans: 42 percent think he was born here, 28 percent do not, and 30 percent are not sure.

Independents: 83 percent think he was born here, 8 percent do not, and 9 percent are unsure.

White House: President is a citizen

The White House said there is probably nothing that would satisfy the so-called "birthers" who contend the president’s Hawaiian birth certificate is fake.

CNN and radio host Lou Dobbs helped bring those lingering questions back to life last week when he, among others, wondered aloud whether the president is “undocumented.”

Many of the birthers contend the President was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland.

Several lawsuits were filed during the campaign season challenging then-Sen. Obama's eligibility to be president. All were rejected.

The White House responded to the most recent controversy this week as the issue gained momentum across radio waves and online blogs.

"If I had some DNA, it wouldn't assuage those that don't believe he was born here," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Monday. "But I have news for them and for all of us: The president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 50th state of the greatest country on the face of the Earth. He's a citizen."

Above: President Obama's 1961 birth announcement published in the the Honolulu Advertiser.

The Hawaii health department also reiterated this week that Obama's birth records are valid.

"I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."

Photos: President Barack Obama in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome), (AP Photo/The Honolulu Advertiser)

Could Obama be "undocumented"?

CNN and radio host Lou Dobbs touched off a firestorm last week when he wondered aloud on his radio show whether President Obama is a naturally born citizen and might be "undocumented."

"I'm starting to think we have a document issue. You suppose he's un... no, I won't even use the word undocumented, it wouldn't be right."

Here is short excerpt of the radio show.
Here is a longer excerpt of the radio show.

The photo below provided by the Honolulu Advertiser shows President Barack Obama's birth announcement, left column, center, in the Sunday Aug. 13, 1961 edition of the paper.


In response to similar charges raised during last year’s campaign season, FactCheck.org reported last year that the Obama campaign released a digitally scanned image of his birth certificate. FactCheck.org staffers say they’ve seen and examined the original birth certificate and deemed it authentic. In November, FactCheck.org reported that the Hawaii’s Department of Health confirmed that Obama was born in Honolulu.

Photo: President Barack Obama (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais), (AP Photo/The Honolulu Advertiser)

New tactic: suing the President

More than 100 kids have sued President Obama over the deportation of their parents.

The children, all born in United States, charge the deportations will cause "extreme, grave and irreparable hardship" and therefore amount to civil rights violations against them as U.S. citizens.

They're are asking the court to suspend the deportations of their parents until Congress overhauls U.S. immigration laws. The case is set to go to trial in August.

Click here to read the 51-page complaint.

Nora Sandigo, chief executive officer of Miami-based advocacy group American Fraternity, filed the suit in on behalf of the children in U.S. District Court in Miami. At a rally yesterday, Sandigo said she is frustrated that the Obama administration hasn't done more to address immigration reform, according to the Associated Press.

"Today these children's voices are not heard, but tomorrow these U.S. citizens will be voting," she said.

Acting U.S. attorney Jeffrey H. Soman asked the court to dismiss the case on grounds that Sandigo didn’t properly file her case.

The suit was originally brought against the Bush administration, but was dismissed.
Alfonso Olviedo, the children's attorney, told our colleagues at the Miami Herald that the case would most likely be dismissed again, with the court citing that it is an inappropriate forum.

Even if dismissed, Sandigo said her group will continue to fight. Children at the Miami rally said their families risked losing their homes and some children are suffering psychological and physical hardship.

"My grades went from A's to C's when my mom had to leave," Ronald Soza, who is named in the suit, told the Associated Press. Ronald’s mother was deported to Nicaragua last year.

Photos: (Top) Obama File AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, (Above) Ronald Soza, 10, left, and his sister Cecia, 12, right, at protest for the deportation of their mother. LYNNE SLADKY/AP / STF

Tancredo: Obama is 'a cult leader.'

The immigration debate continues to heat up as the nation's leaders get personal and answer tough questions about whether illegal immigrants should be given a chance to remain in the country legally.

Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, said illegal immigration makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy. He told a Senate subcommittee last week that an overhaul of immigration laws is "badly needed" to create legal avenues for skilled and unskilled illegal immigrants to enter the country. Here is what he had to say:

There is little doubt that unauthorized, that is, illegal immigration has made a significant contribution to the growth of our economy. Between 2000 and 2007, for example, it accounted for more than a sixth of the increase in our total civilian labor force.

Some evidence suggests that unskilled illegal immigrants, almost all from Latin America, marginally suppress wage levels of native-born Americans without a high school diploma, and impose significant costs on some state and local governments.
However the estimated wage suppression and fiscal costs are relatively small and economists generally view the overall economic benefits of this workforce as significantly outweighing the costs.

Former U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado, called President Barack Obama a “cult leader” when talking about his immigration plan. Speaking on the conservative news radio program “Dateline: Washington,” Tancredo said Obama is trying to dress up a plan that amounts to "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. Here is an excerpt.

He is — you have to admit — he is a cult leader. And the cult will go with him wherever he wants to go. You just don't know about the size of the cult; how big it is — if it's shrinking or growing.

Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, says she supports a federal bill that would give illegal immigrants a path to legal residency if they complete two years of college or military service. Responding to a question about the so-called Dream Act, Napolitano had this to say at last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

As a governor of a border state, this is one of those areas where everyone wants the immigration law enforced. We must enforce it. It's part of our national sovereignty, among other things.

On the other hand, we have to have the ability to deal with some of the human issues that arise here. And the one that you have identified is one of the most acute. I supported the Dream Act when I was governor. I support it now. One of the most moving things I've been privileged to do as secretary is to administer the Oath of Citizenship to men and women in our military who have been serving in Iraq, who were not citizens, who have elected to become citizens -- in a way, kind of mirrors what you're talking about in the Dream Act. But it seems to me that the Dream Act is -- is a good piece of legislation and a good idea.

Remember 'catch and release'?

Enforcement advocates say new federal immigration guidelines may signal a return to a widely criticized program that allowed captured illegal immigrants to be released to await a court date. Many never showed up.

The Obama administration issued a new enforcement policy last week focusing on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates stronger enforcement, says the new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines do not “offer anything new in the way of substance with respect to enforcement against employers.”

Instead, FAIR says it raises questions whether illegal immigrants caught at worksites will be released. FAIR keys in on one line in the DHS memo:

ICE will continue to arrest and process for removal any illegal workers who are found in the course of these worksite enforcement actions in a manner consistent with immigration law and DHS priorities.

FAIR contends that “processing for removal” could mean releasing illegal immigrants and giving them a notice to appear in court on a certain day to begin removal proceedings.

"Such a practice would be tantamount to reinstating the catch and release policy - a Border Patrol policy that was widely criticized as ineffective and counterproductive," FAIR states.

The catch and release program was ended in 2006. The practice allowed some illegal immigrants to remain free while awaiting their court hearing. Many never showed up in court.