NumbersUSA Responds to President Obama’s Hypocritical Speech Calling for Amnesty

By Rosemary Jenks, Thursday, July 1, 2010- posted on NumbersUSA

On Thursday, President Obama gave a speech at American University in Washington D.C., blaming partisan politics for Congress’ inability to pass comprehensive immigration reform (amnesty). The President also noted that our borders are as secure as they have been in decades and that America’s immigration laws are unenforceable.

In an incredibly hypocritical statement, the President said that employers must be held accountable for knowingly hiring illegal aliens, despite the fact that under his administration, the Department of Homeland Security has virtually stopped criminal prosecutions of employers who hire illegal aliens and has completely stopped ICE’s worksite enforcement actions. On top of this, President Obama’s Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to overturn Arizona’s mandatory E-Verify law — a law that is proving effective at getting unemployed Arizonans back to work. Perhaps the President is unaware that 25 million Americans cannot find a full-time job, while an estimated 7 million illegal aliens hold non-agricultural American jobs.

The President’s contention that America’s borders are more secure than they’ve been in decades is ludicrous His claim would come as a major surprise to the law enforcement officials and ranchers who have been shot or shot at in recent months by illegal aliens and to the human and drug smugglers operating there with impunity. All of which he would know if he took the time to visit the border and talk to those trying to secure it or to those living near it.

Laws? What laws?
President Obama maintained the fallacy that the United States’ immigration laws are simply unenforceable. I’m not sure how the President would know this, as he has actively prevented them from being enforced. When he took his oath of office and swore to faithfully execute the laws of the land, he didn’t say. “except those laws I don’t like….like immigration laws.”

Unfortunately, he was specific about one thing: his support for an amnesty for the 11-18 million illegal aliens living in the United States. Even though he admitted that these individuals came here to take jobs from US workers who desperately need them, he still wants Congress to give them an amnesty so they can permanently keep the jobs they’ve stolen from unemployed legal workers. In fact, apparently wanting to ensure that no illegal alien is left behind, the President called on Congress to pass three amnesties—the DREAM Act, AgJOBS, and blanket amnesty as part of comprehensive immigration reform. It is disappointing that the 7 million illegal aliens with non-agricultural jobs are more important to the President than the 25 million Americans who are unable to find full-time work.

Finally, his politicization of the issue is offensive. The President talked about all the different groups he’s met with, representing all kinds of views, faiths, and beliefs. Unfortunately, the only groups he hasn’t met with are those who represent the American people, who oppose amnesty and his apparent plan to ratchet up already too high legal immigration levels. He claims that Republicans are the ones blocking comprehensive immigration reform. However, the last time I checked, Democrats control both the House and the Senate, and if President Obama does not have the votes to force an amnesty through Congress, it is because many Democrats, like most Republicans, actually represent their constituents and oppose amnesty.

ROSEMARY JENKS is the Director of Government Relations for NumbersUSA

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