MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: Cecilia Muñoz on the upcoming debate on immigration reform in the Senate

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

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EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, June 8, 2013

MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: Cecilia Muñoz on the upcoming debate on immigration reform in the Senate

In this week’s message, Cecilia Muñoz spoke about the upcoming Senate debate on bipartisan immigration reform. She mentions how the President is urging the Senate to act quickly to pass commonsense legislation so that we can continue to live up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants.

The audio of the address and video of the message is available online HERE.

Remarks by Cecilia Muñoz
Message from the White House
June 6, 2013

Hi, everybody.  In the next few days, America will take an important step towards fixing our broken immigration system.  The entire United States Senate will begin debating a commonsense immigration reform bill that has bipartisan support.

See, we define ourselves as a nation of immigrants.  The promise we find in those who come from every corner of the globe has always been one of our greatest strengths. 

But for years, our out-of-date immigration system has actually harmed our economy and threatened our security.

But if we’re going to truly fix a broken system, we need Congress to act in a comprehensive way. 

Now, over the past four years, we’ve taken steps to try and patch up some of the worst cracks in the system. Strengthening border security, concentrating law enforcement efforts on criminals who endanger our communities and offering the opportunity for DREAMers to come out of the shadows so they can continue to work and study here.

The bill before the Senate isn’t perfect.  It’s a compromise.  Nobody will get everything they want – not Democrats, not Republicans, not the President. 

But it is a bill that’s largely consistent with the principles that the President has repeatedly laid out for commonsense immigration reform.

This bill would provide a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are in this country illegally and modernize the legal immigration system.

That’s what immigration reform looks like.  They’re all commonsense steps.  So there is no reason that Congress can’t work together to send a bill to my desk by the end of the summer. 

We know the opponents of reform are going to do everything they can to prevent that.   And if they succeed, we will lose this chance to finally fix an immigration system that is badly broken.    

Throughout our history, immigration has only strengthened our country.  And it’s how we’ll make sure that America’s best days always lie ahead. 

Thanks. 

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