Kilili, Hispanic Caucus push Obama on immigration

[B]WASHINGTON, D.C[/B].—CNMI Rep. Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan and the other 23 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with President Barack Obama at the White House yesterday to obtain the President’s recommitment to address the wide range of issues surrounding national immigration policy.

Sablan quoted Obama as saying that he stands by his campaign pledges to reform a broken immigration system.

The White House later characterized the meeting with the Hispanic members of the Senate and House of Representatives as “robust and strategic.”

“We met with the President for about an hour around the table in the State Dining Room of the White House,” said Kilili. “We presented our agenda and our plan of action; and I think it’s fair to say that we have the President’s complete commitment to comprehensive immigration reform.

“In fact, the President reminded us that he has been committed to tackling immigration since he was a member of the Senate. ‘You’re preaching to the choir,’ he told us.”

As a member of the Senate Obama called for stronger border and workplace enforcement. “But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America… Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should.”

Sablan said the President’s words should be very encouraging to the Northern Marianas. “Our issues are very similar to the national issues.”

The Northern Marianas Delegate said this is also the reason he joined the Hispanic Caucus. “We all share the goal of passing an immigration law that protects students, families, workers, and entrepreneurs, while at the same time maintaining responsible control of our nation’s borders.”

“We came to the President today as allies and supporters, and in return he showed us that he remains committed to immigration reform that stabilizes our economy, secures our borders and keeps our families together,” said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, chairman of the CHC Immigration Task Force. “I believe that a plan is forthcoming, and that we will see real change this year.”

During the meeting, Obama reaffirmed his understanding of the difficulties immigrants face. He also assured the members that he is pursuing ways, including administrative first steps, to ensure that enforcement policies do not result in the separation of families.

“I appreciate that President Obama understands the real difficulties that families are facing. The danger that families may be separated is one of the three main reasons I’ve asked for a delay in commencement of the transition to federal control in the Northern Mariana Islands,” Sablan said.

On Feb. 9, 2009, the CNMI congressman sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano requesting the delay. On Feb. 26 Sablan and a small group of CHC Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with Napolitano at the Capitol to discuss immigration issues, including the 180-day delay for the CNMI.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is very active in the immigration forefront. The Caucus has conducted “Family Unity” town hall meetings across the nation to focus attention on the need for immigration reform. At the meetings members of the public, immigrants and U.S. citizens alike share their stories of how they have been impacted by the current immigration policies.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus was founded in 1976. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]