Immigration reform can’t wait

Immigration reform can’t wait

The immigration debate took center stage on Sept. 20 as President Barack Obama participated in a forum broadcast live by the Spanish-language network Univision. The debate took place four years after President Obama pledged to push immigration reform during his first year in office — an empty pledge that toyed with the hopes of many Latino Americans living in this country.

President Obama did not pass immigration reform leaving a secular portion of the country at a standstill, waiting for reformation and so called “change.” At the forum reporter Jorge Ramos stated, “I want you to acknowledge that you did not keep your promise.”

Obama noted that he could not keep his promise because the first year of his term was consumed by efforts to help the economy and stop the country from going into another Great Depression.

President Obama said his failure to push comprehensive immigration reform as promised was the biggest failure of his first term and blamed Republicans in Congress for the lack of progress.

Throughout different presidencies we have seen politicians playing hot potato with immigration reform. Regardless of partisanship immigration has been a tough issue on both sides of the aisle.

During the election process we hear a lot of talk about immigration reform without hearing about the actual plan for reformation. Latino voters are a key demographic and the issues that are affecting them are not being legislatively addressed. Comprehensive immigration reform cannot continue to sit on the back-burner in this country, politicians need to take action and instill policies that reform our greatly depressed immigration system.

Vanessa Avila

Oak Brook