Michelle Obama Urges Latino Community to Pressure GOP to Back Immigration Bill

The Hill: First Lady Michelle Obama called on the Latino community to put pressure on Republicans to support comprehensive immigration legislation. In an interview with Univision, the first lady said President Obama wanted to pass immigration legislation, but could not find enough support among Republicans to move a bill. The DREAM Act, a bill to give undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children and are pursuing higher education an opportunity to become U.S. citizens, had little support among Republicans, she said. The latest attempt to pass the legislation failed in December. “So I urge the Latino community, he needs help, he's got to have Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are going to step up,” the first lady said. “If a sound immigration bill gets put on the President's desk he is going to sign it. But it’s got to get through Congress. He can't do it alone.” Asked if the president pushed hard enough to pass an immigration bill, the first lady defended her husband. “Immigration reform has been at the top of my husband's agenda from the minute he thought about running for this office,” she said, adding later, “But people have to know that the President can't pass immigration reform without the support of Congress and we don't have that.”