CQ (Article by David Harrison): White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz delivered a robust defense of the Obama administrations immigration policy Tuesday and blasted Republicans for what she called their refusal to negotiate over the issue. But Muñoz also said the administration would entertain any proposal from the GOP side with few preconditions.
In particular, Muñoz spoke positively about Sen. Marco Rubio's attempts to write a bill granting legal status to young undocumented people. The Florida Republican is working on an alternative to the Democratic-sponsored DREAM Act that would legalize young people brought to the country illegally as children if they enroll in college or join the military.
"The DREAM Act is an administration priority, and we note with interest the conversation about a possible alternative being developed by a single Republican senator," Muñoz said at a forum organized by the Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project, "We are listening and our door remains open to any serious partner willing to walk through it."
Rubio's proposal has been cautiously welcomed by groups representing young undocumented people even though it would not offer them a path to citizenship, a cornerstone of the Democratic legislation (S 952, HR 1842).
Democrats, meanwhile, have struggled for a response. In an April interview with Telemundo, Obama decried the hypocrisy of Republicans trying to simultaneously appeal to conservatives while also paying lip service to the plight of young people living here illegally through no fault of their own.
Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he remains committed to granting citizenship to students eligible for the DREAM Act.
But other Democrats, such as Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, a longtime immigration advocate, have been more receptive.
Muñoz's statement suggests that the administration may be ready to offer an olive branch to Rubio, who has accused the White House of trying to sabotage his efforts. But Rubio has yet to introduce a bill and any early rapprochement could easily collapse once the details of his proposal are made public.
Criticism of GOP
Muñoz said that Republicans so far have not stepped forward on immigration, even though Obama met with the GOP caucus to discuss the issue and even though the White House has drafted legislative language at the request of lawmakers,
"The prevailing philosophy on the other side of the aisle is grounded in the notion that we should aggressively remove as many people as possible and pass laws aimed at making life so miserable for the remaining immigrants and their families that they will deport themselves," she said, referring to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's contention that laws should promote the self-deportation of illegal immigrants.
"This isn't even a remotely credible strategy, and it comes at an incredibly high price," Muñoz said.
"Any proposal should emphasize legal immigration, help the country economically be both effective and humane, and make it possible for immigrants to achieve full integration," she said. Significantly, she did not mention granting citizenship as a precondition.
Obama has been under pressure throughout his presidency to deliver on a campaign promise to overhaul the country's immigration laws. Hispanic groups, who will play a key role in this years election, have grown impatient with the president and have urged him to do more administratively in the absence of legislative action.
In response, the White House has rolled out a new deportation policy, prioritizing prosecution for those who commit serious crimes while in the country and granting a reprieve to undocumented people with jobs and family ties in the United States. The administration is also working on rewriting rules that force families to live apart for years while awaiting a visa.
At the same time, the administration has also significantly beefed up law enforcement capabilities at the border as well as its immigration enforcement within the country, in part to pacify critics who accuse Obama of neglecting border security. Last year, the government deported almost 400,000 people, a record. Muñoz warned advocates that until Congress acts, the administration must continue to aggressively prosecute people here illegally even as it tries to target lawbreakers for deportation.
"For those who believe it is a travesty of justice to ever separate a parent from a child, I can say that even the imposition of rational priorities to immigration enforcement will be insufficient to prevent these tragedies from occurring," she said. "These are both symptoms of a broken system."
In particular, Muñoz spoke positively about Sen. Marco Rubio's attempts to write a bill granting legal status to young undocumented people. The Florida Republican is working on an alternative to the Democratic-sponsored DREAM Act that would legalize young people brought to the country illegally as children if they enroll in college or join the military.
"The DREAM Act is an administration priority, and we note with interest the conversation about a possible alternative being developed by a single Republican senator," Muñoz said at a forum organized by the Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project, "We are listening and our door remains open to any serious partner willing to walk through it."
Rubio's proposal has been cautiously welcomed by groups representing young undocumented people even though it would not offer them a path to citizenship, a cornerstone of the Democratic legislation (S 952, HR 1842).
Democrats, meanwhile, have struggled for a response. In an April interview with Telemundo, Obama decried the hypocrisy of Republicans trying to simultaneously appeal to conservatives while also paying lip service to the plight of young people living here illegally through no fault of their own.
Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said he remains committed to granting citizenship to students eligible for the DREAM Act.
But other Democrats, such as Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, a longtime immigration advocate, have been more receptive.
Muñoz's statement suggests that the administration may be ready to offer an olive branch to Rubio, who has accused the White House of trying to sabotage his efforts. But Rubio has yet to introduce a bill and any early rapprochement could easily collapse once the details of his proposal are made public.
Criticism of GOP
Muñoz said that Republicans so far have not stepped forward on immigration, even though Obama met with the GOP caucus to discuss the issue and even though the White House has drafted legislative language at the request of lawmakers,
"The prevailing philosophy on the other side of the aisle is grounded in the notion that we should aggressively remove as many people as possible and pass laws aimed at making life so miserable for the remaining immigrants and their families that they will deport themselves," she said, referring to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's contention that laws should promote the self-deportation of illegal immigrants.
"This isn't even a remotely credible strategy, and it comes at an incredibly high price," Muñoz said.
"Any proposal should emphasize legal immigration, help the country economically be both effective and humane, and make it possible for immigrants to achieve full integration," she said. Significantly, she did not mention granting citizenship as a precondition.
Obama has been under pressure throughout his presidency to deliver on a campaign promise to overhaul the country's immigration laws. Hispanic groups, who will play a key role in this years election, have grown impatient with the president and have urged him to do more administratively in the absence of legislative action.
In response, the White House has rolled out a new deportation policy, prioritizing prosecution for those who commit serious crimes while in the country and granting a reprieve to undocumented people with jobs and family ties in the United States. The administration is also working on rewriting rules that force families to live apart for years while awaiting a visa.
At the same time, the administration has also significantly beefed up law enforcement capabilities at the border as well as its immigration enforcement within the country, in part to pacify critics who accuse Obama of neglecting border security. Last year, the government deported almost 400,000 people, a record. Muñoz warned advocates that until Congress acts, the administration must continue to aggressively prosecute people here illegally even as it tries to target lawbreakers for deportation.
"For those who believe it is a travesty of justice to ever separate a parent from a child, I can say that even the imposition of rational priorities to immigration enforcement will be insufficient to prevent these tragedies from occurring," she said. "These are both symptoms of a broken system."
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