By , ,
Published December 23, 2015
Despite his open disdain for Arizona's strict immigration law, President Obama has no intention of speaking out on the issue Wednesday, after a judge blocked key portions of the law from going into effect.
The president is in Edison, NJ to talk about helping small businesses and later stops by New York City to round up cash for Democrats.
However, we have put together some of Mr. Obama's past remarks on the hot-button immigration issue; starting from when he was a candidate and up to his take this month on the Arizona immigration law . Take a look...
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
July 1, 2010
"In recent days, the issue of immigration has become once more a sense -- a source of fresh contention in our country, with the passage of a controversial law in Arizona and the heated reactions we've seen across America.
Some have rallied behind this new policy. Others have protested and launched boycotts of the state. And everywhere, people have expressed frustration with a system that seems fundamentally broken.
Of course, the tensions around immigration are not new. On the one hand, we've always defined ourselves as a nation of immigrants, a nation that welcomes those willing to embrace America's precepts.
Indeed, it is this constant flow of immigrants that helped to make America what it is: the scientific breakthroughs of Albert Einstein, the inventions of Nikola Tesla, the great ventures of Andrew Carnegie's U.S. Steel and Sergey Brin's Google Link. All this was possible because of immigrants."
"Ultimately, our nation, like all nations, has the right and obligation to control its borders and set laws for residency and citizenship. And no matter how decent they are, no matter their reasons, the 11 million who broke these laws should be held accountable.
Now, the majority of Americans are skeptical of a blanket amnesty. They are also skeptical that it is possible to round up and deport 11 million people. They know it's not possible. Such an effort would be logistically impossible and wildly expensive."
May 5, 2010
"...I spoke out against the recently passed law in Arizona. Make no mistake, our immigration system is broken. And after so many years in which Washington has failed to meet its responsibilities, Americans are right to be frustrated, including folks along border states. But the answer isn't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation. We can't start singling out people because of who they look like, or how they talk, or how they dress. We can't turn law-abiding American citizens -- and law-abiding immigrants -- into subjects of suspicion and abuse. We can't divide the American people that way. That's not the answer. That's not who we are as the United States of America."
April 23, 2010
"Over the years, many have attempted to confront this challenge, but passions are great and disagreements run deep. Yet surely we can all agree that when 11 million people in our country are living here illegally, outside the system, that's unacceptable. The American people demand and deserve a solution. And they deserve common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability.
Government has a responsibility to enforce the law and secure our borders and set clear rules and priorities for future immigration."
March 17, 2010
"That's why I'm pleased that there's bipartisan progress being made in an area that I know was close to his big heart -- and that's fixing our broken immigration system. And that's why my own commitment to comprehensive immigration reform remains unwavering."
January 27, 2010
"And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system - to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nations.
In the end, it is our ideals, our values, that built America - values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe; values that drive our citizens still. Every day, Americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers. Time and again, they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country. They take pride in their labor, and are generous in spirit. These aren't Republican values or Democratic values they're living by; business values or labor values. They are American values."
June 19, 2009
"Together, we must build a future where the promise of America is kept for a new generation. We also know that keeping this promise means upholding America's tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. Those things aren't contradictory; they're complementary. That's why I'm committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform as President of the United States."
April 29, 2009
"We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody. It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would-be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border."
March 11, 2009
"With respect to immigration reform, to some degree the collapse of housing construction in the country has slowed the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country, but it remains a serious concern. And our approach is to do some things administratively to strengthen border security; to fix the legal immigration system, because a lot of the pressure -- or a lot of the impetus towards illegal immigration involves a broken legal system -- people want to reunify families and they don't want to wait 10 years.
I think we can make some progress on that front, and we've started to talk to all the parties involved and both parties here in Washington about the prospects of taking legislative steps. But obviously we've got a lot on our plate right now. And so what we can do administratively, that's where we're going to start."
CANDIDATE OBAMA:
September 10, 2008
"This election is about the 12 million people living in the shadows, the communities taking immigration enforcement into their own hands...they're counting on us to stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves, rise above the fear and demagoguery, and finally enact comprehensive immigration reform.
Now, those 12 million people broke the law. And we cannot excuse that. But we cannot deport 12 million people. Instead, we'll require them to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for citizenship - behind those who came here legally."
July 27, 2008
"Well, you know, I think that we are a nation of immigrants and we are a nation of laws. And the problem that I see is not the number of immigrants that are coming in -- because we actually are advantaged in the United States by the number of immigrants coming in.
...The problem is when we've got a legal immigration system running parallel with an illegal immigration system. And I have said that I'm strongly in favor of a comprehensive immigration approach."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/president-obamas-take-on-immigration