White House to hold meeting to discuss immigration reform

The White House issued a statement late Monday saying the president has called bipartisan meeting on immigration reform. The meeting is reportedly intended to discuss the importance of fixing the “broken immigration system” in America.

President Obama has made numerous statements of his commitment to overhaul the immigration system. The Obama administration has, however, drawn criticism in immigrant and Hispanic communities regarding immigration enforcement tactics and the record 393,000 deportations that occurred last year.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the White House, where a bipartisan group of invitees will discuss federal immigration reform. Business and religious leaders reportedly are among the people on the list of invitees that will join current and former public officials in the White House discussion.

President Obama reportedly told WFAA-TV, the White House seeks to find a bilateral answer to set new immigration policy in the United States. He says it is time to stop using immigration as a political football. Last week, 22 Senate Democrats urged President Obama to delay deportations of young undocumented immigrants that entered the United States with their parents.

At least one Democratic Representative from the U.S. House has indicated his disapproval of the President’s lack of drive to reform immigration policy. Immigration activists and members Spanish-language reportedly have consistently reminded the president of his campaign promise to address immigration reform early in his administration.

The Tuesday afternoon meeting between a bipartisan group of business, religious, law enforcement and former and current public officials is reportedly designed to find common some common ground on immigration policy in an attempt to move forward in the area of immigration reform.

Source: AP via KENS 5 TV, “Obama to hold meeting on immigration reform,” 18 Apr 2011