THE US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has called for sweeping reform of the United States’ immigration system.
Speaking at the border city of El Paso, Texas, Obama said that he plans to create a path to legal status for illegal immigrants – providing that they agree to pay back taxes, a fine, gain English proficiency and undergo a background check.
Obama’s speech did not detail when these reforms would be rolled out, however he indicated that he would begin pushing for the overhaul before he runs for reelection in 2012, Reuters reports.
The reform plan is aimed at the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States and, if enacted, could be good news for illegal Irish immigrants in the country. In 2007, it was estimated that 50,000 illegal Irish immigrants were in the US, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“We need to come together around reform that reflects our values as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, that demands everyone take responsibility,” Obama said.
The BBC reports that immigration reform is particularly important to the increasing Hispanic, Democratic-leaning electorate in the US.
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