The following is a statement by John D. Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, who participated in a meeting held today at the White House with President Obama, Senior Administration officials and allies to discuss immigration reform:
I applaud President Barack Obama for his willingness to engage the challenging immigration debate head-on and his desire to advance reforms that will enhance our national and economic security. Our broken immigration system undermines some of the nation’s most pressing goals and most fundamental values.
The broad array of stakeholders at today’s meeting reflects the importance of our nation’s immigration policies and its reach into all aspects of society. The Center for American Progress pledges to work with the administration and the many stakeholders in this debate to steer the conversation away from decrying the problems with our immigration system and toward developing policy solutions for fixing it and ending illegal immigration.
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To speak with CAP’s immigration experts on this issue, please contact Raul Arce-Contreras at [email protected] or 202.478.5318