Skip to main content

President Obama Comments on the Supreme Court Ruling on Arizona's Immigration Law


(June 25, 2012) -- The White House today released this statement by President Barack Obama on the Supreme Court ruling on Arizona's immigration law:

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of Arizona's immigration law.  What this decision makes unmistakably clear is that Congress must act on comprehensive immigration reform.  A patchwork  of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system – it’s part of the problem.
At the same time, I remain concerned about the practical impact of the remaining provision of the Arizona law that requires local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of anyone they even suspect to be here illegally.  I agree with the Court that individuals cannot be detained solely to verify their immigration status.  No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like.  Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans, as the Court’s decision recognizes.  Furthermore, we will continue to enforce our immigration laws by focusing on our most important priorities like border security and criminals who endanger our communities, and not, for example, students who earn their education – which is why the Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that it will lift the shadow of deportation from young people who were brought to the United States as children through no fault of their own.

"I will work with anyone in Congress who’s willing to make progress on comprehensive immigration reform that addresses our economic needs and security needs, and upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.  And in the meantime, we will continue to use every federal resource to protect the safety and civil rights of all Americans, and treat all our people with dignity and respect. We can solve these challenges not in spite of our most cherished values – but because of them.  What makes us American is not a question of what we look like or what our names are.  What makes us American is our shared belief in the enduring promise of this country – and our shared responsibility to leave it more generous and more hopeful than we found it."

To learn more about the Obama/Biden reelection effort click here.

Follow IrishAmericansforObamaBiden on Twitter. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remarks by President Barack Obama at St. Patrick's Day Reception on March 17, 2010

East Wing, White House PRESIDENT OBAMA: Welcome to St. Patrick’s Day at the White House, on a day when springtime is in the air –- and this is -- even though the Taoiseach hasn’t even shared his shamrocks yet, but we can feel spring coming. Before I say anything else let me just say that I could not have a better partner in a difficult job than the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden; he does a great job each and every day. (Applause.) And I couldn't have a better partner in life than the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. (Applause.) Welcome back, Mr. Prime Minister, First Lady. We are thrilled to have you. The Irish and Irish-Americans are out in force tonight. I believe, if I'm not mistaken that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is here. (Applause.) A couple of my Cabinet Secretaries are here, as well –- Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. (Applause.) I would love to ackn...
Post a Comment
Read more

United States - Northern Ireland Economic Conference Set for October 19 in Washington D.C.

The U.S. State Department is hosting a one-day economic conference to showcase American investment opportunities in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, at the U.S. State Department. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will preside over the conference of 70-80 participants. The conference was announced on March 17, 2010 following a meeting with President Barack Obama, Secretary Clinton and leaders from Northern Ireland, according to Declan Kelly , US Envoy to Northern Ireland. First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are expected to represent Northern Ireland at the conference. Executives from American corporations already doing business in Northern Ireland will share their experiences with corporate executives who are considering investment there. Key partners involved in the conference include Tourism Ireland , the U.S. Consulate in Belfast and the Ireland Funds . For a full list of partners, click here . The conference is part of an ongoing...
Post a Comment
Read more

President Obama Urges Congress to Pass Immigration Reform Legislation this Year

This week, President Barack Obama urged Republicans and Democrats alike to pass an Immigration Reform bill this year.  Speaking at the White House and surrounded by business officials, community leaders, religious clergy and immigration experts, the president expressed an urgency to "modernize our legal immigration system, so that even as we train American workers for the jobs of the future, we’re also attracting highly-skilled entrepreneurs from beyond our borders to join with us to create jobs here in the United States." Read the full text of the speech here.  Find out more about the White House immigration reform initiative . Follow Irish Americans for Obama on twitter .
Post a Comment
Read more